Delta New Year's tourney tips off today

Area girls small school high school basketball teams will kick off the new year at Delta, as the annual Delta New Year's Tournament begins today.

The host Bobcats (6-1) are the top seed and will play No. 8 Puxico in the opening game at 4 p.m.

Oran is the second seed, followed by Greenville and St. Vincent. Chaffee, Woodland, Meadow Heights and Puxico round out the eight seeds.

The finals will be played at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Coaches receive honors

Saxony Lutheran cross country coach Larry Cleair and Notre Dame coach Bill Davis were named coach of the year by the Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Cleair was the coach of the year in Class 1 for the second straight year after the Crusaders wrapped up back-to-back state titles this past season. Saxony Lutheran has brought home a state trophy in each of its three years of varsity cross country, having placed fourth in 2003.

Brandon Etzold led the Crusaders with a second-place finish. Trey Maevers, Max Wieser and Peter Winningham all finished in the top 25 for the Crusaders.

Notre Dame brought home its third straight Class 2 state trophy in boys cross country, winning its first state title. The Bulldogs also had four runners in the top 25, led by senior Matt Pfau in fourth. Fellow senior Greg Kanneberg was eighth. Logan Davis and Neil Kanneberg also finished in the top 25 for the Bulldogs.

College notes

• Perryville graduate Amanda Nuyt, a senior at Maryville University, recently received the 2005 Excellence in St. Louis Sports Performance Yearly Award as the best local female athlete.

The awards were given by 1380 ESPN Radio in St. Louis.

Nuyt, a two-sport athlete at Maryville, is a four-time all-conference selection in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in soccer. Nuyt is also a two-time all-SLIAC in softball.