Rector, Arkansas - The Dexter Diamondbacks, a 4th grade traveling baseball team, won the 2014 Rector Pre-Season Tournament in Rector, Arkansas this weekend.

The Diamondbacks played seven games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

They defeated Kennett's 10U team twice on Sunday back-to-back to win the championship game.  Congratulations to the Diamondbacks on a great performance at the plate!!

Shown in the photo Front row - left to right are Josh Kaufman, Camden Riley, Jeffrey Jarrell, Noah Foster, Trey Clark, and Eli Ford.

Back row left to right: Braxton Greenfield, John Nimmo, Kenton Pope, Nate Ware, and Wyatt Nimmo.  Not pictured: Taylor Condict
 
The Dexter Diamondbacks are coached by Greg Miller, Josh Miller and Caleb Miller.
 

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Dexter, Missouri – Erika Cobb signed to play with the Three Rivers College girls basketball team in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

She is the daughter of Lonnie and Ginger Cobb.  She played high school volleyball for two years and basketball all four years as a Bearcat.  She along with her teammates won four District Championships and placed second in the state in 2014 at the ShowMe Showdown in Columbia.  She is also a member of Future Teachers of America, FCA, and the Dexter Honor Society.

“Three Rivers is getting a complete player,” stated Dexter’s Lady ‘Cats head coach Chad Allen.  “She can go inside and out offensively.  She’s a great defender and just an overall good person.  She can really score also.  Erika can hit the three, take it off the dribble and pull up.  She’s got the best jump shot we have had around here in a longtime.”

Erika averaged 12.5 points per game scoring over 1,000 points for Dexter and shot 56% from the field.  She also hit 29 of the 61 treys she attempted.

Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said of Cobb, “She will fit in well in the back of that 2-2-1 pres that she has played the last four years.  Hopefully, it will be a seamless transition from high school to college.  Coach Allen and I play pretty much the same style so I think it makes the transition a little easier.”

Coach Walk said he first noticed Erika her sophomore year at Dexter.  He has attended numerous games watching her play.  “She probably never knew that.  I am not a hard sell.  I want the kids to enjoy their high school career and have fun because you never get a chance to go back and do that again.”

Erika plans to major in physical education at Three Rivers College.  “I cadet teach in PE and it seems like a lot of fun,” stated Cobb.

Shown in the photo are (front row left to right): sister Abby Cobb, Erika Cobb, sister Rachel Cobb, mother Ginger Cobb and father Lonnie Cobb; (back row left to right): Dexter girls basketball coach Chad Allen, Three Rivers College head girls basketball coach Jeff Walk, Three Rivers College assistant girls basketball coach Sheronda Powell and AAU coach Chuck Williams.

Congratulations Erika!  The Dexter community is extremely proud of you and your accomplishments. We'll see you on the court again very soon!

Dexter, Missouri - The T.S. Hill Middle School track team has has a busy season so far.  They have competed in several track meets already this year.

The 7th grade athletes are:  Caleb Hoggard, Dawson Jones, Ethan Kincy, Travis Propst, Caleb Stearns, Corbin Strong, Luke Thurston, Matt Ward, and Tyler Wright.

The 8th grade athletes are: Alex Bellers, Mason George, Seth Harris, Crodell Holt, Gabe Jackson, Trevor McDonald, Alexis Moore, Spencer Owens, Kris Rinehart, and Trenton Willis.

Marble Hill, Missouri - T.S. Hill Middle School 7th and 8th grade volleyball teams will be competing in the SCAA Tournament held at the Woodland Schools in Marble Hill.

The first game for Dexter 8th grade is 9:00 Saturday morning against the Richland Rebels.

The first game for Dexter 7th grade will be at 5:00 Monday evening against the winner of the Bernie/Bell City game on Saturday.

Schools participating in the 7th grade tournament are Dexter, Bernie, Bell City, Advance, Woodland, Bloomfield and Richland.  Eighth grade schools are Dexter, Richland, Advance, Bernie, Bloomfield, Bell City, Woodland and Puxico.

The finals will be played on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for the 7th grade and 5 p.m. for the 8th grade.  Good luck to all the athletes as they compete in the tournament.

Jonesboro, Arkansas - The Arkansas State men’s golf team collected its sixth all-time Red Wolves Intercollegiate title on Tuesday, recording a final-round 282 at the RidgePointe Country Club to finish with a season-best 862 total that placed them atop the 21-team field.

A-State won its 18th annual home event for the first time since 2002 and claimed its first championship at any tournament since winning the First Tee/UALR Collegiate Classic during the 2004-05 season.  The Red Wolves entered today’s final round just two strokes ahead of runner-up Belmont, but separated themselves by posting their best single-round score since their first tournament of the 2010-11 campaign.

A-State began play by shooting a 285 that gave it an 11-stroke lead over Belmont, but the Bruins closed the gap by recording a 286 to the Red Wolves’ 295 in the second round.  However, A-State’s strong final round propelled the team to its best three-round score since the 2010-11 season and give it a 12-stroke margin of victory over the Bruins.

“This was an outstanding team performance, and I couldn’t be happier for our guys,” said A-State head coach Steve Johnson.  “They’ve been working extremely hard for a long time and have been continuing to improve, so this is something that has been coming.  They didn’t get ahead of themselves, which is something that has been holding us back this year.  The focus has been on getting them to trust themselves, and they did that today.”

The Red Wolves were led by four players finishing among the top-15 individuals, including Easton Key, Chance Holden, Sean Brock and Matthew Loiacano.  Key and Holden both placed a team-best tied for third place, while Brock and Loiacano ended the tournament tied for ninth and 13th, respectively.

Key picked up his best finish of the year and was among the top-10 performers for the fourth time this season after posting a combined 215 (70-71-74).  Holden recorded a 72-74-69 to also claim his best finish this season, which was his third top-10 performance as well.

Like Key and Holden, Brock had his best finish this year.  He shot a 219 (72-73-74) for his best three-round score this season.  His score included a first-round 72 that was his best total for a single round.

Loiacano led A-State on the final day, carding a 65 that was the lowest single-round score by an A-State player this season and moved him up 41 spots in the standings.  He was among the four A-State players to collect a season-best finish, and his total 220 (78-77-65) tied his lowest three-round score of the year.

“This was a total team effort, but Matthew really came through for us this afternoon with a tremendous golf score,” said Johnson.

Also competing for the Red Wolves, Seth Garner finished tied for 51st place with a 230 (71-78-81).  A-State had an additional five players competing in the tournament as well to make up a second squad for the Red Wolves. The team of Alex Hewitt, Christian Helmbold, Drake Merritt, Brayden Brown and Landon Hearnes finished 18th place with a 926 team score (324-304-298).

A-State returns to action April 21-23 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in Saucier, Miss.

ARKANSAS STATE RESULTS
PLACE, NAME (RD 1-RD 2--TOTAL)
1, Arkansas State (A) (285-295-282--862)
T3, Easton Key (70-71-74--215)
T3, Chance Holden (72-74-69--215)
T9, Sean Brock (72-73-74--219)
T13, Matthew Loiacano (78-77-65--220) - moved up from tied for 54th
T51, Seth Garner (71-78-81--230)

18, Arkansas State (B) (324-304-298--926)
T43, Alex Hewitt (81-72-76--229)
T56, Drake Merritt (81-77-73--231)
T71, Christian Helmbold (79-79-76--234)
T92, Landon Hearnes (89-77-73--239)
T102, Brayden Brown (83-78-83--244)

2012-2013: As a junior, Holden played in 32 rounds at 11 tournaments...Shot a low score of 70 at the Jackrabbit Invitational and placed a season high T11 at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate...He had three other top 25 finishes, T14 at the ASU Fall Beach Classic, T14 at the ASU Red Wolves Intercollegiate and T22 at the Sun Belt Conference Championship...Holden held an average score of 75.8.

2011 - 2012:  Played in six rounds and attended two tournamens (Sam Hall Intercollegiate Tournament & Amelia National Intercollegiate Tournament). Finished with a season high 55th placement in the Ameilia National Intercollegiate.

2010 - 2011: Played in nineteen rounds during seven tournaments...During those tournaments, Holden shot a low score of 72 two times, and also placed a season high rank of T29th at the Sun Belt Conference Championships...He held a an average score of 78.

High School:  Dexter, Mo. native  . . . All-state and all-conference selection and the district medalist at Dexter High School in 2009 . . . All-conference selection in 2007 and 2008, as well as the district medalist in 2008 . . . Over the last four years, Holden posted the lowest high school score in a match 33 times and claimed six tournament titles . . . Averaged 74.9 strokes per round in tournament play and was his high school's team medalist from 2007-09 . . . During 2009, Holden posted six top-10 and nine top-25 finishes in 11 tournaments played . . . Also played basketball as a freshman . . . President of the Dexter High School Honor's Society, which he was a member of since 2008.