Missouri Sports Hall of Fame to induct Boone County, Mizzou sports legends

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame has announced its new inductees all across the Show-Me State.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was only fitting the 2022 class was unveiled in Columbia.

The hall made public for the first time the upcoming induction of numerous former athletes and coaches who have ties to Boone County or the University of Missouri.

Their enshrinement will take place Nov. 20 at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia.

"I've sat at some of these," Missouri wrestling coach and 2022 inductee Brian Smith said. "Just to be mentioned in the same breath as them, it's an honor."

Columbia Public Schools was honored on Wednesday as coaches, past and present, were announced for induction.

This includes Rock Bridge head girls basketball coach Jill Nagel, who is in her 18th year coaching the Bruins; legendary former Hickman baseball coach Kent Fewell; former City of Columbia Parks & Recreation Director Mike Griggs; and the Hickman High School girls swimming and diving teams from 1979-1999.

More sports:Harrisburg's new QB, and how Centralia's defense is improving: Week 4 high school football takeaways

The 2006 and 2007 Blair Oaks baseball teams also will be inducted for their back-to-back titles. Brian Ash was the head coach of those teams, and was present to speak on the honors the team received. Ash is currently the head coach at Southern Boone and is coming off winning the 2022 Class 4 state title.

Nagel said she received her call from Missouri Sports Hall of Fame President Byron Shive and thought it was an update on the Bruins' opponents at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Classic in February 2023.

Instead, it was Shive telling Nagel she was a part of the Class of 2022.

"I still want to know," Nagel said of the Hall of Fame Classic. "I never scored a single point in all of those games. This honor really goes to our program."

The inductees also included four past and present members of the MU athletic department.

Smith, former Tigers football and basketball player Justin Gage, former longtime sports information director Chad Moller and wheelchair basketball coach Ron Lykins were announced as inductees.

Gage is the only inductee in the Class of 2022 who was an athlete. The others were longtime coaches, referees and contributors to sports across the state of Missouri.

Columbia College head softball coach Wendy Spratt was inducted and is entering her third decade coaching the Cougars. Spratt has an overall record of 988-441 and will likely reach 1,000 wins this coming season. Spratt is second all-time in softball wins at the NAIA level.

More in sports:What made Battle RB Rickie Dunn's night against Hickman special: 'I just invite contact'

Missouri Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2022

• Justin Gage – Jefferson City High School football star and University of Missouri football and basketball player

• Jeff Sherman – Former Central Methodist University men’s basketball coach

• Brian Smith – University of Missouri wrestling coach

• Jill Nagel – Rock Bridge High School girls basketball coach

• Kerwin Urhahn – Retired executive director of MSHSAA

• Dale Labuary and the late Geary Labuary – Former Monroe City and California football coaches

• Hermann High School volleyball program

• Chad Moller – Former Missouri associate director of athletics-strategic communications

• Mike Griggs – Former director of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department

• Hickman High School Girls swimming & diving era of 1979-1999

• Wendy Spratt – Columbia College softball coach

• Boonville High School’s 1974 state championship football team

• Kent Fewell – Retired Hickman High School baseball coach

• Ron Lykins – University of Missouri wheelchair basketball coach

• Blair Oaks High School’s 2006 & 2007 state championship baseball teams

• Michelle Boyd – Truman State University head athletic trainer

• Mexico High School boys track & field era of 1974-1979

• David Sturm – Longtime high school umpire and referee from Salisbury

• Westran High School softball era of 1984-1999

• Tipton High School boys golf era of 2003-2008

• Columbia Orthopaedic Group – John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri Sports Hall of Fame to induct Boone County, Mizzou legends