Longhorn awards handed out at gala

By Tim Emmons
temmons@casscountynow.com

McLeod’s athletes, coaches and faithful followers of the athletic program gathered on Tuesday, May 17, to honor the hard working young men and women who helped put the Longhorns on the map.
Highlights of the evening included J.R. Smith and Tessa Glenn winning the coveted Longhorn and Lady Longhorn awards for their hard work, encouraging their teammates and for being all-around great student athletes in different sports.
Smith also won the MVP award for baseball, Co-Most Valuable Player awards for the track and basketball teams and received a certificate for making the TABC All-Region team of which only 20 players out of 700 receive.
Smith was the district, area and regional discus champion and finished sixth overall at state.
He also helped the baseball team get into the playoffs and assisted the basketball team into the second round of the playoffs.
Glenn was named Newcomer of the Year after a very successful basketball season for the Lady Longhorns, Offensive MVP for the basketball team and Most Improved for the softball squad.
For cross country Head Coach David Adams chose his two state qualifiers, Bradley Lambeth and Makayla Fielder, for the MVP awards and boys’ state qualifiers Zach Prince, Zach Mauldin, Ryan Anderson, Manny Wright, Dillon Browning and Seth Willis received a certificate for qualifying for state as well.
This was Lambeth’s third consecutive year to make state and Fielder’s second.
The Most Improved awards went to Ryan Anderson and Bailey Fielder.
Lambeth also picked up Co-MVP awards for track and basketball, and Fielder was named track MVP.
Coach Sean Glenn gave high praises to the junior varsity basketball team after they were crowned undefeated district champs (10-0). Of the four losses they endured in a (14-4) season all of those were to varsity teams and one of their wins came against a varsity team.
The squad averaged 33 points per game and held opponents to 15 points per game Alyssa Ragland won the Most Dedicated award for the JV team.
Kyndal Shepard had a fantastic senior basketball season for the Lady Longhorns and was rewarded with the MVP award and also received the MVP award for the ladies in tennis, for the second year in a row.
Selena Moon took home the Defensive MVP award after a stellar basketball season. Blake Williams and Dagan Keener were named Co-MVPs for the junior varsity basketball team.
The young squad went 8-2 and won the district championship.
The varsity boys’ basketball team finished 23-12 which is the second-best finish in school history.
Colby Smith won a MVP award and Josh Gilmore the Defensive MVP for the basketball team along with teammates J.R. Smith and Lambeth. Gilmore was also awarded Most Dedicated for the baseball team while teammate Mac Calhoun took home the Most Improved award.
For the tennis team Brady Collins was named MVP for the boys and teammates Stevey-Jo Hamilton and Jilian Ellis won Co-Most Improved awards.
Lexy Morgan received a certificate for being named a First Base Second Team All-District player. Morgan played first base all four years of her high school career on the varsity team.
Shelby Davis and Emma Parker wrapped up Co-MVP awards for the softball team, and Anna Parker was named Most Dedicated.
Others receiving awards were Mauldin for Most Improved in track, Anderson for Most Improved cross country Haley Burden and Faith Crocker for Co-Most Improved in track, Nancy Garsee for being a regional qualifier in cross country and Manager of the Year, Trevor Griffin for making the Second Team for basketball All-District and Harrison Boyter was recognized for helping the baseball team to the playoffs.