During the tournament, the 35-piece Paris High School band, directed by the Paris vo ag teacher, gave a street concert here to celebrate the first tournament. “The Monroe City school loyalty song, “Old Monroe High,” played frequently during the tournament. Mary Elizabeth Conway Swearengen wrote the song to the tune of “Maryland.” She was the "yell leader."
Today, we celebrate the first teams of the oldest basketball tournament in the great State of Missouri.
The Monroe City Semi-Weekly News reported that the Monroe City Business Men’s Association made it possible for admission to the first tournament to be priced at $1 for all 20 games. Student admission was 75 cents for the entire tournament. Head referee was Dr. Sermon, coach of the Osteopaths of Kirksville.
MCMS Basketball Final Scores!
#MCPRIDE
Monroe City showed up strong to All-Conference Band auditions this evening! Congratulations to the following students who made the band!
Kiya Hester—4th chair flute
Gianna Quinn—7th chair clarinet
Ethan Moss—10th chair clarinet
Luke Lehenbauer—11th chair clarinet
Jacob Martin—6th chair trombone
Tanner Lorenson—1st chair tuba
Brady McNeill—8th chair percussion
#MCPRIDE
MS Basketball Game Day!
MS Girls 5:30pm @ Mark Twain
A Game, B Game: 2 Quarters
MS Boys 5:30pm vs. Mark Twain
#MCPRIDE
Who will you have autograph your tournament booklet this year? Do you recognize these 1961 cheerleaders? To Judy, “Rots of Ruck” from me, the handsome kid; “Lots of love” from Ray McDannell; “To my dear older cousin, best of luck” from James DeLashmutt; “Best Wishes” from Carol Buckman; Miss Muthi?, Tom Hagan; Judy Osbourne-“HRS”; “Forever always,” Joey; Dan Hays; David Spalding.
John A. Hays and Sister Sue Walker show the 1925 first place trophy earned by Holy Rosary girls' team at the very first Monroe City basketball tournament, then called the Four-County Tournament, in February 1925 . The tournament trophy has been lovingly cared for and on display at Holy Rosary School since 1925
Our research shows that 1937-1938 is when the district tournament switched from February to December. The Dec. 8-10, 1938, tournament book noted that there two tournaments each year when the tournament began. Six girls’ teams and seven boys’ teams were in the first tournament. Forty teams filed to enter the 1938 tournament, but only 16 teams were selected to participate. A.L. Crow was superintendent.
Middle School Basketball
Final Score!
Monroe City FBLA invites everyone to join us for the "Christmas Chaos" Murder Mystery Dinner on November 23rd or 24th at 5:30 PM. Enjoy a delicious meal and an evening of mystery while supporting our FBLA members competing at the State Leadership Conference. Tickets can be purchased from FBLA members or by contacting Mrs. Weldon at dweldon@monroe.k12.mo.us. Ticket sales end Monday! All proceeds will support our students' journey to state competitions.
Congratulations to Audri Youngblood signing her letter of intent to the University of Kansas! Audri has had an outstanding career at MCHS. We look forward to her playing career at the collegiate level!
#MCPRIDE
8th graders attended Career Fair in Hannibal and took a tour of the Vo-Tech.
MS Basketball Game Day!
MS Boys Home vs. Canton
MS Girls Away vs. Canton
#MCPRIDE
Monroe City R-1 School District Appoints Mrs. Amanda Spalding as Elementary Principal for 2025-2026
Monroe City, MO – The Monroe City R-1 School District is pleased to announce that Mrs. Amanda Spalding has been appointed as the Elementary Principal for the 2025-2026 school year. The Board of Education approved her appointment with a unanimous 7-0 vote on Monday evening.
Mrs. Spalding brings a rich background of 22 years of teaching experience across various elementary grade levels and has led the district’s Title I Reading program for the past 15 years. Her dedication to student success and commitment to educational leadership is further supported by her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership.
“We would like to thank the many individuals who served on the committees; their input was invaluable and very thorough,” said Tony DeGrave, Superintendent of Monroe City R-1 School District. “Mrs. Spalding is a very proud member of our community and school. She loves kids and will strive to excel in the role of Elementary Principal. I am excited about her promotion and working alongside her next year.”
Mrs. Spalding, who is married to Shane Spalding, is a long-time resident of Monroe City. They have two children, Emily and Michael. Her strong community ties and passion for nurturing student growth make her an ideal candidate for the principal role.
This new appointment comes as Mrs. Kim Shinn, the current Elementary Principal, prepares to retire in July after many years of dedicated service. The district wishes Mrs. Shinn a well-deserved and fulfilling retirement and extends its heartfelt gratitude for her contributions.
The Monroe City R-1 School District is excited to welcome Mrs. Spalding to her new role and looks forward to her continued commitment to excellence in education.
Sam Murray is one of the oldest living players of the Hunnewell Wildcats team. A 1950 graduate of Hunnewell High School, Murray turns 91 on Nov. 13. He and his teammates participated in some of the early Monroe City basketball tournaments. The Hunnewell players faced a bit of a challenge since they did not have an indoor gymnasium. They played their home games early in the season so they could be played outside. Later in the season, they played in the comfort of indoor gyms. Murray remembers that Lentner and a Hannibal team also played outside. Sam and his wife, Charlotte, ran Crawford's Grocery on Winter Street in Monroe City for many years.
Tournament books have changed through the years. Take a look at this front cover from 1955 and the 1985 message from Principal Norman Grossman. Can you identify the 1955 "welcome" group? This 1926 program for the second tournament belonged to Scott Conway. Note that the original tournaments were held in February.
On Thursday, MCHS will have Ground in Grace on campus.
Happenings at MCHS#mcpride
MCHS will have MADD DOG'S SIGNATURE HOT DOG'S on campus tomorrow. Here is the menu that will be offered to our students.
