MSHSAA All Access Podcast

Rock Bridge’s Two-Sport Star: Nicholas Timbrook Balances Soccer & Football, Scores Big, Commits to South Dakota State

In this MSHSAA All-Access Podcast episode, Rock Bridge High School senior Nicholas Timbrook and head football coach Matt Perkins discuss how Nick simultaneously plays varsity boys soccer and football in the same season. Nick, a lifelong soccer player and first-time football wide receiver, explains how he splits practices and coordinates daily with both coaching staffs, while Coach Perkins describes the planning and cooperation with the soccer program to keep the arrangement student-focused. They highlight Nick’s standout early-season feat of scor...

MSHSAA All-Access Podcast: Board Members Reflect on Appeals, Leadership, and Strategic Planning

Following the September MSHSAA board meeting, the All-Access Podcast features board members Craig Gibbs (Southeast District, principal at Valle Catholic), Dr. Lori Wilson (new member, Southwest District, superintendent of Ozark School District), and Dr. Josh Hoener (South Central District, superintendent of New Haven) discussing key themes from the meeting. Wilson shares first-time lessons from the student appeals process, emphasizing applying bylaws fairly while ensuring schools and families feel heard. Gibbs, in his first meeting as board president, describes increased preparation, managing agendas, and adhering to...

How Emerging Sports Become MSHSAA Championship Activities (and What’s Next for Girls Flag Football & Esports)

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, explains how “emerging” sports and activities are recognized and what it takes for them to become fully interscholastic with MSHSAA-sponsored championships and services. She outlines the 2026–2027 list of emerging offerings (including girls field hockey, girls lacrosse, boys and girls water polo, girls stunt, unified track and field, bass fishing, bowling, chess, and target shooting) and clarifies what schools do and do not receive when registering an emerging program. Rukstad...

Unified Track & Field in Missouri: MSHSAA Partners with Special Olympics Missouri

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Luke Lamb and Ben Johnson of Special Olympics Missouri to discuss Unified Champion Schools and the launch of Unified Track and Field as an emerging MSHSAA sport. They explain Unified Sports as teams made up of roughly a 50/50 mix of students with intellectual disabilities (Unified Athletes) and students without intellectual disabilities (Unified Partners), with everyone competing and team points determining meet results. The group addresses Missouri’s historically limited relationship with Unified Sports, notes growth to...

Inside MSHSAA’s New Medals: Design, History & the Partnership with Collegiate Awards

On the MSHSAA All Access podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and CFO/COO Craig Long welcome Frank Boster of Collegiate Awards to discuss the history and scale of MSHSAA trophies and medals and reveal the association’s newly redesigned medals. They explain MSHSAA’s long-standing bidding process and vendor partnerships, the production volume (nearly 30,000 engraved medals plus additional music medals, thousands of plaques, and hundreds of trophies), and how Collegiate’s in-house laser engraving supports fast turnaround. The group details how the new Missouri-shaped medal ev...

Building Student Leaders: Lee’s Summit North’s Student Activities Advisory Council (SAC)

In this MSHSAA All-Access episode, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad interviews Lee’s Summit North Athletic/Activities Director Mike McGurk about the school’s Student Activities Advisory Council (SAC). McGurk explains how the program evolved over the past 13 years from a liaison group into a leadership development “train-the-trainer” model that equips about 30 students across sports and activities to bring lessons back to their teams and clubs. He describes how students are selected for representation and balance, including bringing in freshmen to build leadership early. The conversa...

MSHSAA Annual Membership Update: Transfer Exceptions, Coaching Requirements, Championship Factor & 2027–28 District Changes

This episode explains MSHSAA’s annual membership updates required for member-school principals and activities administrators, held in early September across eight board districts, and previews key topics for the new school year. It covers by-law changes including new transfer exceptions (military, nonresident parent employee, and refugee/asylum with I-94), expanded preseason non-school competition allowances across all sports, expanded cooperative sponsorship participation beyond the regular season, and sport-specific updates (team tennis jamborees, speech/debate contest and start-time changes, Scholar Bowl competition-date limits, and dance contest increases). It a...

Athlete Wellness Beyond Injuries: Athletic Trainers on Mental Health, Identity & Support Teams

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, executive director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad welcomes Sports Medicine Advisory Committee athletic trainers Brent Holtgrewe (Greater St. Louis) and Jason Pyrah (southwest Missouri) to discuss athlete wellness as fall sports begin. They describe how athletic trainers support students through injuries and often become trusted, non-transactional adults who can notice mental health concerns, identity struggles, fear of letting others down, bullying, or issues at home. Holtgrewe emphasizes relationship-building, trend-spotting, and collaboration with counselors, nurses, and administrators to connect athletes to resources, while...

MSHSAA Myths: How Class & District Assignments Are Determined (2.0 Differential, Enrollment & Geography)

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer uekstad continues the MSHSAA Myths series by explaining how class and district assignments are created before the championship factor is applied. Assistant Executive Directors Lou Mazzocco and Doug Fessler describe how the number of classifications varies by sport, driven by registered schools and the 2.0 differential goal that the largest school in a class is no more than twice the smallest (with Class 1 protected by a percentage cap). They outline how enrollment rank-order, ties, and efforts to keep...

MSHSAA All Access Storyteller Series: Rylee Allred Chases History in Missouri Girls Golf

In this MSHSAA All-Access podcast episode, Andrew Kaufman launches a new storyteller series by interviewing Ash Grove senior golfer Rylee Allred and her coach, Grant Williamson. Allred shares how she started golf at age nine, her competitive drive, and how she’s helped grow the girls golf roster at Ash Grove from one player to two. The conversation highlights her accomplishments, including shooting three-under, a handicap of three, and winning three Missouri state championships—putting her in position to become the first four-time state cham...

Missouri Students Reflect on the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit

In this All-Access Podcast episode, MSHSAA leaders and Student Advisory Committee members Keely Gorman (Licking HS) and Blayde Lindsay (Brookfield HS) recap their experience attending the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis, alongside Associate Executive Director James Melton and Dr. Jennifer Rukstad.

They highlight building fast, meaningful connections with student leaders from across the country and internationally, the impact of in-person learning versus online content, and leadership takeaways centered on mental wellness and resilience—especially Molly Kennedy’s “Flip Your 20” concept. The group discusses how Miss...

MSHSAA Myths: How the Appeals Process Really Works (Transfers, Hardships & Eligibility)

On the MSHSAA All-Access podcast, Associate Executive Directors Toni Hill and James Melton explain MSHSAA's multi-level appeals process - often used for student transfer eligibility - to address the myth that the association has ultimate rule. They outline how a receiving school submits a transfer form, the sending school responds, and staff review documentation to grant full eligibility or issue restricted eligibility (such as 365-day ineligibility if there is credible evidence of athletic motivation/undue influence, or sub-varsity limits in sports played in the...

MSHSAA Myth Series: How the Championship Factor Works (2026–27 Changes Explained)

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director Lou Mazzocco explain Missouri’s championship factor and the board-approved changes taking effect in 2026–27. They describe the shift from a static six-year point system to a depreciating model that weights recent postseason success more heavily, including new point values (e.g., a state championship starts at 10 points and declines over six years) and a new five-point threshold that typically reduces the bump from a single title to three years. They also note the remova...

First Day of Fall Practice: How an AD/Head Coach Prepares & Why Engagement Matters

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad opens the 2026–2027 MSHSAA All-Access Podcast season on the first allowable day of fall practices and interviews Will Christian, athletic director at Lebanon High School and head football coach, about managing both roles. Christian emphasizes the importance of a strong support team, summer preparation in June and July, systematic organization, clear communication, and maintaining compliance with requirements like physical exams, transfers, and safety protocols such as heat acclimation and wet bulb readings. They discuss how Missouri’s school start-date law creates a tw...

2026 MSHSAA Girls Soccer Championships Recap | Class 1–4 Results & Highlights

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Alex Huck and Scott Lunte to recap the 2026 MSHSAA Girls Soccer Championships held at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in St. Louis during the first weekend of June. They review each classification: Class 1 saw Pembroke Hill win its first girls soccer title, defeating Duchesne 3-1 and allowing its first postseason goal; Notre Dame Cape Girardeau took third over New Covenant Academy. In Class 2, Pleasant Hill earned its first championship with a 5-0 win over Clayton as Haley DiMarco scored five goals, while St. Vi...

MSHSAA All-Access Podcast: 2026 Baseball Championships Recap (Classes 1–6)

In this MSHSAA All-Access Podcast episode, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Assistant Executive Director Daryl Bradley and Communications Director Andrew Kauffman to recap the 2026 MSHSAA Baseball Championships held over six straight days at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark, Missouri. They review results and highlights from Classes 1–6, explain Missouri’s run rule, and note standout performances and records, including first-time championships for Northland Christian, Faith Christian Academy, and Excelsior Springs, plus back-to-back titles for Blue Springs South. The conversation also covers notable storylines such as Excelsior Springs winnin...

Recap: 2026 MSHSAA Boys Volleyball Championships (First Year of Two Classes)

In this MSHSAA All-Access Podcast episode, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Associate Executive Director Toni Hill and communications assistant Scott Lunte to recap the 2026 Boys Volleyball Championships held at the Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau during a busy spring championship week and the first year the tournament featured two classes. In Class 1, Lutheran South beat St. Dominic 3-1 and Vianney swept Lincoln College Prep 3-0; St. Dominic won third place 3-0 over Lincoln College Prep, and Vianney defeated Lutheran South in a tight four-set...

2026 MSHSAA Spring Softball Championships Recap (Classes 1 & 2) | Killian Sports Complex Debut

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Daryl Bradley and Andrew Kauffman to recap the 2026 MSHSAA Spring Softball Championships in Missouri, including results for both classes and key performances. In Class 1, Purdy beat Plato 6-1 for third, and Oak Ridge defeated Kingsville 3-1 to claim its first state title while finishing 27-0 behind sophomore Deckerd’s dominant pitching and a home run; Kingsville reached the final after a ninth-inning steal of home and freshman Scrutchfield recorded big strikeout totals. In Class 2, Mount Vernon beat Thayer 16-1 for third, an...

2026 Missouri State Track & Field Championships Recap (Classes 1–5) + Weather Weekend Behind the Scenes

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Stephanie Turner and Scott Lunte to recap the Missouri State High School Activities Association’s 2026 Track & Field Championships across five classes and both genders, highlighting team standings, notable first-time trophies, and multiple record-setting performances. Weekend one (Classes 1–3) featured strong weather and championships led by North Shelby (C1 boys), Mound City (C1 girls), Jefferson (Festus) (C2 boys), Lexington (C2 girls), Collegiate School of Science and Medicine (C3 boys), and Central (New Madrid) (C3 girls). Weekend two (Classes 4–5) was heavily impacted by rain...

2026 MSHSAA Boys Golf Championships Recap (Classes 1–5) | Weather Delays, Team Titles & Medalists

This MSHSAA All-Access Podcast episode recaps the 2026 Boys Golf Championships with Jennifer Rukstad, Doug Fessler and Communications Director Andrew Kauffman, highlighting how major weather impacts created different tournament formats across Missouri. Classes 1–3 completed 36 holes: Gloria Deo Academy won Class 1 at River Cut behind individual champ Trenton King; Palmyra repeated in Class 2 at Bogey Creek; and Eldon went back-to-back in Class 3 at Sedalia. Severe rain and lightning in Columbia forced Classes 4–5 to one-day, 18-hole events: Poplar Bluff won Class 4, and SLU edged Rockhurst in Class 5 as Payton Burbri...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, James Melton, and Andrew Kaufman recap the 2026 MSHSAA Boys Tennis Championships, highlighting the sport’s unique format with separate individual singles/doubles and team tournaments. They list the top four finishers in each class for singles and doubles, including Class 1 doubles champions Kyler Skidmore and William Shiel (Maryville), who joins this episode with their Head Coach Nicole McGinnis. The guests reflect on what it means to win the first tennis state title in Maryville history, the experience of competing at state and meeting top talent and sportsmanlike opponents such as Bolivar, and why sportsmanship matters in te...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, joined by Assistant Executive Director, Darryl Bradley and Communications Director, Andrew Kaufman, recaps the 2026 MSHSAA Scholar Bowl championships at the University of Missouri. With the top four teams in six different classes competing in a round robin competition resulting in a finals bracket for 1st -4th place as the group reviews all the results. Multiple teams would go 4–0, along with three back-to-back champions and one school would get their record 11th straight Final Four. The host and crew also thank the event staff for a smooth tournament.

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Alex Huck preview the MSHSAA 2026 Girls’ Soccer Championships, the final spring sport championship of the 2025–26 school year, set for June 5–6 at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. They outline the four-class format, noting Classes 2–4 have eight districts feeding quarterfinals the prior Saturday, while Class 1 has four districts with champions advancing directly to the final four, and explain the two-field, two-day schedule with staggered start times (10:00 a.m. on Field 2 and 11:00 a.m. on Field 1) to reduce traffic and parking issues at a venue with one entrance/exit. They remind spectators about paid parking, encourage purchasi...

The MSHSAA All-Access Podcast previews the 2026 MSHSAA Baseball Championships with Assistant Executive Director, Daryl Bradley joining Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad.

The six-day tournament runs June 1–6 at the Ozark Mountain Sports Complex with four daily games at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m., rotating classifications: Class 1–2 early week, Class 3–4 midweek, and Class 5–6 June 5–6. The postseason includes six classes and 80 district tournaments: Classes 1–4 have 16 districts each and advance through sectionals (May 25–26) to quarterfinals (May 27–28), while Classes 5–6 have eight districts each and use best-of-three quarterfinal series May 29–30 at one site. Spectators are encouraged to buy digital tickets, with games...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Associate Executive Director, James Melton, join together on this episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast to talk about the 2026 State Music Festival for solo and small ensembles. This massive evaluative event occurs annually on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, MO. Melton reviews the extensive year-long process of planning and preparation behind this 3-day event culminating in close to 7,000 students performing for their chance at Gold! Listen as they review the final results along with notes about a special moment shared during each of the three days.

On this championship preview on the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Toni Hill preview the 2026 Boys’ Volleyball Championships, the sport’s third year and first with two classes after growth to 105 registered schools (94 postseason). The state tournament will be May 26–27 at the Show Me Center on SEMO’s campus in Cape Girardeau, with quarterfinals determining the final four in each class, semifinals on May 26 (Class 1 at 10 a.m. and noon; Class 2 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.), and third-place and championship matches on May 27 (Class 1 at 10 a.m. and noon; Class 2 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.). They dis...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and MSHSAA Assistant Executive Director Darryl Bradley preview the 2026 MSHSAA Spring Softball Championships, explaining how spring falls into an intensive three-week championship schedule with some events held Monday and Tuesday. They outline that spring softball has two classes (compared to five in fall) and is more southern in team geography. The championships return to the improved, newly turfed Killian Sports Complex in Springfield (home of Missouri State softball) and the final eight teams advancing to state will play on Memorial Day, May 25, and Tuesday, May 26. Monday includes Class 2 semifinals at 10:00 AM and Class 1 semifinals at 1:00 PM...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Alex Huck and Andrew Kauffman on the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast to recap the 2026 Speech & Debate Championships held April 24–25 at Missouri State University in Springfield. They review Class 1 results (Pembroke Hill wins debate with 24 points; Bolivar wins speech with 52 points; Bolivar edges Pembroke Hill 68–67 in combined sweeps) and Class 2 results (Jefferson City dominates speech with 72 points; Rock Bridge wins debate 26–24 over Lee’s Summit North; Jefferson City is the overall combined sweeps leader). They explain why combined sweepstakes points are calculated for championship-factor classification even though the community does not publicly award an overall sweeps c...

This episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast recaps the spring Theatre Championships with Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Alex Huck and Andrew Kauffman, covering both the One-Act Play and Reader’s Theatre competitions in Missouri’s single theatre class. Platte County won the One-Act team championship, followed by Excelsior Springs, Raymore-Peculiar, and Republic, with Excelsior Springs highlighted for adjusting to an emergency schedule change and still earning second. In Reader’s Theater, Willard took the team title over Raymore-Peculiar, Kirksville, and Carthage; Andrew notes Willard’s historic success, including its 15th overall theatre championship and recent dominance, despite missing the One-Act finals v...

MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director Stephanie Turner preview the 2026 Missouri High School Track & Field championships, describing it as the largest spring event. They outline dates and location: Classes 1–3 on May 22–23 and Classes 4–5 on May 29–30 at Addkins Stadium in Jefferson City, with Memorial Day between the two weekends. The episode explains the postseason path from districts (40 total across five classes) to sectionals and state, with top-four advancement at each level, plus how prelims/finals work and why scheduling track and field events is complex. They detail staffing (300+ workers/officials), emphasize parking, walking, and buying digital tickets...

As the excitement from our recent spring activity championships and festivals starts to settle, it’s time to gear up for another thrilling season—the 2026 MSHSAA Boys Golf Championships. This year’s tournament is set to unfold at five venues across the state. Find out how teams and individuals qualify for this prestigious event along with what makes the 2-day tournament in Missouri special! Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director of MSHSAA, joins forces with Doug Fessler, Assistant Executive Director for the sport of golf, to deliver an engaging preview of what’s to come.

Excitement is in the air! Boys' tennis is leading the charge for our spring sports championships with amazing individual and team events lined up. Mark your calendar for May 14th-16th & 21st-22nd. Be there to cheer on the future stars of tennis!

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and James Melton preview this spectacular two-part event explaining the history of the event as this year marks the 97th Championship along with important details involving the role of the official throughout the event.

This episode previews the spring season’s final activity championship, the 2026 Scholar Bowl Championships! Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Daryl Bradley, Assistant Executive Director overseeing the event, will go over all the details! Held at the Memorial Union on the University of Missouri campus, with small classes (1–3) competing Friday, May 8, and larger classes (4–6) on Saturday, May 9, We'll explain the postseason structure beginning with 48 districts and six classes, followed by a semifinal bracket to crown district champions. Quarterfinals will determine the qualifying four teams per classification for state. At the final site, the four teams for each class play pool rounds starti...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director, reviews and explains all 11 proposals on the 2026 Missouri State High School Activities Association Annual Ballot. The proposals include standardizing coach/director requirements and creating an approval pathway for non-certificated coaches; multiple transfer-rule exceptions for children of active-duty military, students of non-resident school employees, and refugee/asylum students; expanding the non-school competition exception to all sports; allowing cooperative sponsorship schools to train together out of season; adding a preseason team tennis jamboree; permitting an extra speech/debate contest after April 1 and removing Friday start-time restrictions; modernizing scholar bowl limits to competition dates; and increasing dance...

2026 State Music Festival Preview | Dates, Locations & Details

This episode previews MSHSAA’s 2026 State Music Festival, an evaluative “festival” rather than a competitive championship, featuring state solo and ensemble events. Associate Executive Director, James Melton, shares that the festival will be held at the University of Missouri in Columbia over three days—April 30, May 1, and May 2—with school groups rotating B, then C, then A, using multiple buildings including Memorial Union. They explain classifications, district qualification via exemplary ratings (about 45% advancing), and expected participation of roughly 4,500–5,000 events representing about 7,000 students across 31–32 rooms in seven-minute recital-style performances. They cover performance ru...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, interviews Alex Huck, Assistant Executive Director overseeing Speech and Debate, to preview the 2026 Speech and Debate Championships. The tournament will be held April 24–25 in Springfield at Missouri State University, headquartered in Plaster Student Union and spread across campus. They explain how the championship scoring for speech and debate events work, with placements first through fourth for the two classifications. The championship schedule is also detailed leading up to Saturday's awards ceremony. Listen in as we highlight this spectacular event!

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director Alex Huck discuss the 2026 Theater Championships as part of the spring activity championship season. The championships will be held April 22–23 in the greater Springfield, Missouri area, with prelims for Readers Theater and One Act on Wednesday at Republic High School and Ozark High School, and finals on Thursday at Stratford High School. We'll explain theatre's 2 events — Readers Theater and One Act — along with how the association is looking at the growth of this activity in the hopes to possibly increase to two classes once more school...

As we dive into the Spring Sports Season we want to take a moment to recognize some special individuals. In this episode of the MSHSAA All-Access podcast we will highlight the recipients of the NFHS MSHSAA high school Coach of the Year for MSHSAA Spring Sports and their landmark seasons. Join us as we celebrate the many individuals responsible for educating and mentoring all the interscholastic athletes in our state! We will also announce the individual that received a sectional award!

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Toni Hill spotlight our spring sports officiating with an interview of veteran track & field official Charley Welker from SE Missouri and new official Kennede Coleman from Central Missouri. This episode will highlight the stories and experiences of two dedicated officials, showcasing how officiating has enriched their lives and the lives of many others. We get an interesting perspective between the Veteran and the Newcomer as we take this chance to thank the larger community of officials throughout the state of Missouri that dedicate their time and energy into encouraging others through this unique and rewarding...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Doug Fessler, and Scott Lunte come together once again to recap the second weekend of the 2026 MSHSAA Show Me Showdown (Classes 4–6), noting the first-time split of girls (Wed–Thu) and boys (Fri–Sat) at Mizzou Arena.

Join us as they review all the results from each class of girls and boys competition all the way from semifinal action to record making plays. Who earned their third straight championship? Which team shot a Show Me Showdown record with 73.5% shooting? We'll share all the details and more!!