Florissant-Native Featured on Mizzou Tigers' Athletic Website

Melanie Donaldson says her competitive nature will fit right in with the Missouri Tigers' women's soccer team.

Melanie Donaldson, a Florissant-native who attended Incarnate Word Academy, was featured in a video profile by the University of Missouri. To view the video profile, watch it on the Mizzou athletics website. Donaldson, who plays club ball with Lou Fusz Soccer Club, helped Incarnate Word to a 16-6-1 record in 2012.  Donaldson said her play as center midfielder affords her the opportunity to distribute the ball to her forwards and that her competitive nature will fight in nicely with the Tigers. Her future coach, Bryan Blitz, agrees. "Melanie's blue collar work ethic and competitive spirit makes a great impression," said Mizzou women's soccer coach Bryan Blitz on the the Mizzou website. "She is a very skilled and technical player who will …

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National Signing Day: Ezekiel Elliott Signs Letter Of Intent With Ohio State Buckeyes

February 6 is the first day high school seniors can confirm their college choices. The University of Missouri, Ohio State and Oklahoma State are among the NCAA schools looking to St. Louis for recruits.

College coaches are getting their money's worth out of fax machines today. This is the first day high school seniors playing Football, Baseball Field Hockey, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country, Men's Water Polo can submit a signed letter of intent to play at the college level. Ezekiel Elliott, the John Burroughs running back who gave a verbal pledge to the Ohio State Buckeyes last spring, confirmed that decision late Wednesday afternoon in an announcement that was also carried on live local television. Ladue-Frontenac Patch was there for what was an emotional decision for the entire Elliott family Patch editors have been at schools throughout the St. Louis area as athletes celebrated the next step in their careers: We'll update this …

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Gary Pinkel Returning To Mizzou in 2013; What Would You Fix?

The Tigers' coach will look to return the team to bowl-caliber form next season.

The Columbia Daily Tribune is reporting that University of Missouri Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel will return to the Tiger sidelines in 2013. After an injury-riddled season that robbed the team of a consistent offensive line and quarterback play in Mizzou's 5-7 first season in the Southeastern Conference, Athletic Director Mike Alden told the paper Pinkel would return next fall. The Tigers will not play in a postseason bowl game for the first time since 2004. Pinkel is scheduled to review the 2012 season and look ahead to next season with reporters Tuesday morning, after a flurry of uninformed speculation had rumors flying he would resign Monday. Keeping the current Tiger coaching staff has implications for several St. Louis area Senior …

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New Mizzou Uniforms: Love 'Em or Hate 'Em?

Five University of Missouri athletic teams will wear new Nike uniforms next season in an attempt to appeal to potential recruits.

The University of Missouri football Tigers held the annual "Black and Gold" scrimmage over the weekend at Faurot Field, but the reason why many in the crowd of roughly 18,000 showed up for spring practice had little to do with what was happening between the tackles Saturday.  Of greater interest was the chance to get a look at what the Tigers will WEAR from sideline to sideline starting next fall. After months of hype, the school unveiled uniforms for the football squad along with new threads for both basketball teams, soccer and volleyball. Photo/Video Gallery From The MU Athletic Department The fashion statement comes as the school makes the move from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference, and as athletic department officials told …

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Whiz Kid

Four Sophomores Earn Spots in Prestigious State Gifted Academy

Two McCluer North and two McCluer students head to the University of Missouri for three weeks this summer.

Jennifer Boston, Kenya Turner, Darby Dachroeden and Jacqueline Schultz

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Dennis Cook Loved His Tigers, Served His Community

Cook remembered for work ethic and civic responsibility.

Every fall, when the University of Missouri Tigers took Faurot Field for a football game, Florissant resident Dennis Cook was somewhere watching. “That was a big part of our lives was Missouri football,” said Jeff Cook, his son. Although two of his sons attended and graduated from the university, Dennis remained an avid fan of the Tigers and built a basement filled of Tiger memorabilia. In fact, for several years, Dennis was a season ticket holder to the games, and he and his family would drive to Columbia, MO for tailgating and to watch the game, which is something he loved. The Tigers lost a huge fan on Tuesday, Feb. 1, as Dennis Cook passed away from a heart attack. He was 74. Dennis Cook was born to Don and Joyce Cook on Oct. 24, 1936 …

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