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SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State will induct seven former athletes, an iconic sportswriter and a national championship team as part of its 2025-26 Athletics Hall of Fame induction class. This year’s Hall of Fame ceremonies will take place on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.
Lyndal Scranton, a local journalist and long-time Bears beat writer, is the recipient of this year’s Don Payton Award. He worked for the Springfield News-Leader from 1979 to 2015, enjoying a 36-year run covering a wide range of local and regional sports stories. He became Missouri State’s primary beat writer in 1989 and served in that capacity until his retirement. He has since become the public relations director for Lucas Oil Speedway and a contributing sports reporter for the Springfield Daily Citizen.
This year’s team inductee is the 1963 men’s golf team under legendary head coach Andy McDonald. The Bears won the first-ever NCAA College Division (now Division II) national championship with team members Bill Lucas, Larry Gooch, John Henage, Dick Baxter, Jim Wheeler and Bruce Hollowell guiding MSU to victory. The Bears hosted the national meet at Grandview Golf Course in Springfield, and the MIAA champions made history, posting a score of 1,188 to beat out Aquinas College of Michigan by 11 strokes…