MSHSAA All Access Podcast

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Doug Fessler, and Scott Lunte come together once again to recap the second weekend of the 2026 MSHSAA Show Me Showdown (Classes 4–6), noting the first-time split of girls (Wed–Thu) and boys (Fri–Sat) at Mizzou Arena. Join us as they review all the results from each class of girls and boys competition all the way from semifinal action to record making plays. Who earned their t...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Doug Fessler, and Scott Lunte sit down to recap the first weekend of the 2026 MSHSAA Basketball Championships held at Mizzou Arena (March 11–14), featuring a new format that grouped girls (Classes 1–3) on Wednesday–Thursday and boys (Classes 1–3) on Friday–Saturday. In this wrap-up we'll highlight all the results from both the Girls & Boys games including details on playe...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Daryl Bradley, Assistant Executive Director and executive in charge of Wrestling, along with Scott Lunte, Communications Assistant to recap the 2026 Boys and Girls Wrestling Championships. In this episode we get to share exciting news coming up for the 2026-27 school year as this was the final year to have both genders competing simultaneously at Mizzou Arena. Lis...

MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Assistant Executive Director Stephanie Turner, and Communications Assistant Scott Lunte recap the 2026 MSHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving Championships held in February at the St. Peters RECplex. Listen as they review Class 1 and 2 team standings plus individual champions with no event records broken all weekend. We'll also spend some time listening...

On this episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director Doug Fessler, preview the 2026 MSHSAA Basketball Show-Me Showdown Championships! Join us as we highlight the two-week high school championships held at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Classes 1-3 play March 11-14 and classes 4-6 will play March 18-21. A new schedule feature separate...

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, explains the 2026 Annual Questionnaire process, open in the last few weeks of February for member schools, with results reviewed by the Board of Directors in March for potential by-law and constitutional changes voted on via the April ballot. In this episode Dr. Rukstad highlights the varying questio...

The 2026 Missouri State High School Activities Association Wrestling Championships are here!! Boys & Girls, multiple classes, and endless action will all happen at Mizzou Arena in Columbia! It's a four-day marathon of matches featuring 2, 436 bouts from the best young wrestlers in Missouri! Beginning Feb. 25th - 28th, this will be the last wrestling championship for boys and girls hosted under...

Join Dr. Jennifer Rukstd, Executive Director of MSHSAA, and Stephanie Turner, Assistant Executive Director, as they preview the 2026 Girls Swimming and Diving Championships in this episode of the MSHSAA All Access Podcast. Learn about the schedule, location, and unique qualifying process for the event, as well as special insights and tips for athletes, coaches, and spectators.

In this episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Communications Director Andrew Kauffman, along with Associate Executive Director James Melton and Assistant Executive Director Alex Huck, invite two special guests to celebrate their selections as “Directors of the Year.” Daniel Henderson, Orchestra Director for Clayton High School, and Jordan Heart, Speech and Debate Director for Jefferson City, s...

Join Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and CFO/COO Craig Long in this episode as we explore another misconception in our MSHSAA Myths series. Listen as they dive into the intricate process behind selecting championship venues. Discover the evolution from early member school hosts to utilizing collegiate facilities. Learn how vital the role of community Convention and Visitors Bureau's and Sports Commissions pl...

Celebrating 100 Years: Missouri State High School Activities Association's Centennial Join Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, and retired Senior Associate Executive Director Stacy Schroeder as they highlight the centennial year of MSHSAA. In this special episode, they delve into the Association's history, focusing on key dates leading...

In this episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director, and Craig Long, CFO/COO, shed light on the financial workings of the Missouri State High School Activities Association. We'll address common myths about MSHSAA's funding and clarify the belief that the organization receives any state funding. The discussion will cover major revenue sources as we also explor...

Join Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, MSHSAA Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, as she discusses the key topics for the 2026 MSHSAA Area Meetings. In this episode, we dive into MSHSAA's governance process, rule changes, updates on MSHSAA.TV streaming, district hosting procedures, Wrestling Championship changes and proposed changes to transfer rules. We'll also cover...

Exploring MSHSAA's Streaming Evolution: A Deep Dive into MSHSAA TV Join Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director at MSHSAA, along with guests Andrew Kauffman, Craig Long, and Eric Kelly, as they discuss the evolution of MSHSAA TV, the association's streaming service. This episode covers the history and significance of streaming high school activities, addressing intellectual property, competitive...

Join us in celebrating some of the amazing individuals that dedicate so much time and effort into the students of interscholastic sports in Missouri! This episode will highlight the NFHS MSHSAA nominee's for the 2024-25 Winter Coach of the Year - including Girls Wrestling, Boys Wrestling, Girls Swimming and Diving, Girls Basketball and Boys Basketball. Listen as we share all the amazing things the...

In this episode of the MSHSAA All Access Podcast, Andrew Kauffman, Director of Communications, steps in for Dr. Jennifer Rukstad to discuss Winter Officials Appreciation Week. Joined by Tony Hill, Associate Executive Director at MSHSAA, they welcome three outstanding officials from Missouri - two first-year officials and 1 veteran official. They share their experiences, challenges, and motivations...

Tragedy at Davis Creek: A Centennial Reflection on the 1927 State Championship Join Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director, and retired Senior Associate Executive Director Stacy Schroeder, as they delve into the poignant history of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) in this episode of MSHSAA All Access Podcast. They recount the tragic events of March 1927, known as th...

How has the MSHSAA Board of Directors evolved over the century? From the original five-member board in 1926 to today's diverse and representative body, learn about the pivotal changes that have shaped our association. Listen to our latest episode for the full story!

Exploring the Centennial Celebration: Behind the Scenes of MSHSAA's New Book! In this episode of the MSHSAA All Access Podcast, we discuss the upcoming centennial year of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) with retired Senior Associate Executive Director, Stacey Schroeder. Stacey takes us through the process of creating the centennial book, which features an abridged ve...

Relive each and every game in this action-packed episode of the 2025 Show-Me Bowl Review as we recap the results from all 6 classes of 11-man and 8-man Championship Games. Our latest episode dives into the thrilling matchups, set in our new venue at Missouri Western University in St. Joseph. Catch every highlight and record breaking moment as see how the new location added to the electric atmosphe...

Get the full scoop on the thrilling 2025 Boys Soccer Championships held at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, MO! Join Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Alex Huck, and Andrew Kauffman as they break down the top moments and surprising outcomes! ⚽️ Relive all the action and join the conversation as we discuss the unforgettable matches and standout teams across all four competition classes!

Make a splash with us at the St. Peter's Rec Plex as we recap the 2025 MSHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving Championships! 🏆 Discover the thrilling highlights and dominant performances from both classes in this year’s intense competition. Join us for an in-depth look at the historic feats and recap all of the incredible performances and unforgettable moments!!

Get ready for a game-changing addition to Missouri football and some exciting news for Missouri high school football fans! Join us as we chat with Kenny Seifert and Lou Mazzocco about implementing instant replay for the 2025 MSHSAA championships. We're diving into the details of how instant replay will enhance the upcoming state championships. The game you love just got smarter!

We are continuing our review of each fall championship, and next up is the 2025 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships! This year brought much better weather, giving us two days of fantastic competition. Once again, the event was held at the well-known Gans Creek Recreation Area on November 7th and 8th. Throughout each race, fans and athletes alike witnessed remarkable moments of achievement and perso...

The 51st Girls Volleyball Championships are officially in the record books! Held at the St. Joseph Civic Arena from November 5th through the 8th, this year’s tournament delivered four days of intense competition, unforgettable performances, and history-making moments. Join us as we highlight all the top storylines—from which schools qualified, to how they finished, to the records that were not onl...