JEFF TUPPER -
Tupper received numerous awards during his playing career at Parkwood. He was selected twice to the Ozark Conference and Missouri All-State teams. He earned the Most Valuable Player award at the 1981 Missouri Lions East – West All Star Game. Also during that year he was acknowledged as the Top Defensive Lineman in Missouri for college recruits.
At the University of Oklahoma, Tupper was a three year letterman and a two year starter in football. During his stint, OU won the Big Eight Conference Championship in 1984 and 1985, and the team was crowned the National Champion in 1985. He was chosen Big Eight Player of the Week in 1985 when the Sooners played the Colorado Buffalos in Boulder, Colorado. His most memorable game was winning and playing in the National Championship game vs. Penn State at the 1986 Orange Bowl.
After a successful college career Tupper was selected as a 5th Round Draft Choice in 1986 (116th overall) to the St. Louis Cardinals. He later played with the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
ROBERT CORN -
After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from Southern he began his storied coaching career at Mountain Grove High School in Missouri. He spent one season there before joining the staff at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Corn was an assistant to legendary head coach Gene Bartow.
During his tenure at UAB, Corn spent eight summers in Puerto Rico as the head coach in the Superior Basketball League. He won two league titles in the 16-team league.
In 1989, Corn returned to his alma mater and became the Lions’ head basketball coach. By his third year he had turned the program around as his next two teams posted back-to-back 20-win seasons, for only the second time in school history.
Corn had a special group of student athletes for the 1999-2000 season. He led his team to their first MIAA regular season championship and coached Southern to its first NCAA Division II South Central Regional championship, while capping the season with its inaugural trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. This extraordinary team finished the season with a 30 and 3 record and just two points short of reaching the final championship game. For his outstanding coaching performance Corn was named Division II Bulletin National Coach of the Year, as well as the MIAA and NABC-Oldsmobile South Central Region Coach of the Year.
TREVA CHRISTENSEN -
Christensen was a Joplin High School standout in basketball and volleyball. She was the Lady Eagles leading scorer her last two seasons, leading Coach Sandy Shelley’s team to the district runner-up spot in 1993. In her prep career she scored 1,257 points and grabbed 610 rebounds.
During the sophomore and junior years, Christensen was a two-year volleyball letter winner, helping lead Joplin High School to the district Championships.
The Hogs appeared in the 1998 Women’s NCAA Final Four. From her outstanding play Christensen was selected to the NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team.
Christensen was voted as the team captain for her final season as a fifth-year senior. The 1999 basketball team made school history as the Lady Hogs were crowned the WNIT National Champions.
After graduation Christensen played professional basketball in Salo, Finland with the Salpa Basketball team in 2002. She was the first American to play on the team. One year later she played professionally in Funcahl, Maderia with the Clube Amigos do Basquete. Christensen played two years with the Amigos.