No. 21 Lady Owls receive at-large bid to NAIA tourney

No matter how the invitation came, the William Woods University Lady Owls basketball team is back in the NAIA Division I national tournament.

No. 21 William Woods received an at-large bid Wednesday and is among the 32 teams in the 31st-annual national tournament, scheduled March 16-22 at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn. The Lady Owls (29-4) - who lost at No. 11 Columbia College 70-56 in the American Midwest Conference postseason tournament championship Monday night - are making their third straight appearance in the national tournament.

Drawing the sixth seed in its bracket, William Woods will face No. 3 seed Biola (Calif.) (25-6) in the first round at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Biola is ranked No. 9.

The winner moves on to play in the second round at 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, against either No. 2 seed Westminster (Utah) (26-6) or No. 7 Rogers State (Okla.) (23-9).

The Lady Owls are led by senior forward Rachel Baker, the AMC player of the year. Junior guard Sharron Andrews was also named to the all-AMC first team, while senior forward Jestine Gerber was an honorable-mention pick.

Baker and Andrews also received academic all-conference status. The pair were joined by nine other William Woods players receiving the honor: senior guard Jill Sutton, junior forward Megan Aubuchon, junior center Miranda Loesch, junior guards Sarah Eagan and Laken Enochs, sophomore guard Rachel Rutter, freshman guards Debra Boyd and Katie Scherder, and freshman forward Daris King.

Owls' Decker makes

all-AMC basketball team

William Woods University sophomore guard Logan Decker has been named a first-team selection on the 2010-11 all-American Midwest Conference men's basketball team, the school announced Wednesday.

Decker, a Kansas City native, topped William Woods in scoring at 13.5 points per game. He also led the Owls in steals and 3-pointers made, shooting 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc.

Decker was among five William Woods players to be named to the AMC all-academic team. Also earning the honor for the Owls were senior guard Dan Anderson, junior forward Andrew Miller, junior guard Robert Williams and freshman guard Dontre Jenkins.

William Woods compiled an 11-19 record in its first season under head coach Nick Totta. The Owls set a school record for wins in a season and tied a school mark for AMC victories.

William Woods names

Renfrow as volleyball coach

William Woods University announced Wednesday that it has hired Monica Renfrow as its new volleyball coach. Renfrow replaces Jenny Mueller, who resigned in December.

Renfrow served as an assistant coach this past season at NCAA Division I Bradley University, a Missouri Valley Conference school located in Peoria, Ill. Her responsibilities included primary setter coach, recruiting, academic monitoring and assisting with camps.

"Coach Renfrow brings the right mix of competitive spirit, charisma, recruiting experience, knowledge of the game, and administrative skills to the head volleyball coaching position at William Woods University," said Larry York, the school's athletic director.

Renfrow played at Marquette University, an NCAA Division I school in Milwaukee, Wis. She served as team captain and completed her playing career in the program's top 10 in assists, digs and hitting percentage.

Renfrow was an all-Big East second-team pick and also made the conference's academic honor roll in 2006.

Eight members of Fulton Kids

Wrestling Club win district titles

Eight members of the Fulton Parks and Rec Kids Wrestling Club took first place in the weight classes of their respective age divisions at the Missouri USA Wrestling District 7 state qualifying tournament last Saturday.

Fulton's eight champions included two female wrestlers, Paige Clines and Zoey Hrabovsky. Clines captured the title at 100 pounds in the 8-and-under category, while Hrabovsky prevailed at 120 in the 10-and-under division.

Also recording first-place finishes from Fulton were Dylan Pearson at 75 pounds and Braden Leibengood at 145 in 8-and-under; Milo Henry at 105, Andy Baysinger at 110 and Isaiah Pani at 165 in 12-and-under, and Dylan Anderson at 155 in 14-and-under.

Fulton advanced 39 of its 47 competing wrestlers to this Saturday's Region D Tournament at Jefferson City High School.

Here are the rest of Fulton's district place-finishers:

•8-and-under: Jackson Caswell, third place, 55 pounds; Owen Uhls, sixth, 55; Seth Gilbert, sixth, 60; Joshua Dunmire, sixth, 70, and Sam Wood, sixth, 100.

•10-and-under: Devin Albers, second place, 55 pounds; Jadon Henry, second, 75; Dustin Loucks, second, 90; Keaton Rice, third, 60; Colton Bristol, fourth, 110; Dawson Wright, fifth, 70; Jacob Kern, fifth, 80; Jacob Kauffman, fifth, 120; Tommy Kingsley, sixth, 65; Julian Schoening, sixth, 75; Peyton Dunkel, sixth, 100, and Skylar Kaminski, sixth, 120.

•12-and-under: Tucker Caswell, third place, 75 pounds; Luke Berrey, third, 120; Michael Carlin, fifth, 85, and Brenden Holsman, sixth, 130.

•14-and-under: Matthew Breeden, second place, 145 pounds; Clayton Bristol, second, 190; Trevor Dunmire, second, 285; Dennis Kingsley, third, 115; Trenton Clines, third, 120; Austin Anderson, third, 150; Andrew Wyant, third, 205; Brandon Dews, fourth, 110; Jared Strough, fourth, 145, and Kobe Kaminski, fifth, 150.