Southwest

Trojans bring strength on the mound

The Southwest baseball team will rely on its pitching to produce another winning season, hoping to stay healthy and make a run more district hardware for Trojans athletics this year. Derek Mann, Southwest baseball coach, said the Trojans were hit hard by injuries at the start of last season, going 1-9 in their first 10 but finishing 13-11 overall.

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Rebuilding with mechanics

Six starters return to a Southwest softball team billing itself as in a rebuilding year and ready to battle through growing pains. Emily Snyder, Southwest softball coach, said the Lady Trojans have been working through the summer to improve, specifically in regard to mechanics.

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Mission accepted

Multi-sport athlete Brendyn Paulsen, a senior at Southwest High School, narrowed his future focus on Friday, signing to play baseball at the next level with Mission University in Springfield. Paulsen, who is in the midst of district tournament basketball this week and has his senior season of baseball just around the corner, said putting his name down was a dream come true.

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Royal sweethearts crowned

CENTER: Senior couple Brendyn Paulsen, right, and Brooklynn Slye were named Homecoming King and Queen on Jan. 30, and Paulsen took the moment to plant a kiss on his girlfriend, just like his father did to his mother when they were crowned King and Queen in 2002.

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Cole crosses 1,000-point mark

An Aurora girls basketball player with a Barry County connection has crossed the 1,000-point mark in her prep career. Junior Kylee Cole was 14 points shy of 1,000 going into a Jan. 29 Warrior Classic contest against East Newton. Cole put up 28 points in the 55-24 victory, achieving the milestone in the process. Cole averages 22 points per game. She is the granddaughter of the late John Cole and Linda Cole, of Exeter, and Howard and Jackie Burns, also of Exeter. Her great-grandmother, Gwen Hilburn, lives in Seligman, and she has numerous aunts and uncles from both Barry County towns.

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