Wyatt Wheeler

1 week ago | news-leader.com | Wyatt Wheeler

Maybe the most anticipated college decision in Southwest Missouri history is almost here. Nixa High School's Jackson Cantwell is days away from deciding where he will attend school in 2026. The nation's No. 1 high school football prospect will decide between Georgia, Miami (Florida), Ohio State and Oregon on Tuesday in front of what's expected to be a packed house at the Aetos Center for Performing Arts at Nixa High School. The nation will be watching.

1 week ago | news-leader.com | Wyatt Wheeler

Missouri State baseball leads the Missouri Valley Conference with six games remaining. The Bears need to win the MVC Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Postseason projections have the Bears as a four-seed in various regionals. Heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, Missouri State baseball sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings with an opportunity to win a championship during its final season in the league.

1 week ago | news-leader.com | Wyatt Wheeler

Missouri State baseball pitcher Kaleb Thomas pulled off a ridiculous defensive play in Tuesday night's midweek game at Hammons Field, landing him on SportsCenter Top 10. With the bases loaded and one out in a tied game against Central Florida in the sixth, a chopper was hit right back at Thomas, whose momentum was forcing his back to the ball. Somehow, with his back turned to the ball, Thomas backhanded the grounder.

1 week ago | news-leader.com | Wyatt Wheeler

Missouri State football continued to add to its revamped backfield with the commitment from a former three-star prospect who was ranked among the top running backs in the country out of high school. Washington State transfer Josh Joyner announced his commitment to the Bears via social media on Tuesday afternoon. He played in just one game with the Cougars and will have four seasons of eligibility. Joyner was the No. 58 running back in the country out of Pacifica (California) High.

1 week ago | news-leader.com | Wyatt Wheeler

There were several standout performances across Southwest Missouri. Who gets your vote? You can vote for the News-Leader's Athlete of the Week. You can find the poll and brief info on each performance below. You may vote as often as you'd like until 10 a.m. Friday morning. Future athlete of the week submissions can be made at [email protected]. Please do not email him your votes for this poll; they won't count.