From staff reports

sports@joplinglobe.com

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Carl Junction fired a school-record team score and captured the Big 8 Conference golf championship on Thursday at the Mount Vernon Municipal Course.

The Bulldogs, led by medalist Adam Mertens’ 72, posted a four-man total of 297. The Bulldogs also received a 74 from Jordan Burks, 75 from Josh Davis, 76 from Reilly Hughes and discarded a 78 from A.J. Whistler.

“We played as well as we have all year,” Bulldogs head coach Ryan Jones said. “We’ve been hoping to get things going. I feel like we have some pretty good golfers but they haven’t played up to their potential until today.”

Mount Vernon nipped Cassville 319-320 for second-place honors, followed by Monett 342, Aurora 355, Seneca 363 and Lamar 375.

Mertens and Dakota Brown of Mount Vernon matched 2-over-par 72s, and Mertens won a playoff with a par on the first hole.

A three-way tie for third involved Taylor VanZandt of Cassville, Weston Newell of Mount Vernon and Burks. VanZandt won the playoff for the third-place medal by sinking a 30-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole.

Davis, Hughes and Whistler finished 6-7-8 in the individual standings. Cassville’s Kyle Mills was ninth with 79, and Mount Vernon’s Jackson Tettenhorst completed the top-10 with 81.

The annual Bird/Dog Classic, co-hosted by Webb City and Carl Junction, is scheduled today at Briarbrook Golf and Country Club. A shotgun start is set for 8:30 a.m.

TRACK

Monett sweeps

MONETT, Mo. — Monett claimed the boys and girls team titles in the Monett Invitational track meet.

The Cubs scored 118 points in the boys division, and McDonald County edged Stockton 99-95 for second-place honors.

The Cubs won only one event — D.J. Dunmire in the pole vault — but they picked up four second places and four thirds.

Carl Junction, which placed fifth with 75 points, had winning efforts from Seth Hackney in the shot put and Charles Polen in the 100 meters.

The boys meet had two double winners — Lucas Manning of Stockton in the 400 and 800 and Jason Tyler of El Dorado Springs in the long jump and triple jump.

Monett’s girls accumulated 113 points, followed by Seneca with 83 and Carl Junction with 74.

Monett had four individual winners — Hanna Martin in the 1600, Anastasia Alexander in the 400, Madison Carlin in the 300 hurdles and Emily Newbold in the triple jump.

Other winners included Thomas Jefferson’s Carly Luebber in the discus and Carl Junction’s Devyn McPherson in the shot put.

Brooke Hamilton of El Dorado Springs won three events — 100, high jump and long jump.

SOCCER

McAuley 3, Neosho 2

Ariele Santillan started the scoring and ended it with the winning goal as McAuley Catholic nudged visiting Neosho 3-2 at the Joplin Soccer Club Field.

Santillan, with an assist from Samantha Graham, scored at the 4-minute mark and Neosho’s Shelby Surgi tied the game with her unassisted goal 16 minutes later. Sydney Surgi’s unassisted goal gave McAuley a 2-1 halftime edge.

Sara Hoagland provided Neosho with the tying goal at the 64th minute before Santillan, on an assist from Erin O’Keefe, got the winning kick a minute later.

McAuley (3-5) will meet Bolivar at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Willard Tournament. Neosho (8-10) will visit Willard for a 4:30 p.m. game Tuesday.

BASEBALL

Sarcoxie 11, McAuley 8

SARCOXIE, Mo. — Sarcoxie catcher Colton Myers went 4-for-4, knocking in three runs to spark the Bears to an 11-8 win against McAuley Catholic.

Pitcher Kevin O’Keefe went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Warriors.

Sarcoxie (5-6) outhit the visitors 10-4 but committed seven errors, compared to two for McAuley.

TENNIS

Webb City 9, Carthage 0

CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Cardinals, unbeaten in duals, clinched the Southwest Conference at 5-0 by stopping the Tigers.

Ryan Miller defeated Curtis Westbay 8-0 at No. 1 singles and joined with Caleb Shoemake in beating Westbay-Allen Yarbrough 8-1 at No. 1 doubles.

Shoemake, Michael Handley, Randon Coffey, Austin Webber and Chase Dilworth also won in singles for the Cardinals. The teams of Coffey-Handley and Dilworth-Webber also won in doubles.

Webb City, 9-0 overall, will compete today in the Monett Tournament starting at 9 a.m. The Cardinals were second to Monett last season.