What else is coming up in today’s Bulletin?

🎙️ Will Prewitt on the GAC’s success and his message to athletes
📈 Celebrating the newest champions
🏆 Handing out awards for Team & Athletes of the Week

Let’s dive right in!

🎙️ The Inside Scoop. ICYMI: The Great American Conference was started in 2010, currently holding 12 universities across Arkansas and Oklahoma. Commissioner Will Prewitt took the time to talk with Alyssa Orange on the growth of the conference over the years, how the transfer portal and NIL has affected them at the DII level, and his advice to high school athletes who want to play collegiate sports.

🏆 Back on Top. Baseball season is officially finished in Arkansas, and new teams finished on top! Har-Ber baseball claimed the 6A title with a 6-2 win over Bryant, while Valley View took the 5A championship with a dominant 17-6 win over Benton. Pulaski Academy sits at the top of the 4A, taking down Brookland with a 6-3 victory.

🥎 New & Old Faces. Bentonville softball shut out Har-Ber, picking up another state title with a 4-0 win. Farmington closed out their season with some hardware, taking down Benton 3-2. Monticello earned their first state title with a 7-4 victory over Warren.

⚽️ Goal Secured. Bentonville boys soccer took down Har-Ber, 5-1, to secure a state title, and Siloam Springs earned their first championship since 2017 with a tight 2-1 victory over El Dorado. On the girls side, Mount St. Mary secured the 6A title, shutting out Bentonville West in a 4-1 game. Searcy soccer used a goal with less than a minute left to win the 5A championship, triumphing over Russellville with a 2-1 win.

🥎 The dynasty continues for Taylor, who earned their ninth-straight state championship after defeating Scranton with a 12-1 win. The Lady Tigers extended their postseason winning streak to 60 games and added a state-record 12th softball title behind another dominant performance. Senior and game MVP Anistyn Nolte set the tone at the top of the lineup with three runs scored and a triple, while also limiting Scranton to just one hit in the circle.

⚾️ Senior Brooks Baxendale put on a show in the 6A state championship game, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and being named Most Valuable Player as Har-Ber rallied past Bryant 6-2. Baxendale helped spark Har-Ber's comeback effort after an early deficit, scoring twice and driving in a run. His steady offensive play helped fuel another postseason comeback for the Wildcats, who claimed their third state title in the past four seasons.

🥎 Darby Burnett closed her high school career in unforgettable fashion, helping lead Bentonville to their third-straight 6A state championship by combining with teammate Daylyn Osborne for a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Har-Ber. The senior and Texas A&M committ earned her second consecutive state tournament MVP award, striking out seven batters across four innings.

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