Sports

Canadian’s own Chaynee Slavin and Tayln Wright staged outstanding performances at the Oklahoma Junior High State Rodeo Association finals held in Woodward on May 15-17.

Canadian High School’s Most Valuable Players and Players of the Year in every sport were also named during the annual Athletic Awards presentation on Thursday. Each coach took the opportunity to acknowledge their team’s successes and to offer a brief summary of their seasons—some of which were shorter than others due to the coronavirus shutdown that disrupted all UIL sports this spring.

Despite a sports season that abruptly ended—halted by an opponent no one was really prepared for—Canadian High School celebrated its athletes in virtual style Thursday evening, with video-recorded presentations by the Wildcat and Lady Cat coaches.

Gracie Huntress, Canadian High School senior, signed with head coach Dewayne Mauldin to play golf for Oklahoma Panhandle State University last week. Her coach at CHS, Hayden Merket, said, “Gracie was a good player for us her sophomore and freshman year. During her junior year, she became much more committed, and it showed in the way she finished the year, placing seventh individually at regional, and only being two shots off from advancing to state. Unfortunately, her senior season was cut short, but she was off to her best start of her high school career. We will certainly miss her, and I wish her the best at OPSU.” Gracie is the daughter of proud parents Levi and Cheri Huntress of Lipscomb.

The Texas Girls Coaches Association announced its selections to the 2019-20 All-State basketball teams in six conferences this week. CHS Sophomore Mattie Boyd was one of 50 girls basketball players in Conference 3A to be named to the All-State team. Athletes are nominated by their member coaches. All selections are made by the TGCA Basketball All-State Committee at their annual meeting during the UIL girls state basketball tournament. Athletes may be any classification from grades 9-12. The committee may select up to 50 athletes per conference. “Mattie had a great season for us this year and was very deserving of this honor,” said Lady Wildcat Head Coach Aaron Marks. “As with any individual award, she certainly could not have done it without a strong supporting cast. I look forward to seeing how she develops over the next two years...the sky is the limit with her!”

Just as COVID-19 has disrupted other sporting events, several local rodeoers will qualified for state and national finals in their divisions, and are hoping those events will not be canceled.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has taken an unimaginable global toll—not only in the number of lives it has stolen, but in the way of life it has disrupted and the economic impact it has had.

Canadian High School seniors Cooper and Carsen Norris recently signed with the rodeo team in Vernon College to compete in breakaway roping. The twin sisters signed with the school’s head rodeo coach, Marty Eakin, here in Canadian and look forward to an “official” signing when the the coronavirus crisis ends. The two young women have been rodeoing since they were 8 years old, and have worked towards pursuing their rodeo career at the college level. Both compete in the Texas High School Rodeo Association Region 1, where Carson was ranked No. 1 in breakaway roping when the 2019-20 season was abruptly postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “I am really excited for the opportunities to come, and ready to get to work,” said Cooper. “I am grateful for the opportunity Coach Eakin has given me,” Carsen commented. Cooper and Carsen are the daughters of Jered and Lindsay Norris. The Vernon College women’s rodeo team was ranked eighth in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southwest Region standings at the end of February 2020, when the season was ended.

Higgins senior Cora Watson signed her letter of intent to play basketball with Clarendon College on Wednesday, April 15. In her final season as a Lady Coyote, she proved that she is more than up to the task, averaging 21.4 points, 3.7 assists, and 4.4 steals per game. Watson was selected as District 1-1A MVP for the 2019-20 school year, and named to the Texas Six-Man Coaches All-Star game. She also received 1A All-Region and second-team girls All-Star honors. Although Watson signed in front of just a small gathering, she emerged from the building to meet a chorus of car horns celebrating her success. Watson is the daughter of Jason and Carla Watson of Higgins. PHOTO PROVIDED BY FAMILY

Former Canadian Wildcat Cameron Copley was among 21 student-athletes named last week to the inaugural Lone Star Conference Athletic Performance All-Conference team. Cameron is one of the leaders of the Lubbock Christian University Chaps basketball team, despite the fact that he is only a sophomore.