Missouri All-Decade Team
The best performers of the past ten years in Missouri athletics were recognized in Missouri’s All-Decade Team, released today.
Each sport has a player of the decade along with at least two honorable mentions.
Fans are encouraged to vote for the overall male and female athletes of the decade at mutigers.com
Here are the honorees, along with career highlights.
Don’t agree with the selections? Post a comment saying how you would choose differently.
Baseball
Aaron Crow • School-record 13 wins in 2008 • Winner of the Clemens Award and finalist for Golden Spikes Award in 2008 • Named Big 12 Pitcher of Year and was a Second Team All-American in 2008 • Left Missouri with 23 wins and 277 strikeouts
Honorable mention: Kyle Gibson, Max Scherzer
Men’s basketball
Kareem Rush • Averaged 18.9 points in three seasons at Missouri • Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2000 • Two-time First Team All-Big 12 and two-time All-American selection • Led Tigers to three-straight NCAA Tournaments
Honorable mention: DeMarre Carroll, Keyon Dooling, Arthur Johnson
Women’s basketball
Amanda Lassiter • Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2000 • First Team All-Big 12 in 2001 • Led to Tigers to 2001 Sweet Sixteen • Ranks in the Missouri top-10 in blocks, points per game, 3-point attempts, 3-pointers made, and steals
Honorable mention: Kerensa Barr, Evan Unrau
Men’s cross country
Tim Ross • Qualified for NCAA National Championship twice • Named All-Big 12 three times • Three-time All-Midwest Region • Twice an Academic All-American
Honorable mention: Matt Noonan, Nick Smith
Women’s cross country
Amanda Bales • All-American in 2003 when she finished 23rd at national championship meet • Named All-Big 12 and All-Region three times • Two-time Academic All-American
Honorable mention: Ann Marie Brooks, Valerie Lauver
Football
Brad Smith • First player in the history of the NCAA to pass for 8,000 yards and run for 4,000 yards in career • Second player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season • Finished career at Missouri as the NCAA’s all-time rushing record holder for a quarterback with 4,289 yards
Honorable mention: Chase Coffman, Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin
Men’s golf
Peter Malnati • Academic All-Big 12 three times • Finalist for the 2009 Byron Nelson Award • Led Missouri with 18-hole stroke average of 73.00 in 2008-09 • Finished in the top-25 17 times in career
Honorable mention: Shawn Jasper, John Kelly
Women’s golf
Amelia Moses • Won Big 12 championship in 2000 • Set then-school records in 2001 in season and career stroke average
Honorable mention: Denise Knaebel, Julia Potter
Gymnastics
Sarah Shire • Named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2008 • Won 2009 Big 12 Championship title in the all-around and tied for first in the vault and balance beam • Named 2009 NCAA South Central Region Gymnast of the Year • Named First Team All-American on vault in 2009
Honorable mention: Adrianne Perry, Alisha Robinson
Soccer
Kristin Andrighetto • Three-time All-Big 12 • Member of 2008 Big 12 Tournament title team and 2009 regular season Big 12 title team • Is ranked first in Missouri history in shots and shots on goal and is second in goals
Honorable mention: Jennifer Nobis, Adriene Davis
Softball
Micaela Minner • All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region three times • Hit school-record 55 doubles in career • Finished with .357 batting average and .627 slugging percentage • Helped Missouri reach College World Series in 2009
Honorable mention: Amanda Renth, Rhea Taylor
Men’s swimming and diving
Matt Ferrarelli • Won two Big 12 individual championships and is the only male to do so for Missouri • All-American in the 400-yard individual medley in 2003 when he finished 14th at the NCAA National Championship
Honorable mention: Greg DeStephen, Evan Watters
Women’s swimming and diving
Kendra Melnychuck • All-American three times • Took eighth place in 3-meter platform diving at national championships in 2009 • Won 2008 Big 12 champion in 3-meter platform diving • Advanced to NCAA finals in each of her last three years
Honorable mention: Jill Granger, Lori Halvorson
Tennis
Urska Juric • Three-time All-Big 12 individually and in doubles • Finished with 83 individual wins and 95 doubles wins • Accumulated a .654 individual winning percentage and .760 doubles winning percentage
Honorable mention: Kristina Olshanskaya, Katka Sevcikova
Men’s track and field
Christian Cantwell • All-American seven times • Won silver medal in shot put at 2008 Olympics • Has won three IAAF World Championships in the shot put
Honorable mention: Derrick Peterson, Chris Rohr
Women’s track and field
Ann Marie Brooks • All-American five times • Won 2001 Indoor National Championship in distance medley relay • Captured four Big 12 titles
Honorable mention: Krishna Lee, Trisa Nickoley
Volleyball
Lindsey Hunter • Career assist mark of 6,907 is highest in Missouri history • First Team All-America in 2004 • First Team All-Big 12 three times
Honorable mention: Christi Myers, Jessica Vander Kooi
Wrestling
Ben Askren • National Champion in 2006 and 2007 • All-American four times • Three Big 12 titles • Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year in 2007 • Career ended on 87-match win streak • Two-time winner of Dan Hodge Trophy • Missouri career record holder in wins, falls and technical fouls
Honorable mention: Mark Ellis, Raymond Jordan, Tyron Woodley
Source of statistics: mutigers.com