MSHSAA All Access Podcast

Latest Episodes:

2026 Speech & Debate Championships Review May 15, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad is joined by Alex Huck and Andrew Kauffman on the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast to recap the 2026 Speech & Debate Championships held April 24–25 at Missouri State University in Springfield. They review Class 1 results (Pembroke Hill wins debate with 24 points; Bolivar wins speech with 52 points; Bolivar edges Pembroke Hill 68–67 in combined sweeps) and Class 2 results (Jefferson City dominates speech with 72 points; Rock Bridge wins debate 26–24 over Lee’s Summit North; Jefferson City is the overall combined sweeps leader). They explain why combined sweepstakes points are calculated for championship-factor classification even though the community does not publicly award an overall sweeps champion, and highlight notable individual achievements, program milestones, Coach of the Year Jordan Hart, and Dr. Eric Morris receiving the Mal Mayse Distinguished Service Award.

2026 Theatre Championships Review May 14, 2026

Show notes

This episode of the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast recaps the spring Theatre Championships with Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Alex Huck and Andrew Kauffman, covering both the One-Act Play and Reader’s Theatre competitions in Missouri’s single theatre class. Platte County won the One-Act team championship, followed by Excelsior Springs, Raymore-Peculiar, and Republic, with Excelsior Springs highlighted for adjusting to an emergency schedule change and still earning second. In Reader’s Theater, Willard took the team title over Raymore-Peculiar, Kirksville, and Carthage; Andrew notes Willard’s historic success, including its 15th overall theatre championship and recent dominance, despite missing the One-Act finals via a semifinal tiebreaker. The hosts also thank Ozark, Republic, and Strafford for hosting and preview a future speech and debate recap.

2026 Track & Field Championship Preview May 14, 2026

Show notes

MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director Stephanie Turner preview the 2026 Missouri High School Track & Field championships, describing it as the largest spring event. They outline dates and location: Classes 1–3 on May 22–23 and Classes 4–5 on May 29–30 at Addkins Stadium in Jefferson City, with Memorial Day between the two weekends. The episode explains the postseason path from districts (40 total across five classes) to sectionals and state, with top-four advancement at each level, plus how prelims/finals work and why scheduling track and field events is complex. They detail staffing (300+ workers/officials), emphasize parking, walking, and buying digital tickets early due to heavy crowds and poor cell service, note streaming on MSHSAA TV, and share coach/spectator guidance, centennial/100th-championship bibs and medals, limited spectator access, and bib numbering by class.

2026 Boys Golf Championships May 10, 2026

Show notes

As the excitement from our recent spring activity championships and festivals starts to settle, it’s time to gear up for another thrilling season—the 2026 MSHSAA Boys Golf Championships. This year’s tournament is set to unfold at five venues across the state. Find out how teams and individuals qualify for this prestigious event along with what makes the 2-day tournament in Missouri special! Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director of MSHSAA, joins forces with Doug Fessler, Assistant Executive Director for the sport of golf, to deliver an engaging preview of what’s to come.

2026 Boys Tennis Championships Preview May 05, 2026

Show notes

Excitement is in the air! Boys' tennis is leading the charge for our spring sports championships with amazing individual and team events lined up. Mark your calendar for May 14th-16th & 21st-22nd. Be there to cheer on the future stars of tennis!

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and James Melton preview this spectacular two-part event explaining the history of the event as this year marks the 97th Championship along with important details involving the role of the official throughout the event.

2026 Scholar Bowl Championships Preview Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

This episode previews the spring season’s final activity championship, the 2026 Scholar Bowl Championships! Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Daryl Bradley, Assistant Executive Director overseeing the event, will go over all the details! Held at the Memorial Union on the University of Missouri campus, with small classes (1–3) competing Friday, May 8, and larger classes (4–6) on Saturday, May 9, We'll explain the postseason structure beginning with 48 districts and six classes, followed by a semifinal bracket to crown district champions. Quarterfinals will determine the qualifying four teams per classification for state. At the final site, the four teams for each class play pool rounds starting at noon, with the top two advancing to the title game and the others playing for third, in a buzzer-based trivia competition across multiple academic categories.

2026 Annual Ballot Apr 25, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director, reviews and explains all 11 proposals on the 2026 Missouri State High School Activities Association Annual Ballot. The proposals include standardizing coach/director requirements and creating an approval pathway for non-certificated coaches; multiple transfer-rule exceptions for children of active-duty military, students of non-resident school employees, and refugee/asylum students; expanding the non-school competition exception to all sports; allowing cooperative sponsorship schools to train together out of season; adding a preseason team tennis jamboree; permitting an extra speech/debate contest after April 1 and removing Friday start-time restrictions; modernizing scholar bowl limits to competition dates; and increasing dance competition limits from five to seven contests.

2026 MSHSAA Solo & Small Ensemble State Music Festival Preview Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

2026 State Music Festival Preview | Dates, Locations & Details

This episode previews MSHSAA’s 2026 State Music Festival, an evaluative “festival” rather than a competitive championship, featuring state solo and ensemble events. Associate Executive Director, James Melton, shares that the festival will be held at the University of Missouri in Columbia over three days—April 30, May 1, and May 2—with school groups rotating B, then C, then A, using multiple buildings including Memorial Union. They explain classifications, district qualification via exemplary ratings (about 45% advancing), and expected participation of roughly 4,500–5,000 events representing about 7,000 students across 31–32 rooms in seven-minute recital-style performances. They cover performance rules, out-of-state adjudicators, volunteer needs, lodging/parking planning, and a centennial-year featured National Anthem moment on Lowry Mall around 12:15 with an honor guard and musicians.

2026 Speech & Debate Championships Preview Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, interviews Alex Huck, Assistant Executive Director overseeing Speech and Debate, to preview the 2026 Speech and Debate Championships. The tournament will be held April 24–25 in Springfield at Missouri State University, headquartered in Plaster Student Union and spread across campus. They explain how the championship scoring for speech and debate events work, with placements first through fourth for the two classifications. The championship schedule is also detailed leading up to Saturday's awards ceremony. Listen in as we highlight this spectacular event!

2026 Theatre Championships Preview Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

On the MSHSAA All-Access Podcast, Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Assistant Executive Director Alex Huck discuss the 2026 Theater Championships as part of the spring activity championship season. The championships will be held April 22–23 in the greater Springfield, Missouri area, with prelims for Readers Theater and One Act on Wednesday at Republic High School and Ozark High School, and finals on Thursday at Stratford High School. We'll explain theatre's 2 events — Readers Theater and One Act — along with how the association is looking at the growth of this activity in the hopes to possibly increase to two classes once more schools build programs for competition.

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