Jackson, Missouri - On Saturday, April 8, 2017 the Dexter High School Track team competed in the Jackson Invitational Meet.

Emily Ladd earned a 1st Place finish in the 800 meter.   She also broke the Dexter High School record with a time of 2:30.25.

Zach Cartwright placed 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles.

Hannah Moore finished 1st in the 300 meter hurdles and 2nd in the 200 meter run.

Blair Rogers, Hannah Moore, Paige Moore, and Rhylan Hillis won first place in the 4x100 Relay.

The Dexter High School boys and girls track teams will compete at the Sikeston Twilight Relays on Wednesday, April 12th beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Perryville, Missouri - On Tuesday, April 4, 2017 the Dexter High School Track Team traveled to the Perryville Invitational Track Meet.  Nine athletes earned medals.

Zack Cartright received second in the High Jump and 5th in the 300 meter hurdles. 

Emily Ladd, Margo Nea, Keaira Craft and Jadyn Northcutt finished in 3rd place in the 4x800 relay.

Blair Rogers, Hannah Moore, Paige Moore, and Rhylan Hillis earned a 2nd place finish in the 4x100 relay.

Hannah Moore placed 5th in the 300 meter hurdles and earned a 1st place finish in the 200 meter run. She also finished 2nd in the Long Jump.

Emily Ladd got top honors with a first place finish in the 2 mile run.

Madelyn Webb finished 5th place in both the Disc and the Shot Put.

Rhylan Hillis finished 5th in the High Jump.

Shown in the photo front row from left to right: Emily Ladd, Margo Nea, Keaira Caft and Jaydyn Northcutt.  Back row from left to right: Blair Rogers, Hannah Moore, Rhylan Hillis, and Madelyn Webb. Not available for photo: Zach Cartright.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Poplar Bluff High School freshman Savannah Hicks was Missouri’s nomination for the National High School Spirit of Sport Award for returning to the basketball court just six short weeks after open-heart surgery.

The executive director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association nominated the 15-year-old for the award because she exceeded expectations, overcame challenging circumstances and displayed exemplary sportsmanship.

“I visited with Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, executive director of MSHSAA, about Savannah Hicks and the obstacles she has overcome to return to the court/field,” R-I Athletic Director Kent Keith announced. “I then forwarded (reporter) Ben Striker’s DAR article about Savannah for him to read. Dr. Urhahn was touched by what he heard and read.”

Over the summer, medics discovered a heart murmur or an irregular heartbeat during sports physicals provided by volunteers for student athletes. Upon further testing, Savannah was diagnosed with atrial septal defect, which is a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart.

Savannah postponed treatment until completing the varsity softball season. On Nov. 22, she received successful open-heart surgery at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. A week later, she attended a home basketball game to cheer on her junior varsity teammates. She proceeded to help keep a stat book until she received clearance from doctors to return to the court at the end of the year. On Jan. 2, she participated in practice. Four days later, she played in her first game of the season.

In addition to basketball and softball, Savannah has just learned that she made the girls soccer team. She is a member of the Mule Barn, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, active in her church youth group and in the top 10 percent of her class, according to her nomination form.

The national recipient of the award was a student athlete in Minnesota who, despite being born a paraplegic, plays football, sled hockey, wheelchair softball and track, according to a press release issued by the National Federation of State High School Associations. All 50 state associations, plus Washington, D.C., have the ability to submit a nominee to the selection committee each year, according to MSHSAA Communications Director Jason West.

Desloge, Missouri - The Dexter High School girls and boys track and field teams traveled to North County High School on Wednesday for the North County Raiders Relays.  Several Bearcats brought home medals.

Below are the results:

Boys
4x2  Ben Sindle, Cole Barker, Brody Pollock and Zack Cartwright  5th place

400 Ben Sindle 4th

300H Zack Cartwright  2nd

Triple Jump Dawson Kasting 5th

Girls
4x8.  Emily Ladd, Emily Page, Margo Nea and Rhylan Hillis 4th

100 Blair Rogers 4th

200 Hannah Moore 1st

4x1  Blair Rogers Rhylan Hillis, Hannah Moore and Alexa Werneck 2nd

300H Hannah Moore 4th

LJ Hannah Moore 3rd

HJ Rylan Hillis 4th

TJ Rylan Hillis 3rd

2 mile Emily Ladd 3rd

Dexter's track team traveled to Ste. Genevieve on Friday, March 31st to compete in the St. Gen Old Settlement Meet.

Shown in the photo back row from left to right: Ben Sindle, Cole Barker, Brody Pollock and Dawson Kasting.  Front row from left to right: Emily Ladd, Rhylan Hillis, Hannah Moore, Alexa Werneck and Blair Rogers.  Not available for photo: Zach Cartwright.

Missouri - According to preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), young turkey hunters harvested 4,060 birds during the 2017 spring youth season, April 8 and 9. Top harvest counties were Franklin with 118 birds harvested, Callaway with 91, and Gasconade with 87. 

Young hunters checked 4,167 turkeys during last year's youth weekend.