Isaiah Reams (Mexico) at North Central Missouri College

Former Bulldog Isaiah Reams has stepped it up in his second season at NJCAA North Central Missouri College in Trenton.

Reams is the 20th-ranked Pirates’ second leading scorer at 17 points per game and second leading rebounder at 4.9 per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. 

In NCMC’s last game before Christmas break on Dec. 9 at home against Allen County Community College, Reams recorded a career-high 30 points, 10 rebounds and five 3-pointers in the 107-87 victory to move the Pirates to 10-4. Reams has scored in double figures in every game other than one and has had five games with at least 20 points.

On Nov. 21, Reams finished with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 89-69 victory against 14th-ranked John Wood Community College. His former Mexico teammate Jordan Shelton is in his first season at John Wood and finished with 23 points and three assists.

NCMC has had several other signature wins, including a 95-82 victory at second-ranked Johnson County Community College to give Johnson County its first loss of the season. Reams had 21 points, five rebounds and two steals. In the Pirates’ 85-80 victory against sixth-ranked Ellsworth Community College, Reams led NCMC with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

The Pirates start back up Jan. 10 at home against Highland Community College.

Jordan Shelton (Mexico) at John Wood Community College

Mexico graduate Jordan Shelton has been a productive piece off the bench for NJCAA John Wood Community College (Quincy) in his first college season.

Shelton has averaged nine points and 45 percent shooting from the floor, starting three games. He scored a career-high 23 points off the bench in his matchup with former Bulldog teammate Isaiah Reams.

The Blazers are 5-6 so far this season and plan to start back up Dec. 30 at home against McHenry County College.

Mya Miller (Mexico) at Columbia College

Former Mexico Lady Bulldog Mya Miller is in her second season at NAIA Columbia College.

Miller has played in 12 games, with her season-high in scoring being seven points in a 94-41 win against Missouri Valley College and her rebounding high being eight rebounds in a 76-68  win at Oklahoma City University.

The Cougars — who have received votes in the national polls — are 9-3, beginning this season 5-0, and are 3-1 in American Midwest Conference play. They start back up Dec. 30 at home against the University of Saint Mary.

Mara Jensen (Van-Far) at Columbia College

Miller’s teammate and former Van-Far Lady Indian Mara Jensen has also been a post player off the bench for Columbia College.

Jensen’s scoring high in her first season has been two points but has a rebounding high of five in an 84-45 win against William Penn at home.

Natalie Thomas (Community R-6) at William Woods University

Natalie Thomas is playing her senior season for William Woods University in Fulton after spending her high school days at Community R-6.

Thomas is averaging 8.6 points and 3.3 assists in 10 games, and she has started all of them. Her scoring-high was 20 points in a 67-60 loss at Bellevue (Nebraska), and her assisting and rebounding highs were seven assists and six rebounds in a 82-79 loss at College of the Ozarks. 

William Woods is 6-4 overall and 0-1 in American Midwest Conference play and will start back up Dec. 30 at Newman University in Wichita.

Brianna Beamer (Community R-6) at Fontbonne University

Community R-6 graduate Brianna Beamer is in her second season at NCAA Division III Fontbonne University in St. Louis.

In nine games, Beamer has a scoring-high of six points in an 86-71 loss at Milliken College and assisting- and stealing-high of four assists and three steals in a 91-86 at Principia. Last season after transferring from St. Louis Athletic Intercollegiate Conference foe Webster University, Beamer scored a career-high 15 points in a 102-56 victory at Blackburn.

The Griffins are 0-10 this season and look for their first win Dec. 30 at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy.

Jozelynn Bostick (Centralia) at Missouri Valley College

Centralia graduate Jozelynn Bostick has contributed in her freshman season with NAIA Missouri Valley College in Marshall.

Bostick has averaged 3.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 11 games played but received her first career college start in the Vikings’ most recent game. They lost 76-56 at Rockhurst, but Bostick finished with a career-high 13 points and 16 rebounds for her first career double-double. Her previous career-highs were 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Vikings are 8-3 and are 6-2 in conference play, owning an 84-78 overtime victory at home over 20th-ranked Midamerica Nazarene. Bostick had nine points, four offensive rebounds and three assists in that victory.

Bostick has also started cross country at Missouri Valley, earning her best finish of a sixth-place time of 19.27 in the women’s 5K at the Larry Young Invite in Columbia in September. She began the season with a 15th-place time of 19:21 at the Southwest Baptist Bearcat Invite in Bolivar in early September.

Tori Hamilton (Paris) at Southwest Baptist University

Former Paris post player Tori Hamilton is in her second season at NCAA Division II Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar after transferring from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

The junior this year has averaged 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 54.4 percent shooting from the field in 10 games played, including eight starts. Hamilton also leads her team with 10 blocks.

Hamilton’s scoring-high is 15 points in a 77-68 loss at the University of Indianapolis, and her rebounding- and blocking-highs both happened in a 72-51 home victory against Missouri Baptist, when she had nine rebounds and four blocks.

The Bearcats’ most recent game was a 66-65 win at 12th-ranked Drury University, and Hamilton had six rebounds and five points.

Southwest Baptist is 5-5 and 2-3 in Great Lake Valley Conference play and will start back up Dec. 30 at home against Hannibal-LaGrange University.

Anthony Shivers (Mexico) at Evangel University

Mexico graduate Anthony Shivers’ college career began not too long ago as NAIA Evangel University in Springfield started its indoor track and field season.

Shivers and the Valor opened Dec. 2 at the Mel Tjeersdma Classic at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville. He finished third in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.97 and followed that with a time of 7.05 for 60th in the Crimson and Gold Invitational at Pittsburg State in Kansas.

The Valor go back to Pittsburg for the NAIA/JUCO Challenge on Jan. 20.

Grant Erisman (Centralia) at Columbia College

Centralia graduate Grant Erisman enters his second season at Columbia College.

Erisman wrapped up a freshman campaign that involved the Cougars winning the American Midwest Conference championship, and him being named the AMC Freshman of the Year award and outstanding field athlete. He won the men’s long jump with 6.45 meters and triple jump with 13.29 meters, and finished second in the javelin with a 47.04-meter throw and was second in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 44.56. He set a school outdoor long-jump record with 6.67-meter jump at a meet at University of Missouri S&T.

Along with his outdoor all-AMC honor, Erisman earned indoor all-AMC honors after winning the long jump with 6.41 meters and triple jump with 13.47 meters and taking second in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 44.56.

Khobi Kellerman (North Callaway) at Missouri Valley College

North Callaway graduate Khobi Kellerman has led Missouri Valley men’s cross country in his senior season.

Kellerman has finished with the top time at every meet this year, including a 27.28 at the men’s 8K at the Larry Young Invite to finish 40th and a time of 27.41 at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to finish 53rd.

Michael White (Mexico) at Quincy University

Mexico graduate Michael White finished his first season at NCAA Division II Quincy University this season.

White finished with 33 total tackles (17 solo), seven pass deflections and one forced fumble in 10 games.

The Hawks went 6-5 this season.

Dante Billups (Mexico) at Westminster College

Mexico graduate Dante Billups finished his third season at NCAA Division III Westminster College in Fulton.

Billups played in nine games this season, averaging 44 rushing yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. He recorded 396 yards on the ground this season.

The Blue Jays finished 1-8 and 1-4 in conference play.

Payton Olsson (North Callaway) at Westminster College

North Callaway graduate Payton Olsson played his second season with Westminster this year.

Olsson caught nine balls for 85 yards for 9.4 yards per catch in seven games.

Devin Miller (Paris) at Westminster College

Paris graduate Devin Miller was one of Westminster’s leaders on defense.

In his second season played with the Blue Jays, Miller finished with the second-most tackles of 53, a team-high 16.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. 

Paytience Holman (Mexico) at Southeast Missouri State University

Paytience Holman, a member of Mexico softball’s 2018 state championship team, finished her senior season at NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau this year.

Holman pitched to a 3.04 ERA with 82 hits, 46 strikeouts, 23 walks and a .246 batting average against in a career-high 96⅔ innings — with 14 starts. In her career, Holman posted a 3.36 ERA with 308 hits, 184 strikeouts, 92 walks and a .256 batting average against in 304 innings pitched.

After recording a 0.54 ERA in three appearances and two starts against University of Tennessee-Martin, Holman won her first career Ohio Valley Conference pitcher of the week award for her performance near the end of April. In her first game, Holman pitched a complete game one-hit shutout.

The Redhawks finished 29-14 overall with a 20-2 conference record.

Emma Angel (Community R-6) at North Central Missouri College

Community R-6 graduate Emma Angel will be heading to a four-year school softball diamond after thriving at the junior college level.

Before beginning her junior season at NAIA Hannibal-LaGrange University, Angel wrapped up her two-year stint at North Central Missouri College with career numbers of a .348 batting average, .396 on-base percentage, .411 slugging percentage, 72 hits, 40 RBI and eight doubles in 207 at-bats in 83 games. Her final season included a stat line of a .328 average, .366 on-base and .409 slugging with 45 hits, 29 RBI and six doubles in 137 at-bats in 52 games.

The Pirates closed out Angel’s last season with a third-place finish in the NJCAA Division I Region 16 tournament.

Jayle Jennings (Van-Far) at Quincy University

Van-Far graduate Jayle Jennings closed her senior season this year at Quincy University.

Jennings pitched to a 3.34 ERA with 133 hits, 62 strikeouts and 17 walks in 123⅔ innings and hit .244 with a career-high five home runs, 18 RBI, 32 hits and three doubles in 131 at-bats. The Hawks finished 22-22 overall this season and 13-11 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

In her career, Jennings owned a 2.62 ERA with 329 hits, 162 strikeouts and 52 walks in 298⅔ innings and a .287 batting average, a .360 on-base percentage, six home runs, 52 RBI and 17 doubles in 443 at-bats. This season, Jennings was named a GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Honoree.

Gwen Bostick (Centralia) at Rockhurst University

Centralia graduate Gwen Bostick finished her senior season with NCAA Division II Rockhurst University in Kansas City this year.

Bostick owned a .302 batting average and a .367 on-base percentage along with 45 hits, 21 RBI, seven doubles and two home runs in 149 at-bats, and the Hawks finished with a 21-26 overall record and 13-10 Great Lakes Valley Conference record. The above-300 average followed her junior season .323 and 15 RBI.

In her Rockhurst career, Bostick hit .298 and had 44 RBI. This year, she was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

Lilly Knipfel (Mexico) and Rylee Hanson (Van-Far) at Columbia College

Mexico graduate Lilly Knipfel and Van-Far graduate Rylee Hanson each finished impressive years for Columbia College golf.

The junior Knipfel and the women’s team wrapped up a fall season with a perfect record as the Cougars won all five of their tournaments. The Mexico alum’s best finish was third place in the Columbia Cougar Classic in October. 

In the spring, Knipfel and the Cougars won their second straight American Midwest Conference title, and Knipfel finished eighth in that tournament. She earned second-team all-conference honors this year.

The senior Hanson and the men were ranked 25th in the nation and won three of their five tournaments in the fall. He had his best finish of the season of fifth place in the Cougars’ third victory at the Roadrunner Invitational at State Fair Community College near the end of October.