Basking in the glow of her letter-of-intent signing ceremony, Nevada High School senior Kelstynne Pettit put pen to paper and officially became a member of the Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College Spirit Squad. Attended by a throng of students and Nevada R-5 faculty and staff, the festivities took place Wednesday at the NHS Media Center. Pettit was joined center stage by her parents Chris and Kiia, and first-year FSCC cheer coach Taysha Meech...

Alex Payne concluded his collegiate career with a bang. The former two-sport Nevada High standout student athlete was recently tabbed as a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) All-Sportsmanship selection. Payne, who just concluded his senior season on the baseball diamond with NCAA Division III Iowa Wesleyan University, also garnered All-Sportsmanship accolades his freshman season, bookending his collegiate career with the prestigious honor...

Action-packed dirt track racing continued this past weekend at Historic Nevada Speedway. The Mother’s Day weekend special featured a field of 50 cars, racing across seven divisions, as well as a pair of father-son duos flying the checkers. Repeating their spectacular opening weekend performances, Rusty and Brayton Skaggs emerged in victory lane — as well as Zachary and Shawn Hendren...

Nevada High School junior Bronson Smith netted All-State accolades with a 12th-place finish at the Missouri Class 3 state golf tournament, held May 14-15 at Old Kinderhook in Camdenton. Smith, pictured above with his All-State medal, carded a 4-over-par 75 for the weather-delayed first-round. Smith then concluded the championship event with a round-two score of 8-over 79, for a two-day total of 154 — placing him in a three-way tie for 12th-place...

Missouri State High School Athletic Association (MSHSAA) rules stipulate that school-related credentials or passes will not allow an individual to enter a MSHSAA championship event for free, or for a discounted cost. Such is this case for Nevada High School's upcoming sectional baseball contest with the Aurora Houn' Dawgs on Tuesday. ...

WALKER — After dropping eight of their first nine contests to open the season, it seemed unlikely the Sheldon Panthers would be the last team standing in the Class 1 District 8 baseball tournament. Led by starting pitcher Zavery Lamb’s sparkling title game performance Thursday evening, the Panthers made their preseason district title aspirations a reality with an 8-6, nine-inning victory over the top-seeded Ballard Bulldogs...

WALKER — It’s been a long, winding road for the Bronaugh Wildcat baseball program. A valiant effort came up just short in opening-round play of the Class 1 District 8 tournament on Tuesday, as the No. 5 seed Wildcats were nipped by the No. 4 Miami Eagles, 13-11...

The Nevada Tiger tennis team concluded its season at the Class 1 District 12 singles/doubles tournament, May 11 in Bolivar. Nevada No. 1 Sam Rea received a first-round bye, and then in his first match throttled Harrisonville’s Heston Poyner — 6,1, 6-3. ...

Nevada High School Class of 1995 alum Eric Cameron has been named the head coach of the Cottey Comet golf team. According to the school’s press release, “As a collegiate athlete, Cameron competed at the NJCAA and NCAA Division II levels in baseball. ...

A district championship is squarely within reach for the red-hot Sheldon Panthers. Sheldon’s quest for their first district baseball title since 2014 began with Tuesday’s 19-9 thumping of the Drexel Bobcats in opening-round play of the Class 1 District 8 tournament in Walker...

CARL JUNCTION — After Monday night’s semifinal victory over Seneca put the Nevada Tigers on the cusp of their first district championship in more than a decade, seventh-year Nevada head coach Danny Penn briefly reflected on the program’s last district title victory...

Round one of the two-day Missouri Class 3 state golf tournament at old Kinderhook in Camdenton was prematurely halted Monday due to rainfall. Nevada golfers Bronson Smith and Carter Swearingen were unable to complete the opening round of play. “Needless to say, it has been a very stressful and eventful day here at Old Kinderhook,” said Nevada H.S. ...

Round one of the two-day Missouri Class 3 state golf tournament at old Kinderhook in Camdenton was prematurely halted Monday due to rainfall. Nevada golfers Bronson Smith and Carter Swearingen were unable to complete the opening round of play. “Needless to say, it has been a very stressful and eventful day here at Old Kinderhook,” said Nevada H.S. ...

It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Nevada Tiger golf team. Head coach Brian Leonard’s club, however, collected several top team finishes. In addition, NHS junior golf duo Bronson Smith and Carter Swearingen qualified for the Missouri Class 3 State golf tournament, slated for Monday and Tuesday at Old Kinderhook golf course in Camdenton...

Nevada fifth-grader Emree Cameron had an outstanding showing at last week’s TaylorMade PGA Superstore Junior Golf Championship. Cameron placed runner-up at the event, held at The Tribute Golf Club in Colony, Texas, just off the east shore of Lake Lewisville...

A number of area student-athletes were recently selected to the All-Golden Valley Vernon County Conference baseball team. Vernon County All-GVVC baseball selections • Sheldon High School’s Zavery Lamb, Clayton Loyd, Jason Leavell, and Bryce Lamb (Honorable Mention); Bronaugh’s Bradley Evans, Kyle Harrell, and Dallas McIntire (Honorable Mention); and Northeast Vernon County’s Jackson Coleman, Jaxon Prough, and Derek Keith (Honorable Mention)...

The Nevada Tigers’ youth basketball skills camp for grades third through sixth is slated for May 14-18 at Nevada High School’s Wynn Gymnasium. Run by NHS head varsity boys coach Shaun Gray (pictured above), the week-long camp will run from 3-4:45 p.m. for third and fourth-graders and 5-6:45 p.m. for fifth and sixth-graders. (Note: This camp is for students entering grades third through sixth for the 2018-19 school year)...

A valiant effort came up short for the Cottey Comets, as they were swept by the Illinois Central College Cougars in the best of three NJCAA Division II District P softball series Thursday at Vanek Family Memorial Field in Nevada. Cottey (28-8) dropped the opener, 5-2, then fell in game two, 9-5. ...

The Nevada Tigers wrapped their regular-season slate with an impressive 5-2, non-conference road victory over the SEK Conference champion Pittsburg (Kan.) Purple Dragons Wednesday at Jaycee Ballpark. Nevada (12-8 overall) is peaking at the perfect time, having notched three consecutive victories to close out the regular-season...

After dispatching Knob Noster on Monday in the opening round of the Class 1 District 12 tennis tournament, the third-seeded Nevada Tigers were then derailed by No. 2 Warrensburg in Tuesday’s tourney semifinals. With the loss, Nevada concludes the team-play portion of its season, 12-3-1...

The wait is over. After remaining patient for a full week, the Cottey Comets’ opponent for Thursday’s NJCAA Division II district softball playoff series has been revealed, as the Comets are set to collide with the Illinois Central College Cougars. Located in East Peoria, Illinois, the Cougars enter 33-9 overall, having dispatched Danville Area Community College and Lincoln Land C.C. en route to the Region 24 crown...

INDEPENDENCE — The Nevada Tigers routed the St. Michael’s Catholic School Guardians, 16-4 in five innings, here Monday evening. The contest marked Nevada High School’s final game in the West Central Conference, as Nevada R-5 athletics begins its affiliation with the Big 8 Conference next season...

Local race fans were delighted to witness an action-packed night of racing Saturday, as Historic Nevada Speedway kicked off its 55th season with a bang. A grand total of 60 racers across seven divisions showcased their skills under the bright lights, with the ultimate goal of flying the checkers...

Pushed to the limit in the 3200 meter run at Friday’s West Central Conference track meet in Clinton, Nevada High School sophomore Calli Beshore used the spirited competition to her advantage. Beshore, who has racked up 15 gold medals during the current track-and-field season, has won the vast majority of her 1600 and 3200 meter runs by wide margins...

The Nevada High School tennis team continued its strong season on the courts, netting a number of top finishes at Friday’s West Central Conference tournament in Warrensburg. Earning gold medals in singles matches, were Nevada netters (No. 2) Sam Rea and (No. ...