The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s annual Women’s Sports Luncheon presented by the Bee Payne-Stewart Foundation was held Wednesday, March 1 at the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield.
The inductees are Missouri State’s Mary Phyl Dwight, Drury’s Erin Dolan Edminister, Holden High School volleyball coach Julie Carver and St. Louis wrestling official Barbara Brummett. Additionally, the eras are Clinton Girls Cross Country of 1991-1993, Glendale Girls Golf of 1976-1980, Greenwood Girls Track & Field of 1977-1979 and Willard Volleyball of 1980-1983.
The Hall of Fame also will bestow the President’s Award on the University of Missouri’s Susan McNay, and present the Ace Award to Jill Barron, a businesswoman and former volunteer of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper.
Additionally, the Hall of Fame will recognize the Wynn Awards, which are named in honor of the late Dr. Mary Jo Wynn, the pioneer of women’s athletics at Missouri State and a 2014 Missouri Sports Legend. The awards recognize high school and college standouts who made positive contributions in their respective sports, or those who have made a difference in sports.
This year’s Wynn Award recipients will be Megan Angus (Missouri State/Highland Springs Country Club), Angela Deke (Springfield Cardinals), Erin Mitchem (Spokane High School/Missouri Southern State University/College of the Ozarks), Emma Lander Moore (Crane High School/Evangel University), Kimi Shank Reed (Rolla High School/Missouri Southern), and Joyce Swofford (Maysville High School/Missouri State).
A sponsorship table of eight is $450 and includes recognition in the printed program and at the table. A head table ticket is $100 and includes the same perks. An individual ticket is $60, or $70 at the door. Numerous sponsorships are available, including associate sponsorships and congratulatory ads.
Call 417-889-3100.
Mary Phyl Dwight – Raytown South High School/Missouri State
A 1970 graduate of Raytown South High School, Dwight was a member of U.S. Olympic Handball teams from 1975-1984, competing in more than 100 international games on five continents and 28 countries. Her 1984 team finished fourth six years after the team won the gold at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. At Missouri State from 1970-1974, Dwight was a five-sport athlete. She was a guard on two Missouri Association for Intercollegiate Athletics state championship teams, and a setter for Bears’ Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national tournament teams. In track and field, she competed as a middle-distance runner and heptathlete. In softball, she played center field on an AIAW national tournament runner-up team. In cross country, she captured an AIAW individual 12th place finish. A longtime physical education instructor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Dwight was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985, and received the USA Team Handball Development Award in 1995.
Erin Dolan Edminister – Drury University
Edminister was a 16-time NCAA Division II All-American and team captain for Drury and helped lead the Panthers to three national team championships (2009, 2010, 2011). She was a three-time individual champion in the distance freestyle events and was a member of two 800 freestyle relay national titles. She also met the converted qualifying U.S. Olympic Trial time in the 800-meter freestyle in 2012 and still holds Drury records in the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:53.33) and the 1,650-yard freestyle (16:33). She became the first Drury cross country runner to qualify for the D-II national meet, and qualified for the D-II Track & Field Indoor & Outdoor Championships. After graduation, Edminister competed for the U.S. National Triathlon Team from 2013 to 2018 and was ranked as high as 34th in the world on the international professional circuit. Edminister is a graduate of Southeast High School in Lincoln, Neb., and lives in Bentonville, Ark.
Julie Carver – Former Holden High School Volleyball Coach
Carver was among the state’s most successful high school volleyball coaches. Her overall record was 660-226, and she was inducted into the Missouri Volleyball High School Coaches Association in 2019. Most of her success played out at Holden High School from 1989 to 2011 and 2019-2022, with stops at Rolla High School from 2012 to 2014 and Lee’s Summit High School 2014 to 2017. Carver guided four Holden teams to Final Four appearances in Class 2, with state championships in 1995 and 2003. Overall, her record includes six Elite Eight appearances, 17 district titles and 20 conference championships. Carver was the Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations in both 1996 and 2004. She played collegiately at Graceland University in Iowa, and was inducted into its athletics hall of fame in 1994. She also is a member of the Holden High School Hall of Fame.
Barbara Brummet — Wrestling Official
A graduate of Hazelwood High School, Brummet was only the second woman ever to become a wrestling official, working Missouri State High School Activities Association events from 1997 to 2014 and returning in 2018. She has been a member of the St. Louis Wrestling Officials Association and was active with the Illinois officials registration from 2002 to 2014. Brummet is a former registered NCAA official and worked matches for Missouri Baptist University, Missouri Valley College and Lindenwood University in Missouri, and at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and McMurray State in Jacksonville, Ill. Her career includes numerous tournaments. Among them were AAU Missouri youth state tournaments, AAU folkstyle Nationals in Detroit, the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association National Championships, the AAU Scholastic (Disney) Duals in Florida, the World of Wrestling Nationals in Reno, Nev., the Beast of the East in Delaware and 12 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships. Brummet served on the Board of Directors of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, is the head official of the Wonder Woman tournament that is known as the largest all-female high school wrestling tournament in the country, and in 2018 was inducted into the Missouri chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Clinton High School Girls Cross Country Era of 1991-1993
In Henry County, where Highways 13, 7, 18, and 52 intersect, the community of Clinton still talks about an early 1990s sports era. That would be the Clinton High School Girls Cross Country Teams of 1991 to 1993, as the Cardinals earned top four finishes in Class 3 at the state meet each season. That included winning the state championship in 1993, with seniors Emily Miles, Emily Sledd and Mindy Wyatt finishing fourth, 11th and 13th, respectively. The 1991 team placed third thanks, in part, to Jeni Owen finishing 19th and Mindy Wyatt 28th. The 1992 team placed fourth, with Miles, Owen and Wyatt earning All-State honors with 11th, 17th and 25th-place finishes. The coaches of those teams were Clint & Karen Sanders.
Glendale High School Girls Golf Era of 1976-1980
Springfield has long been known for its golf, and a group of teen girls in the late 1970s elevated the Glendale High School golf program as the state’s first powerhouse. That came not long after the Missouri State High School Activities Association hosted the inaugural state girls golf tournament in 1975. Coached by Bob Lechner, the era of 1976 to 1980 saw Glendale earn five state trophies, including a three-peat of state championships in 1977, 1978 and 1979. It all started with a state runner-up finish in 1976, and ended with a third-place showing in 1980. Most of the golfers learned the game at nearby Hickory Hills Country Club, with golf pro Sam Reynolds teaching many of them the game. The 1977 team edged Marshall by one stroke. The 1978 team held off Parkway Central by 35 strokes, and the 1979 team was 38 strokes better than Cape Central High School. The 1980 team came within 11 strokes of winning it all.
Greenwood High School Girls Track & Field Era of 1977-1979
The Greenwood High School Girls Track & Field teams of 1977, 1978 and 1979 made headlines in Springfield and then across the state. The 1977 team placed fourth, and the next two seasons ended with state championships. Twin sisters Mandy and Flo Renner highlighted the two state championship seasons. In 1978, Mandy won the 800-yard run and the mile run, and Flo was a state runner-up in the mile and third-place medalist in the 440-yard dash. A year later, Mandy won the 880-yard run, was the state runner-up in the mile and placed third in the 80-yard hurdles. Flo was the state champion in both the mile and high jump, and the state runner-up in the 440. Both set numerous school records, as did teammate Jennifer Frost in the 100-meter hurdles and 200-meter hurdles. The teams were coached by John Charles.
Willard High School Volleyball Era of 1980-1983
Willard High School volleyball has been one of the top programs in the Ozarks for several decades. That period of excellence began with the 1980-1983 teams. During those four seasons, Willard reached the state Final Four three times, winning the program’s first state championship in 1981. Future Olympian and 2001 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee Lori Endicott Vandersnick was the top player for the Tigers during this era. Coached by Jackie Tekotte, the Tigers made their first Final Four appearance during the 1980 season, finishing fourth overall. The 1981 team captured the Class 3 title, defeating Festus (2-0) in the championship match to finish the season with a sparkling 21-3 record under head coach Diane Cline. After being absent from the Final Four in 1982, the 1983 squad returned and secured a fourth-place finish with both Cline and Endicott once again leading the way.
Jill Barron – Ace Award
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will bestow the Ace Award on Jill Barron, who years ago was the consummate volunteer for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper before helping the tournament as a caterer. The Ace Award is presented to individuals who help champion a sports non-profit in Missouri. Barron has done exactly that with the PCCC, which is managed by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and has gifted more than $19.4 million to Ozarks’ charities since 1990. Barron earned the tournament’s Volunteer of the Year award several years ago, as she worked every pro-am – including picking up food early in the morning at Price Cutter Supermarket, handling registrations and making sure that whatever needed to be done was done. She also was the Chair of the tournament’s Golf Ball Charity Auction, an enormous undertaking. Years later, she opened her own business, Infused Catering, and fed thousands during the tournament’s pro-ams, as well as during the tournament itself at Highland Springs Country Club. In 2022, she provided meals at the Platinum Clubs & Clays Classic presented by USA Mortgage. Additionally, she has catered the Stan Musial Hall of Fame Championship presented by Landau Pontoons.
Susan McNay – President’s Award
Susan McNay, Director of Donor Relations for the University of Missouri Athletics, will be honored with the President’s Award. It is bestowed on individuals who champion the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and sports in general in the Show-Me State. She is a 1983 graduate of Jamestown High School and of the University of Missouri. Susan worked on political campaigns early in her career, ultimately working in The White House during the President Bill Clinton Administration. In her current role, she is a member of the Mizzou Athletics Tiger Scholarship Fund staff, serving as the Director of Donor Relations. She also serves as the liaison for the Tiger Booster Clubs in Columbia, Kansas City and St. Louis. Susan is also the liaison between the Athletic Department and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Between 2002 and August 2021, McNay was President of the Marion Group, Inc., a public relations consulting firm. Among key responsibilities was working as a consultant with the Norm Stewart Classic, having previously served as manager to former Coach Norm Stewart (MSHOF Legend 2000). She also worked with Stewart on the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and serves on numerous non-profit boards.
Wynn Awards
Megan Angus – Missouri State University/Highland Springs Country Club
Angus is breaking barriers as one of the only female Golf Professionals in southwest Missouri, as she is entering her fourth year as Assistant Golf Professional at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield. She has an extensive golf background. She played at Missouri State from the fall of 2012 to the spring of 2016. As a senior, she tied for ninth place at the Kansas City Shootout. That came months after she was the Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Week in November 2015 after firing a career-low 217 for 54 holes and tying for fourth at the Little Rock Classic. Previously, Megan starred at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she was First Team All-State her final three seasons. She finished fourth at state her senior year and qualified for the U.S. Girls Junior and National PGA Junior Championships. She also won the Iowa Women’s State Amateur in 2013 and 2014. Her most recent accomplishment comes from The Midwest PGA Section as the 2022 Assistant Professional of the Year.
Angela Deke – Springfield Cardinals
Deke serves as the Senior Director of Ticket Technology and Operations for the Springfield Cardinals, overseeing aspects of ticketing and planning for baseball and special events. She joined the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2005 inaugural season after initially opening Hammons Field in 2004 as a part of Missouri State University Athletics. Prior to joining the Cardinals, she worked for Missouri State, first in performing arts and then athletics, and was instrumental in bringing computerized ticketing to athletics at Missouri State. She attended Springfield Central High School and was a proud member of the Kiltie Drum & Bugle Corps and Missouri State University. At MSU, she was employed for 12 years, working closely with Dr. Mary Jo Wynn (MSHOF Legend 2014) and Bill Rowe (MSHOF Legend 2016), among others, through many conference tournaments and NCAA appearances. While her athletic playing days ended with third-grade softball, she has been fortunate to learn from many pioneers and strong leaders throughout her career with the Cardinals and Bears. Angela resides in Nixa with her husband and enjoys watching her children accomplish their own career goals and her grandchildren grow into kind, strong, independent people.
Erin Mitchem – Spokane High School/Missouri Southern State University/College of the Ozarks
Mitchem was a five-sport athlete at Spokane. She was All-State in volleyball and led Spokane to the Final Four in 2005, earning third place. She also was All-District, all-conference, and all-county in basketball, as well as volleyball, plus was a state champion cheerleader. She also ran track. Mitchem graduated as the all-time leading scorer in basketball (more than 1,500 points). At Missouri Southern, she helped the team advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament and a Top 25 ranking. She played her final two seasons at College of the Ozarks, earning all-conference and conference Newcomer of the Year honors. Mitchem is now the head coach of Spokane’s volleyball program. Previously, she was a C of O student assistant and head coach for the Community Olympic Development Program in Springfield. As an assistant coach at the University of Miami (Fla.), she helped the Hurricanes to the NCAA Tournament’s second round. In 2013, she was interim coach at Spokane, with the team winning conference and district titles – and she was the Southwest Central League Coach of the Year.
Emma Lander Moore – Crane High School/Evangel University
Lander was a three-sport athlete at Crane High School, competing in volleyball, basketball and track & field. Most local fans probably know her best in basketball, as Lander helped Crane win four consecutive Class 2 state championships from 2013 to 2016. She was the Class 2 Player of the Year in 2015, but a knee injury cut short her senior season. In track, she won back-to-back state championships in the triple jump and had a pair of state runner-up finishes in the long jump. She then played two seasons of volleyball for Evangel, where she also was a member of the basketball and track & field teams. In volleyball, she had 296 kills and 92 digs in two seasons. In basketball, she played in 55 games and scored 401 points in two seasons. She and her husband own Pixie Cup in Springfield.
Kimi Shank Reed – Rolla High School/Missouri Southern
A 2006 Rolla High School graduate, Reed was a five-time All-State distance runner – three times in cross country and twice in track. She set the school cross country record in 2005 at 18:12, and that record stood until 2018. She then became one of the most decorated athletes at Missouri Southern, where she was an eight-time All-American. In cross country, she won the MIAA individual championship and the 2009 NCAA D-II regional a year after finishing as the runner-up. She was a three-time All-American at the D-II national, placing fourth in 2009 as she helped the Lions to the highest-ever finish in the sport (third place). In track, she was a five-time All-American and holds numerous records at the school. Reed placed seventh at the 2018 Boston Marathon and earned a spot at the 2020 Olympic Trials. A physical therapist and personal trainer, Reed is employed by Achieving Your Best in Springfield.
Joyce Swofford – Maysville High School/Missouri State University
Swofford was a top distance runner in both track & field and cross country for Missouri State from 1985 to 1989. At the time of graduation, she held all five of the top single event Missouri State times in the outdoor half mile and three of the top five in the indoor. Swofford was an all-conference selection as a junior in her specialty and was named to the MSU All-Decade team in 1992 and the Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. Previously, she was a 1985 graduate of Maysville High School, where she was the state champion in the mile in 1983, 1984 and 1985. In track in Class 2, she was a member of the 4×400-meter and 4×800-meter relay teams that set records in 1982 and 1983. In 1984, Swofford was the 200-meter and 400-meter state champion, and won state in 1985 in the 800.
