MOARK Sports Week in Review: Area Individuals, Teams Finish Strong

While a few championships are left to be decided, area Athletes in Missouri and Arkansas are winding down the 2023-24 school year.

Arkansas
The Green Forest Tigers claim the 3A Boys Soccer Championship with a 4-1 come from behind win over Central Arkansas Christian. According to the recap from Scorebook Live, the Tigers were held off the scoreboard in the first half, but roared back with four second half goals, two of which were from tournament Most Valuable Player Milton Ortiz. The Tigers finish the season 19-0-1 with the only blemish on the season a 1-1 tie to Dardanelle in early April. Green Forest defeated Subiaco Academy, Riverview, and Cossatot River in the 3A Tournament in Harrison before claiming the title match in Conway at the University of Central Arkansas. 

Missouri
The Lakes Region has a State Champion in Track as Hollister's Sinry Mendoza claimed the Boys Class 3 3200 Meter Run Championship by two tenths of a second over the second place runner. Mendoza also took home second in both the Boys 800 and 1600 Meter runs leading the Tigers to a tie for sixth in the team competition. 

Also in the Class 3 Meet, the highest finisher for Reeds Spring was Allie Johnson who took fourth in the Girls High Jump.

In other State Track, top finishers Shadrach Thompson of School of the Ozarks took third in the Class 2 Boys Javelin, Wyatt Doak of Galena was runner-up in the Class 1 Boys High Jump while the School of the Ozarks Girls 200 Meter Relay team took third in Class 1. 

Meanwhile, Branson Athletes took part in the Class 5 Sectional Track Meet at Waynesville with athletes moving on to the State Meet in five events. Chris Vineyard claimed first in the Boys 300 Meter Hurdles and second in the 110 Hurdles to advance as to Tristen Bough with his third place finish in the 800 Meter Run. Maxwell Chapman finished third in the Pole Vault with the Boys 100 Meter Relay Team finishing fourth, which will move them on to next weekend's State Meet in Jefferson City. 

In other sports, Branson Tennis Player Ben Merrifield takes home fourth place in the Class 2 Individual Tournament while he and his Pirate Teammates will be in the Class 2 Team Final Four this week taking on Platte County in the semi-finals Friday at the Copper Tennis Complex in Springfield. 

Two Branson Athletes medaled in the Class 4 State Golf Tournament in Cape Girardeau. Andrew Bristow finished 6th while Ben Pressley took 14th.