Brian Jordan to keynote Semoball Awards

A former St. Louis Cardinal outfielder and two-sport professional athlete will keynote this summer's Semoball Awards.

Brian Jordan, who played 15 years in Major League Baseball and three seasons in the National Football League, will serve as the keynote speaker for the red carpet awards show recognizing the top high school athletes in Southeast Missouri. The event, presented by Mercy, is set for July 12 at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau.

Jordan is best known in Southeast Missouri for his tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals where he roamed the outfield at Busch Stadium and crushed home runs. He also played baseball for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers. Jordan is part of a small fraternity of players who have played professional baseball and football. From 1989-1991, he was a safety for the Atlanta Falcons.

Along with his on-field success, Jordan is an Emmy award-winning sports analyst and author of several children's books. He's active in his community through the Brian Jordan Foundation and spends much of his time with school systems helping with youth literacy.

Previous Semoball Awards speakers have included two-time ESPY winner Kyle Maynard, Olympic softball gold medalist Jennie Finch, NFL player and TV analyst Mark Schlereth, World Series MVP David Eckstein, WNBA star Lisa Leslie, former pitcher and current broadcaster Rick Horton, former MLB relief pitcher Andrew Miller, comedian Mike Goodwin, and Kansas City Chiefs mascot Dan Meers.

Along with the keynote speaker announcement, Semoball Awards spring sports finalists and those for other top awards were recently announced. They include:

Baseball: Levi McKinnie, Chaffee; Gabe Dirnberger, Oran; Cooper Rhodes, Jackson; Mason Adams, Portageville; Ashton Williams, Kennett; Kobe Watson, Scott City; Troy O’Keefe, Perryville; Noah Johnson, East Prairie; Ross Peters, Kelly; and Kolby Greenwall, Poplar Bluff.

Boys Track & Field: Skyler Still, Kelly; Darius Graham, Poplar Bluff; Jonathan Hartmann, Saxony Lutheran; Reed Layton, Woodland; Hayden Vangennip, Woodland; Kent Sheridan, Cape Central; Kevin Thompson, Kennett; Christopher Artis, Jr., Sikeston; Ben Dowdy, Dexter; and Namarius Banks-Warren, Scott County Central.

Girls Track & Field: Lauren Eftink, Notre Dame; Reagan Meyer, St. Vincent; Angela Dobbins, Malden; Carlyanne Cossou, Chaffee; Emma Duenne, Notre Dame; and Amya Bills, New Madrid; Jada Jones, Charleston; Abigail Spooler, Notre Dame; Kennedy Zgaynor, Poplar Bluff; and Blaire Riley, Kelly.

Boys Golf: Payton Strattman, St. Vincent; Landon Barks, Poplar Bluff; Lawson Barks, Poplar Bluff; Fredric Nesselrodt, Dexter; Ian Lambert, Jackson; Boys Tennis; Michael Bogdanovich, Notre Dame; Lawson Blocker and Cooper Worley, Dexter; Charlie West and Thomas Southard, Notre Dame; Matthew Austin and Blake Schreckenberg, Notre Dame; and Tavian Towns, Poplar Bluff

Softball: Mallary Barks, Woodland; Kinsley Bogenpohl, Oak Ridge; Carlyanne Cossou, Chaffee; Blaire Riley, Kelly; Lauren Estes, Notre Dame; Maleigh Lemings, Holcomb; Molly Spane, Oran; Handley McAtee, Kennett; Miley Conklin, Jackson; and Addison Carlton, Advance.

Girls Soccer: Kennedi Sims, Sikeston; Catherine Schrumpf, Sikeston; Camille Richey, Saxony Lutheran; Clara Brune, Saxony Lutheran; Olivia Klinkhardt, Jackson; Camryn Alsdorf, Jackson; Ava Ernst, Perryville; Ana Moll, Perryville; Addison Clippard, Notre Dame; and Maya Thebeau, Notre Dame.

Boys Volleyball: Luke Eggemeyer, Saxony Lutheran; Luke Seyer, Notre Dame; Joseph Dodson, Notre Dame; Jonathan Palmer, Saxony Lutheran; and Brayden Zoellner, Saxony Lutheran.

Comeback Player of the Year: John-Paul Sauer, Jackson; Dalton Forck, Kelly; Max Vogel, Cape Central; Kaetlyn Danley, Holcomb; and Abby Wilson, Poplar Bluff.

Coach of the Year: Erin Hoffman, Advance Volleyball; Joe Bickings, Oran Baseball; Dayna Powell, Cape Central Swimming; Tyler Davis, Poplar Bluff Golf; and Ryan Layton, Woodland Track and Cross Country.

We'll also recognize The Bank of Missouri Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the Year. And every Semoball Awards honoree is considered a finalist for the top two awards of the evening, the Mercy Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

Additionally, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Advance volleyball coach Erin Hoffman. Coach Hoffman's career is highlighted by significant contributions to the sport of volleyball in Southeast Missouri. Her teams are consistently top performers, and she continues to make a lasting impact through the sport at her school and throughout the region.

Special thanks to presenting sponsor Mercy, official bank sponsor The Bank of Missouri, and title sponsors SEMO ESPN Radio, the St. Louis Cardinals, rustmedia, and your local newspaper.

We look forward to celebrating with everyone on July 12. The red carpet experience, heavy hors d'oeuvres, and live radio show starts at 5:30 p.m. The awards show kicks off at 7 p.m.

Tickets, including the VIP option with a Brian Jordan meet-and-greet before the show, can be purchased at semoball.com/awards.