The past 12 months resulted in several broken records and the occasional dose of heartbreak. Positive streaks continued while less admirable ones were snapped. Familiar faces moved on while new leaders emerged. Here is a look back at some of the most memorable local sports stories from 2011. SHERRY LEADS WARRIORS AT STATE The Warrenton wrestling team had one individual medalist at the MSHSAA Championships. Ryan Sherry, a sophomore at the time, battled his way to a fourth-place finish in the 103-pound bracket during his first appearance at state. He was able to fulfill a dream that his brother Devin had been unable to accomplish during his two trips to state. Sherry entered as a second seed, winning his opening round match by fall over Joshua Jones of Webster Groves. He lost his next match, getting pinned in the secnod period by eventual state champion Noah Teaney of Oak Park. Sherry bounced back through the wrestleback rounds, defeating a pair of opponents he had previously beaten during the regular season. A win over Washington's Jack Hanify guaranteed Sherry the right to compete on Saturday for a medal. He conquered his final wrestleback opponent early on the final day of competition, placing himself in the third-place match. Pacific's Tanner Danielson managed to get the upper hand long enough to pin Sherry early in the second period. J.J. Filipek won a pair of matches in the 152-pound weight class. He dropped his opening round match, before claiming two consecutive wrestleback bouts. Sean Daven and Reece Berry also competed at the state meet. Berry won his opening match in the heavyweight division, before losing the next two matches. Daven was defeated in his first two matches, facing early elimination. BRADSHAW BRINGS HOME PAIR OF MEDALS Wright City jumper Deon Bradshaw returned home from the 2011 MSHSAA Championships with a pair of state medals. After falling short in each of his jumping events the previous year, Bradshaw elevated his performance and landed among the top eight finishers on both days. Bradshaw took third place in the triple jumping, recording a distance of 45 feet, 3 inches. He finished seventh in the long jump with a best leap of 21 feet, 2 inches. Warrenton managed to keep its streak of distance relay success alive, returning home with a medal for the fourth straight year. The Warriors' 3200-meter relay team, consisting of Emily Mauch, Lindsay Mauch, Hannah Keene and Melora Broker, finished seventh in the Class 3 race with a time of 9:58. The Warrenton boys claimed one medal at state. Reece Berry finished eighth during the shot put finals, throwing a best distance of 47 feet, 7 inches. He failed to advance to the finals in the discus, recording a throw of 127 feet, 7 inches. Among other Warrenton athletes at state was Bryan Groeper, who competed in the 800-meter race and was a part of the 3,200-meter relay team, running a personal-best. The boys relay, also consisting of Justin Greene, Cloud Wharton and Adam Smith, finished ninth with a time of 8:12. Greene also competed in the high jump. PLAYOFF HEARTBREAK AT SECTIONALS The MSHSAA golf tournament introduced a new format, adding a sectional round to the playoffs in 2011. A pair of Warrenton golfers found themselves on the fringe of qualifying for state, before a ruling ultimately declared them ineligible. Mikal Harpster, a senior at the time, and current sophomore Ethan Luecke both carded an 85 during the sectional meet held at the Aberdeen Golf Club in Eureka. Initially, they were among the final individuals to advance, tying with the highest qualifying score. Warrenton coach Rich Barton returned home with the belief that he would be taking a pair of golfers to state. But a phone call from MSHSAA to Warrenton activities director Craig Frazier revealed heartbreaking news. An oversight by the sectional judge had given the assumption that Harpster and Luecke had qualified. Upon further review by MSHSAA officials, it was discovered that the pair did not actually qualify based upon revised results. Two schools are eligible to qualify as a team. However, the sectional judge had misidentified those schools during the initial ruling. MAUCH ECLIPSES SCHOOL RECORD Warrenton senior Lindsay Mauch entered the 2011 softball season with aspirations of improving her statistics. She accomplished more than that over the next two months, helping the Warriors to a 17-8 finish. Mauch crushed her numbers from the previous season, batting a team-best .570 to earn first-team all-state honors. She also broke the school's single-season record with 53 hits from the lead-off spot in the lineup. Mauch crushed nine doubles, two triples and four home runs. Coach Trevor Hibbs also used Mauch's speed between the bases, as she recorded 12 stolen bases. She was also responsible for a team-best 25 RBIs and crossed home plate 36 times. Mauch finished her career with 109 hits. As a junior, she batted .238 with 15 hits and 12 RBIs. During her sophomore year she collected 26 hits and four RBIs while batting .361. Mauch batted .221 as a freshman, recording 15 hits and five RBIs. Mauch began her freshman year as a starting pitcher but finished as an outfielder. WARRENTON SOFTBALL RAISES THE BAR The Warrenton softball team set a new standard in 2011. The Warriors finished 17-8, winning more games than any other team in the program in over a decade. First-year coach Trevor Hibbs guided Warrenton back to the district championship for a second straight season, but the playoffs evaded the Warriors. Warrenton finished third in the GAC North, going 5-2 in conference play. The Warriors strung together a pair of four-game winning streaks. The Warriors relied heavily on a pair of all-state selections in seniors Lindsay Mauch and Abby Job. Mauch led an accurate lineup of hitters, batting .570 and collecting a school-record 53 hits in the lead-off spot. Job was considerably strong as a catcher, batting .392 with a team-best 30 RBI. Sophomore Jennah Garrison was the Warriors' starting pitcher last fall, carrying a 2.28 ERA through 135.3 innings. She made 21 starts, striking out 72 batters and walking 34. She finished with a 15-6 record. Garrison was also solid at the plate, batting .450, while junior Melanie Raterman batted .438. The Warriors will lose three seniors from this year's team, with Jamie Peper, Mauch and Job moving on. KOWALIK OVERCOMES INJURY TO EARN MEDAL After missing the majority of the regular season with an injured hamstring, Wright City senior Zach Kowalik was able to return in time to earn his third straight state medal. Kowalik tied his performance from 2010, finishing ninth among Class 2 competitors with a time of 17:42. The Wildcats' most accomplished runner had come into the season with lofty expectations. After experiencing pain early in the season, he took a few weeks off to nurse the injury. But during Kowalik's return race at the Warrenton Invitational the injury flared up again. He sat out the remainder of the regular season, regaining his strength for the district meet. Kowalik finished sixth at districts, doing just enough to secure his trip back to state. By the time the MSHSAA Championships rolled around on Nov. 5, he was feeling significantly stronger. Kowalik ran a 17:02 as a junior. His highest finish was as a sophomore, when placed sixth with a time of 17:43. He finished 66th as a freshman with an 18:45. COACHING CAROUSEL CONTINUES TO TURN Change was abundant on the coaching landscape, as six leadership positions changed hands in 2011. One longtime familiar figure stepped down while another reassummed responsibility as a head coach. Wright City football coach James Weir announced his resignation in November, after being suspended in early October while an investigation was in process. Weir was just the second coach in the history of the Wright City program, leading the Wildcats for eight seasons. He coached his final game on Sept. 30 against Montgomery County. Assistant coach Matt Brooks took over as interim leader, guiding the Wildcats through the remaining four games of a 1-9 season. Warrenton also saw a shift in its football leadership - twice. Coach Ken Moore resigned in April after accepting a similar position at Holt. About a month later, former De Smet assistant John Atwell was chosen from a panel of 25 candidates to be the Warriors' new head coach. Atwell resigned in November, following a 1-9 season in which the Warriors failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four years. It was announced in mid-December that defensive coordinator Steve McDowell will be taking over for a second stint as head coach. McDowell has been with the district for 20 years, including five as head coach from 2001-2005. He has been involved with the program in several other capacities. Both varsity basketball positions in the area also saw a changing of the guard. Warrenton bid farewell to Shannon Jeffrey, who left for a similar position at Southern Boone after one season. Trevor Hibbs, who previously coached at St. Clair and Bowling Green, was chosen to lead the Warriors' varsity softball and basketball programs. Wright City replaced its varsity basketball coach over the summer, after Rod Hamlett announced he was accepting an administration position after one year at the helm. Assistant coach Ken Brown was chosen to lead the Wildcats into the 2011-12 season. In addition, Wright City baseball coach James Adams resigned his post following the 2011 season. Assistant Dave Chapman was hired as his replacement.