Semoball Awards comeback finalists are inspiration

Everyone loves the comeback player, someone who has overcome obstacles and found success on the field of play.

The finalists for the 2015 Semoball Awards Comeback Player of the Year are an impressive group of athletes. The five student-athletes were among those announced Saturday at the Semoball Awards Spring Sports Selection Show.

A story in Sunday's Southeast Missourian and online at semoball.com by Rachel Crader looked at two of this year's nominees who attended the selection show: Tyler Slinkard and Trevor Morehead.

Slinkard was a baseball player at Jackson who returned to the mound after a January weightlifting accident. The pitcher had part of his finger on his dominant hand cut off. That didn't deter the senior. He returned to the field this spring, hit .286 and added a 2.95 ERA over 40 1/3 innings.

Morehead was injured during football season with a torn ACL. The Austin Peay recruit missed the rest of the football and basketball seasons.

That was not the end of his high school playing career. A determined Morehead competed in the spring track and field season and earned all-state honors in shot put.

The other finalists for the Comeback Player of the Year are Jarrett Reisenbichler of Jackson, Libbi Schnurbusch of Perryville and Nathan Watson of Twin Rivers.

Regardless of who wins the award in July, all five of these athletes deserve to be recognized for determination and grit. For all the negativity that surrounds professional and major college sports these days, these athletes remind us of the virtues of competition and sport. To excel in sports requires commitment, sacrifice and resiliency, all of which are factors needed in life and the workplace. All athletes have to deal with adversity, some more than others. These comeback athletes and the other 200 finalists will receive recognition on July 11 at the Semoball Awards show.

Tickets are still available to attend the Semoball Awards. Also on sale are VIP tickets, which include a pre-event reception and photo opportunity with Jennie Finch. The former Olympic softball player will give the keynote speech at the awards show, which will be held at the River Campus.

The Semoball Awards is presented by SoutheastHEALTH and title sponsors: First Midwest Bank (Official Bank Sponsor), Harry Blackwell Family of Dealerships, Athlon Sports, the St. Louis Cardinals and SEMO ESPN Radio.

For tickets and more information, visit semoball.com/awards or call 388-2761.

We congratulate all of this year's finalists for the Semoball Awards and look forward to the big event.