Rainy weather can't dampen spring sports
In the midst of trying to stay warm and dry this unpredictable spring, there are a few great happenings that you might have missed locally.
The first was a no-hitter thrown by Nevada High School junior Jerrod Alexander. On Thursday, April 5, Alexander went the distance against the Lamar varsity and kept them hitless. The right-hander got some help from his defense on a cold day during the Carthage tournament, but impressively kept his cool (no pun intended) to complete the gem despite only one run of offensive support. Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Alexander went to work and gave the Tigers seven great innings to get the victory.
The last time a Nevada pitcher threw a no-hitter was May 6, 2004, when Andrew Kennon blanked El Dorado Springs on senior night. That contest, a 10-0 Nevada win, went only five innings because of the mercy rule. What makes Alexander's no-hitter more impressive is that he went a full seven innings, without the luxury of making a mistake as his team held on to a one-run lead.
That's pitching under pressure.
Another great happening in Nevada spring sports happened Tuesday when the boys golf team tied a school record for the lowest team 9-hole score ever.
The Tigers shot 148, which tied the school mark originally set in 1997 against McDonald County.
The coolest thing about the mark is that Nevada had three golfers combine to shoot 108. The par for three golfers over nine holes is 108. If the Tigers can stay around par during the district tournament, make the reservations for state.
A third impressive event actually happened concerning a Nevada High School graduate.
Traci Werner, a senior at Pittsburg State University, was named female track athlete of the week in the MIAA recently. Werner dominated the throwing events at the Emporia State Papa John's Division II Challenge Saturday, winning three events. Most impressively, Werner won the shot put with a throw of 49 feet, 1.25 inches, which is a school record and the top mark in the nation in Division II this season.
Werner also won the hammer throw and the discus Saturday, accounting for 30 of Pitt State's 130 points as the Gorillas won the team title.
It wasn't the first time Werner won the award, as she was also named MIAA female athlete of the week on March 20. That week she won the hammer and discus at a meet hosted by Pitt State.
Werner is a 2003 NHS alum.
Considering the high number of events postponed or canceled because of weather, it's still been a good spring for Nevada High School athletics.