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IWA’s Eight State Basketball Title Is MSHSAA Record, Not School’s
By Jim Wieners
Incarnate Word Academy Basketball has enjoyed the 21st Century in general and the last eight years in particular as the Red Knights become the first girls program to win a Missouri State High School Activities Association record eight titles, seven since 2006, six since 2010 and four in the last five years, as a Class Four team.
IWA surpassed Marshfield and Scott County Central, which each has won seven titles but none since 1999, the last title won by Marshfield. Scott County Central last won state in 1993
Incarnate’s eighth state Girls Basketball title since 1995 is the school’s 28th, won by three teams combined since 1976 is one of two high schools in North County that have the most won or shared titles. Berkeley High and McCluer South-Berkeley combined is the other with Berkeley winning 21 and McCluer South-Berkeley winning seven.
While the eight State Girls Basketball titles is a MSHSAA record is not an IWA record. Girls Volleyball has won 11 state titles (1976-2005); including five in a row (1982-1986) is second in state to Hermann (12). Girls Soccer has won an MSHSAA record nine titles (1989-2009), two better than St. Joseph’s Academy.
Track And Field, Boys and Girls combined, dominates Berkeley High/McCluer South-Berkeley combined with 27 while Berkeley Football (1987) has won the other. Berkeley High has won 14 Boys Titles (1982-2003) and six Girls Titles (1982-2002) while McCluer South-Berkeley has won two Boys Titles (2008, 2015) and five Girls Titles (2007-2016).
SHOW-ME SHOWDOWN II — Incarnate Word’s 16th State Semifinal appearance since 1993 was their ninth semifinal win since 1995 as the Red Knights defeated first-time semifinalist Carl Junction 47-24 March 16, two weeks ago at Mizzou Arena, University of Missouri, Columbia. IWA led 29-2 at halftime as the Red Knights limited Carl Junction, eventual fourth-place finishers, to two made free throws then IWA sealed the win by outscored Carl Junction 12-8 in the fourth quarter. Junior Nakayla Jackson-Morris led the Red Knights with 11 points, sophomore Kiki Britzmann has 10 points and six rebounds and sophomore Marisa Warren had five steals and four assists.
After finishing third in Class Three in 2016, Kansas City St. Pius X made their first state championship game appearance March 18 appearance at Mizzou Arena after a 59-34 Class Four Semifinal win March 16 over eventual third-place finisher Dexter. St. Pius X battled IWA tight in the first half as the Red Knights led at halftime 22-21 but IWA outscored St. Pius X 37-16 and won 59-37 to secure their MSHSAA record eighth title. Junior Sonya Morris led all scorers with 17 points, Britzmann added 10 while Warren had eight rebounds and three steals.
- LOUIS SALUTE — IWA was not the only St. Louis area high school to win Missouri State titles. Vashon won their second straight Class Four Boys title, their 10th overall in all classes but it would have been 13 if it were not for the MSHSAA vacating three titles for use of an ineligible player. Vashon’s win was one week after Northwest Academy of Law (formerly Northwest High) won Class Three, their first title, and marked the first time two St. Louis Public Schools in the Public High League won State Boys Basketball in the same year.
In Class Five Webster Groves won their third State Boys title in 22 years but the first state title since 2008. In Girls Basketball Kirkwood won their first state title in that sport, Boys or Girls. Kirkwood Boys were state runner up in 1950, 1962, 1972 and 1973 while Kirkwood Girls took second in 2016.
