Competitions Archives - Reynolds College Blog

Music student Lyndon Wilson places first at Missouri Percussive Arts Society competition

June 4, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Lyndon Wilson, a senior music major in the Department of Music, placed first and second in two separate categories at the Missouri Percussive Arts Society (MOPAS) Day of Percussion competition April 25 at Battle High School in Columbia, Missouri.

Wilson placed first in the collegiate snare drum competition and second in the collegiate marimba competition.

“I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that he had won second place in the marimba division,” said Dr. Yun Ju Pan, assistant professor of percussion in the music department and Wilson’s instructor. “Then, to my complete surprise, I heard his name announced for first place in the snare drum division. I couldn’t help myself—I jumped up and cheered for him! Seeing his hard work recognized in that moment was incredibly rewarding as his teacher.”

For his snare drum competition, Wilson selected Thomas Kotcheff’s Obbligato Snare Drum Music No. 1, “The Power of Love.” He performed Peter Klatzow’s “Dances of Earth and Fire” for the marimba competition.

Arktos Saxophone Quartet reaches final round of NASA Collegiate Quartet Competition

April 12, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Arktos Quartet advanced to the final round of competition at the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) conference March 12-15 in Columbus, Ohio.

Arktos members are seniors Conlan Boatman and Lorelei Brem, sophomore Ryan Hunt and junior Preston Thorpe. All four students are Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Music Education majors in the Department of Music.

By reaching the final rounds, the Arktos Quartet is now among the top student saxophone quartets in North America, said Assistant Professor of Music Matthew Tracy.

“Witnessing their musical and professional maturity has been a highlight of my year,” he said. “They are as exceptional in character as they are in talent.”

Arktos is the Greek word for bear, Tracy explained. The Ursa Major or “Great Bear” constellation is in the northern sky. The word arctic comes from Arktos.

The quartet will celebrate their accomplishments with a recital at 7:30 p.m. April 17 in Hamra Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Mark your calendar

Mock Trial team advances to national competition rounds

March 12, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

One of Missouri State University’s Mock Trial teams has advanced to the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) annual national tournament.

Twenty-three teams from 15 different universities competed in the AMTA regional tournament Feb. 21-22. The University of Oklahoma’s College of Law in Norman, Oklahoma, hosted this year’s regionals.

Only six teams could advance to first round national competition, said Dr. Jordan Riddell, Mock Trial coach and faculty advisor. Riddell is also an assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

This year, team 1083 from Missouri State was among those six.

Missouri State sent two Mock Trial teams to the regionals. “Both teams faced stiff competition, with each facing three teams from nationally ranked mock trial programs,” Riddell said.

Next stop: Memphis

The ORCS will be held March 20-22 in Memphis, Tennessee. Rhodes College hosts this year’s event at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center.

Missouri State’s team will need to finish in the top six to advance beyond the ORCS, Riddell said.

“Team 1083 will face strong competitors from nationally ranked programs,” Riddell said. “They may end up going head-to-head against teams from top-ten ranked programs like University of Texas, University of Georgia and Rhodes College.”

This season, Mock Trial students have competed in seven tournaments, Riddell said. Six of those tournaments were invitationals, including the annual Bear Brawl tournament, which Missouri State hosts. They also competed in tournaments at the University of Arkansas, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Kansas, University of Missouri-Columbia and the George Allen Courthouse, hosted by Texas A&M University, in Dallas, Texas.

Missouri State Debate Team logs solid wins at Oklahoma and Wake Forest

December 9, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Evan Siever and Nico Neal, two Missouri State University Debate Bears, reached the quarterfinals at the University of Oklahoma Debate Tournament in Norman, Oklahoma, Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

The pair entered the tournament as the top seed with a 6-0 record.

“Oklahoma is the largest tournament on our regional schedule this fall, and this is our best showing so far,” said Dr. Eric Morris, director of forensics in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film.

Six other Debate Bears also competed in the Oklahoma tournament. They were Avery Bates, Levi DeAngelis, James Granger, Quentin Cooper, Shelby Hahn and Asher Neal. Undergraduate observers Gabe Diaz and Connor Burns also attended and helped the teams prepare for the competition. Morris, graduate assistant Aaraf Azad, Matthew Wilkinson and Peyton Reeves also accompanied the students.

Four Missouri State voice students win at CRNATS

December 8, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Four Missouri State University vocal performance students placed in the final rounds of the Central Regional National Association of Teachers of Singing (CRNATS) student auditions Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

Veronika Yerina, a junior vocal performance and biology double major, placed first in the upper division treble category. She sang Mozart’s “Dove sono i bei momenti.”

Senior vocal performance major Kyleigh Hendrix placed second in the upper division treble category, while sophomore vocal performance major Mara Bannister placed third in lower division treble. Payton Ballinger, who is pursuing a master’s in vocal performance, placed third in advanced division.

All four now advance to the national semifinals, which will be held in the spring of 2026.

Other students participating in the CRNATS competition were Abigail Teberian, Allison Britt, Aryan Neece-McHaffie, Ella Greninger, Noah Maddox, Jacob Leath, Parker Ohman, Kaitlyn Wilson and Wade Bogart. Eight of these students advanced to the semifinal rounds.

Several members of Missouri State’s music faculty traveled with the students. They were Dr. Carol Chapman, voice area coordinator; Dr. Perry Mears, assistant professor of collaborative piano and accompanist; Dr. Chris Thompson, professor of vocal music; Dr. Ann Marie Daehn, professor of vocal music and Opera Workshop; Visiting Artist Kara McBain; and Dr. Paula Patterson, head of the Department of Music.

“We are all very proud of the students that participated in the auditions,” Chapman said.