COLUMBIA – The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) is proud to announce that seven Missouri coaches have been recognized as 2024-25 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Section 5 Coaches of the Year.
“We are honored to have Missouri coaches recognized beyond the state level,” MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad said. “These distinctions highlight the dedication and positive influence they bring to our school communities and student-athletes.”
Section 5 includes the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota.
The NFHS Coaches Association is guided by an advisory committee made up of a chair and eight sectional representatives. These sectional representatives review the state-level award winners within their assigned sections and choose the top nominees to advance for sectional recognition in each sport.
The advisory committee then reviews all sectional nominees, applies a point-based ranking system, and selects a national honoree in each of the sport/activity category. This year, Missouri did not have any national winners.
Missouri Section 5 Winners
Girls Golf: Julie Jones | Visitation Academy
Jones guided Visitation Academy to its sixth Girls Golf championship in 2024, cementing her legacy as one of the program’s most successful leaders. Since taking the helm in 2017, she has steered the Vivettes to three state titles in just four years and secured a team trophy finish in each of the past five seasons.
Girls Volleyball: Adeana Chrestman | Ozark
Guided by Chrestman, the Tigers made their long-awaited return to the Girls Volleyball final four for the first time since 2017, finishing as the Class 5 runner-up in 2024. It marked yet another milestone in her impressive tenure, as Chrestman has now led Ozark to six final four appearances in her 12 years as head coach.
Girls Cross Country: Sheldon Keence | St. Charles West
Keence upheld the proud cross country tradition at his alma mater, guiding the Warriors to their third straight championship in 2024. Under his leadership, four runners placed in the Top 15 of the Class 3 race, securing another dominant title run.
Boys Cross Country: Jason Watermann | Centralia
Watermann took the reins of the Centralia Boys Cross Country program in the 2015-16 academic year. Under his guidance, the Panthers steadily developed into a championship-caliber team, culminating in the program’s first-ever state title in 2024.
Boys Soccer: Tom Probst | Valley Park
Probst guided Valley Park to its first-ever Boys Soccer championship, capping a remarkable 25-3 season. The title also marked the school’s first state crown in any sport since 2003.
Boys Track & Field: Jon Petter | Webster Groves
In 2025, Webster Groves captured its first Boys Track & Field championship since 1931, a historic breakthrough that highlighted the program’s resurgence. With 17 years of coaching experience, Petter has built a culture rooted in athlete development, education and character-building.
Baseball: Troy Figg | Chillicothe
Demonstrating his ability to build championship caliber teams, Figg guided Chillicothe to a Class 4 Championship in 2025, marking the program’s first-ever title.
For more information about the NFHS Coaches Association and the full list of national winners, please visit the
NFHS website.
MSHSAA would also like to recognize Daniel Henderson of Clayton High School as our Director of the Year, along with Jordan Hart, our Coach of the Year in Speech & Debate. Both will be formally recognized later this year.