Spring finalists will be revealed Saturday for Semoball Awards

Only one selection show remains until high school student-athletes from across the region meet July 11 at the Southeast Missouri State River Campus for the second annual Semoball Awards.

Spring sports finalists for baseball, softball (fall included), boys track and field, girls track and field, girls soccer, boys golf and boys tennis will be revealed at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Midwest Bank in Cape Girardeau.

The two-hour long event will be broadcast live on SEMO ESPN radio (92.9 FM, 1220 AM and 1470 AM) as part of the weekly Saturday Morning Express show. The event is open to the public and inflatable games, snacks and giveaways will be available for those in attendance.

"We're hoping that we get a lot of the athletes that are eligible to be Semoball finalists and then also families that are going to come out and hopefully spend a little bit of their time with us," First Midwest Community Bank president Kathy Bertrand said.

The Semoball Awards are presented by SoutheastHEALTH and First Midwest Bank returns as the event's Official Bank Sponsor. Harry Blackwell Family of Dealerships, Athlon Sports, the St. Louis Cardinals and SEMO ESPN radio are also title sponsors of the event.

Bertrand believes the bank's involvement with the Semoball Awards is "exceptionally important."

"We have banks from Cape, Dexter, Poplar Bluff, all around that area, so all of the schools that are covered, we have banks in almost all of those towns," Bertrand said. "Athletics is completely important to us and to the growth of student-athletes. ... We thought it was a great success last year. The event is just amazing, and it's a great way to showcase the kids that aren't only athletes but keep up with their schoolwork and do everything they're supposed to do. It's a great way to build character."

Student-athletes from 57 high schools across Southeast Missouri in 19 sports will be showcased at next month's awards show, featuring a keynote speech from Olympic softball champion Jennie Finch.

Two scholar-athletes from each school also will be honored, and finalists for Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and Best Sportsmanship will also be presented.

Finalists for each award are determined by a panel of sports editors and writers from semoball.com and broadcasters from SEMO ESPN radio, who review nominations and statistics before determining finalists. Scholar-athletes are selected by school officials from each of the 57 schools in the Semoball coverage area.

For last year's highlights and more information regarding this year's awards show, visit semoball.com/awards. Finalists and their parents or guardians will be allowed to reserve tickets for the awards show. VIP tickets, which includes a meet and greet and photo opportunity with Finch, are available for purchase online at semoball.com/awards.

Organizations that are interested in becoming a sponsor can contact Lucas Presson at 573-388-3649 or lpresson@semissourian.com.