Now that the 2024-2025 high school basketball season has ended for Missouri schools, it’s time for postseason awards to honor the season’s top performers.

As it does every year, the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) has released its annual All-District and All-State teams. MBCA All-District teams are used by the MBCA to draw its candidates for boys and girls All-State teams. Member coaches vote on candidates from within their own district for All-District teams, and All-State teams are then selected by members of the MBCA All-State Selection Committee.

MBCA All-District teams are selected based on overall season performance and are not an all-district tournament team.

MBCA Class 1-6 girls All-State teams below are listed by school in alphabetical order.

Class 1

Kinsey Barton, jr., Bunker

Emily Landry, so., Chadwick

Rae Little, sr., Chadwick

Jade Berry, sr., Delta

Jaryn Hatcher, jr., Green City

Lauren Spilman, jr., Higbee

Taylor Swarnes, sr., Liberal

India Willis, sr., Macks Creek

Avery Brumley, sr., Northeast (Cairo)

Olivia Cross, jr., Northeast (Cairo)

Macie Harman, sr., Northeast (Cairo)

Gabby Meyer, jr., Northwest (Hughesville)

Maleeah Bliley, sr., Platte County

Addilyn Henke, sr., Princeton

Audrie Meyerkorth, fr., Rock Port

Nikki Adams, sr., Scott County Central

Reagan Wobbe, jr., St. Elizabeth

Jacie Gavisk, sr., Walnut Grove

Ellie Smith, sr., Walnut Grove

Kiarah Blation, sr., Wheatland

Player of the Year: Jade Berry, Delta

Coach of the Year: Jim Pendergrass, Chadwick

Class 2

Bristol Lathrop, so., Ash Grove

Kaylee Wilson, sr., Blue Eye

Charleigh Spoonster, so., Clopton

Lily Woodward, sr., Crane

Parker Golden, sr., East Carter

Loghann Leivan, jr., Miller

Parker Ernst, jr., Neelyville

Ava Graham, sr., Nodaway Valley

Lindsay Ramsey, sr., North Platte

Kalie Chadwell, fr., Norwood

Mallory Moss, so., Richland

Kenzi Cheek, sr., Skyline

Ashlen Garrett, sr., Skyline

Brie Rubel, jr., St. Vincent

Kate Rubel, jr., St. Vincent

Charlee Bailey, sr., Tipton

Madison Carvajal, jr., Tipton

Ava Schlotzhauer, jr., Tipton

Anonda Ford, sr., University Academy Charter

Emma Wortmann, sr., Westran

Player of the Year: Ashlen Garrett, Skyline

Coach of the Year: Kevin Cheek, Skyline

Class 3

Braelyn Turnbough, so., Arcadia Valley

Braylin Brunkhorst, jr., Centralia

Ryenn Gordon, so., Centralia

McKinli Mays, jr., El Dorado Springs

Neely Schaaf, sr., El Dorado Springs

Ashton Bell, sr., Fair Grove

Brooke Daniels, sr., Fair Grove

Abbey Green, sr., Fair Grove

Vivian Bax, sr., Fatima

Jacie Kassanavoid, so., Lathrop

Delaney Richards, sr., Lone Jack

Myia Dillman, so., Mid-Buchanan

Sydney Compton, sr., Palmyra

Ja’Niya Smith, sr., Portageville

Loganne Love, fr., Principia

Dasia Scott, so., Principia

Callie McWilliams, sr., South Shelby

Ashlyn Pinzke, sr., Stover

Ryleigh Davis, fr., Thayer

Chloe Jones, jr., Willow Springs

Player of the Year: Brooke Daniels, Fair Grove

Coach of the Year: Gary Greene, Fair Grove

Class 4

Kylee Cole, sr., Aurora

Aliana Arambula, jr., Benton

Andrea Simmons, sr., Benton

Bella Imhoff, jr., Boonville

Hailey Rademan, sr., California

Allysa O’Connor, sr., Central (Park Hills)

Carsyn Hagood (Shipp), so., Doniphan

Ellie White, so., Doniphan

P.J. Reutzel, sr., Fredericktown

Alyce Edwards, so., Kennett

Hailey Buckman, jr., Logan-Rogersville

Jordyn Haywood, fr., MICDS

Ali Daniels, sr., Owensville

Aniston Mapes, sr., Potosi

Alex Nicastro, jr., St. Charles West

Lydia Kemnitzer, sr., St. James

Elsie Larsen, jr., Strafford

Kinley Larsen, fr., Strafford

Evelyn Shane, jr., Ursuline Academy

Kiera Burns, sr., Vashon

Player of the Year: Carson Hagood (Shipp), Doniphan

Coach of the Year: Adam Epps, Doniphan

Class 5

Alannah Howard, jr., Cardinal Ritter

Nylah Scales, so., Cardinal Ritter

Madison Mills, sr., Farmington

Taylor McCarthy, so., Farmington

Jada Smith, sr., Grandview

Claire Morris, jr., Helias Catholic

Nevaeh Shockley, sr., Hillcrest

Zha Harris, jr., Lift for Lift Academy Charter

Amaya Manuel, so., Lift for Life Academy Charter

Diamond Polk, jr., Lift for Life Academy Charter

Quinn Aldridge, jr., Marshfield

Peyton Ward, so., Marshfield

Siena Snyder, sr., Parkway West

Peyton Wohlford, sr., Smithville

Madison Lynch, sr., St. Dominic

Ava Pratt, so., St. Michael the Archangel Catholic

Jaz Rhodes, so., St. Teresa’s Academy

Nora Roddy, sr., St. Teresa’s Academy

Sophia Helling, sr., Union

Jael Green, jr., University City

Player of the Year: Amaya Manuel, Lift for Life Academy Charter

Coach of the Year: Chris Porter, Lift for Life Academy Charter

Class 6

Lauren Onrtwerth, jr., Cor Jesu Academy

Sy’Rae Stemmons, sr., Hickman

Nevaeh Caffey, sr., Incarnate Word Academy

Peyton Hill, sr., Incarnate Word Academy

Camryn Alsdorf, sr., Jackson

Moriyah Douglass, jr., John Burroughs

Mikayla Pilley, sr., Kickapoo

Josie Salazar, jr., Kickapoo

Antil Snoddy, jr., Lee’s Summit North

Alex Couch, jr., Liberty North

Jordan Speiser, sr., Lutheran St. Charles

Brooke Teter, sr., Nixa

Addison Bjorn, jr., Park Hill South

Ava McCulla, sr., Parkway South

Elli Porter, sr., Rock Bridge

Jayda Porter, jr., Rock Bridge

Rylee Dodson, so., Rolla

Destiny Manyawu, so., Staley

Ava Miles, jr., Staley

Mya Robinson, jr., Troy Buchanan

Player of the Year: Addison Bjorn, Park Hill South

Coach of the Year: Mike Bennett, Staley

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Nineteen sea turtles that were rehabilitated in Missouri after suffering the effects of cold water temperatures in New England were released Wednesday afternoon into the Atlantic Ocean off of Jacksonville, Florida.

It was sunny and 72 degrees as the turtles made their way into the ocean off Little Talbot Island State Park near Jacksonville, rehab facility officials said. Their long journey was made possible by the Johnny Morris Sea Turtle Center in Springfield, Missouri, and the nonprofit group Turtles Fly Too. The turtles were then driven to Florida before their release.

Twenty loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley turtles were flown in December from the New England Aquarium in Boston to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, according to director of animal care Mike Daniel.

One of the turtles was critically ill and died after arriving in Missouri. But the other 19 spent 13 weeks being treated for cold stunning, which occurs when water temperatures drop quickly and cause sea turtles to suffer from various conditions such as pneumonia, hypothermia, and dehydration. Veterinarians at the center provided round-the-clock care.

Hundreds of sea turtles along the Atlantic Coast of the United States have suffered from cold stunning over the past few months, and most are typically flown to Florida for rehab.

The Missouri turtle center opened in 2020 and has rehabbed some 64 sea turtles.

The turtles were equipped with specialized satellite tracking devices that allow conservation scientists to monitor them.

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This story has been updated to correct the number of sea turtles rehabbed at the Johnny Morris Sea Turtle Center. It rehabbed some 64 sea turtles, not 55.

The House Budget Committee squeezed $139 million in general revenue out of the Missouri state budget for road, port and other earmarked projects Monday night, but Republicans thwarted an effort by Democrats to shift $50 million into public schools.

During a stop-and-go work session that stretched late into the night, the committee approved a $47.9 billion budget for state operations in the coming fiscal year. The committee reduced Gov. Mike Kehoe’s budget by $2.1 billion overall and about $750 million in general revenue.

The mark-up session boosted the total for general revenue earmarks by $20 million and the package going to the full House will have 96 earmarked items tracked by The Independent costing $166.2 million total added since Kehoe proposed his budget in January.

Some of the biggest general revenue earmarks — $15 million for a new state park in McDonald County and $12 million for a climbing lane on Interstate 44 — are in the southwest Missouri district of House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton. The new state park will also require $4 million of state parks tax funds.

Among the largest earmarks added Monday are $5 million for ramps and an outer road on U.S. Highway 60 in Sikeston and $4 million for the Marion County Port Authority.

While Democrats succeeded in adding a handful of earmarks, they were shot down on almost every proposal to increase or shift funding for state programs.

Two major spending proposals — one Kehoe endorsed in January and another he did not — were backed by Democrats on the committee but could not win support from Republicans.

Kehoe wants the state to spend an extra $107 million in federal funds on child care to revise how payments are calculated to one based on enrollment and change when checks arrive. Meanwhile, he does not want to spend $300 million in state general revenue to fully fund the public school foundation formula.

“Our providers have been through quite a lot this past year, to some extent from what they’ve had to deal with with the state,” state Rep. Stephanie Hein, a Democrat from Springfield, said as she sought to restore part of the child care funding. “This would help provide them stability within their budgeting process for the upcoming year.”

Republicans questioned whether the federal funding used this year will be available in the future.

“There’s no ongoing federal money for this,” said committee vice chairman Bishop Davidson, a Republican from Republic.

Because of a rule requiring cuts in general revenue from one line to spend it in another, Democrats did not attempt to shift the full $300 million into the school foundation formula. Instead, they tried to delete another of Kehoe’s major initiatives, $50 million for a tax credit program supporting private school tuition scholarships.

“When I look through some of the schools that receive taxpayer dollars now through the form of the tax credit program, there are schools that are getting dollars, that wouldn’t have educated some of us in this room and I think it’s really important that we are spending our money in the right places and fully funding the foundation formula,” said state Rep. Betsy Fogle of Springfield, ranking Democrat on the committee.

Republicans said the credits are available for students who want to switch public schools as well as attend private schools. 

“One thing we lack is parental engagement,” Davidson said. “Another thing we lack are any sort of competitive forces and we get to have both of those things when it comes to the (Empowerment Scholarship Accounts) program.”

The foundation formula distributes state aid on a per-pupil basis, with factors that give more money for students with disabilities or who are from low-income households. It cost $3.7 billion in the current year and the amount needed to fully fund it is determined by applying the calculation to what is called the state adequacy target.

To fully fund the formula for the coming year, the adequacy target would be $7,145 per student. To keep the cost down, Kehoe and the House Budget Committee are funding a target of $6,760 per student.

Kehoe wants the formula to be revised. One Republican said he wants no more money for the formula until it is changed.

“We need to fix it or get rid of it,” said GOP state Rep. Don Mayhew of Crocker. 

More: Budget battle brewing over Gov. Mike Kehoe’s proposed funding for Missouri schools

The Democratic proposal that drew the most support from Republicans would have increased the amount paid for home-delivered meals for the elderly and disabled from $6.21 per meal to $7.14 per meal at a cost of $2.1 million, including $787,120 of general revenue.

“This is a warranted increase,” said state Rep. John Voss, a Republican from Cape Girardeau. “Many of the counties surrounding my district are very, very poor. In fact, I think we have many of the top 10 poorest counties. That is a lot of food insecurity and anything that we can do to support our seniors here, I would sure be supportive of.”

The full House will debate the budget next week. Democrats and Republicans will each have three hours to present their amendments and arguments. 

At the end of Monday’s meeting, Deaton asked members whether six hours was too much. Some Republicans said it was.

“I don’t see that too much of the floor debate has changed my mind,” said state Rep. Mitch Boggs of LaRussell. “This is where the main meat and potatoes is done.”

Democrats objected to any change, saying it was the only time for most House members to have a say on spending. 

“It doesn’t mean we have to burn all of it,” said Democratic state Rep. Del Taylor of St. Louis.

Mayhew agreed and at the end, Deaton did not recommend any change.

“This, folks, is really our only constitutional duty, and providing the opportunity for members who were elected to be here to make comments on that,” Mayhew said. “I’m okay with our standing normal procedure, and I don’t think it’s unfair or overly burdensome for us, especially when we’re talking about upwards of $52 billion of the taxpayers money.”

This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.