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  • Coldspring board recognizes top talent

    050621 cocisd 003CASSIE GREGORY | COURTESY PHOTO Coach Thaddeus Gordon with some of the COHS track team members who qualified for Regionals, including Troy Thortenberry who qualified for the upcoming UIL Track & Field State Meet in the Pole Vault event. Shown from left: Troy Fortenberry, Edward Brown, Dante Eldridge, Jared Curry, Curtis Parker, Stephen Torres, Coach Gordon and Carter Currie.

    Special to the News-Times

    COLDSPRING — The Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD Board of Trustees recognized students and staff for outstanding achievements at its regular monthly meeting on April 26

    Band Director Trent Graves and the Coldspring-Oakhurst High School band were commended for earning a superior rating in Sightreading at the 2021 UIL Concert & Sightreading Contest.

    Additionally, Track Coach Thaddeus Gordon introduced track members who qualified for UIL Regionals, including Troy Fortenberry, who qualified for the state meet. Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Vikki Curry also gave recognition to outstanding teachers who earned Distinguished Trojan awards.

    050621 cocisd 002CASSIE GREGORY | COURTESY PHOTO The Coldspring-Oakhurst High School band was given special recognition for earning a Superior (1) rating at the 2021 UIL Concert & Sightreading Contest on Monday, April 26.

    In other business, the board:

    •discussed a staffing and salary review presentation from the Texas Association of School Boards;

    •approved a shared services agreement with Conroe ISD's Regional Day School Program for the Deaf for the 2021-22 school year;

    •approved the 2021-22 school calendar;

    •certified the 2021-22 Allotment and TEKS Certification;

    •approved the purchase and installation of a greenhouse for Coldspring-Oakhurst High School;

    •approved the 2021-22 CTE Programs of Study;

    •approved repairs to the Coldspring-Oakhurst High School sanitary sewer system;

    •approved a proposal for preparation and repainting of campus exteriors, interiors and entries;

    •approved a student athletic insurance policy;

    •approved an engagement letter for financial audit services for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31;

    •discussed making mask/face covering requirements optional on district campuses and buildings; and

    •authorized the school superintendent to hire a firm to conduct a safety and security audit of all district facilities.

    The next regular meeting of the COCISD Board of Trustees is Monday, May 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Jones Educational Complex.

  • Gold, gold and more gold

    DdaD57VV0AE95alCOURTESY PHOTO

    Onalaska athlete captures multiple first-place medals at state meet

    By PCN Staff

    “I am still feeling fine and my legs are not sore at all,” Onalaska student-athlete Will Boyce said Friday morning. “I'm ready to run more races if I had to.”

    Not exactly the answer you’d expect from someone who competed over three and half miles the day before, but then, Boyce isn’t your average athlete. He had one of the better showings in Texas history Thursday at the 2021 UIL State Track Meet, collecting titles in the 3200-meter run, 1600-meter run and 800-meter run.

    The 3200-meter run (two miles) occurred at 9:15 a.m., the 800 meters took place at 5:20 p.m. and the mile was a short time later at 7:50 p.m. in Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium.

    Boyce said the accomplishment hasn't really sunk in, but he has watched videos of the races and heard several people tell him he pulled off a feat never done before. Runners were not allowed to compete in more than two distance events before 2016. Obtaining gold in all three events is believed to be a first.

    “That mile (final race) was pretty tough on my legs,” Boyce said. “Coming off of that 800 was not fun, but trying to hold out to win all three of those races with a whole day’s worth of running — first of all, is unheard of and it is really hard to pull off, but I guess I had enough energy left in me.

    “I wish it was set up to where it was a two-day event to have more time to recover. I feel like, since it was so spread apart, that I was able to produce good times. It was definitely helpful. There wasn't much time to recover from that 800 race. If I'm being honest, me and my coaches and teammates went back to our car and ran the (air conditioner) and I laid out in the back. I just kind of rehydrated and refocused myself to finish that mile.”

    Though the school had just one representative qualifying for the state meet, Boyce scored enough points (30) for Onalaska to register a team finish of second place. He finished just 15 points off from team champion Brock.

    After crossing the finish line in the final race, he said there were many emotions.

    “This whole year, I've been pretty much preparing to try to Triple Crown at the state track meet. I've been working so hard throughout the year, and to have everyone there that supported me throughout my life, they helped me push toward that goal that day. I felt like I could accomplish it coming into it, but upon accomplishing it, it just blew my mind that I was able to do it. To describe the feeling is something that I can't say with words. It is pretty crazy.”

    9427COURTESY PHOTO

    All races had their own challenges, the Onalaska star said there was point in each where he felt confident in victory.

    “The mile, definitely I felt like I could win after that first lap (of four),” Boyce said. “We ran really slow on that first lap and coming off of that 800, I knew if we ran slow in the first lap, I would have been set up for a good sprint finish at the end. I knew I could beat everyone in a sprint finish, because I had the fastest 800 time going into the state meet. I was pretty confident at that point. In the 800, it was just teeth gritting and putting my head down and running fast. The two miles (3200 meters) was easy.”

    Both of Boyce’s parents attended Sam Houston State University and he will do the same to run for the Bearkats. He said the goal is to win as many championships as possible while in Huntsville.

    “Sam Houston has a really good program for people who want to be teachers. That's where I want to go and what I want to do in life, so I figured Sam would offer me the best education. It is also close to home and I'm more familiar with that area.”

    So, where do you go in the state’s capitol city to enjoy such an accomplishment?

    “The celebration (Thursday) night was kind of put to a halt. We couldn't find anywhere really to eat. We had to go to a Whataburger, but lots of Dr. Pepper was drank and lots of hugs and tears were shared. Today (Friday), we are going to go eat somewhere nice, I'll tell you that much.”

    Team standings (top 10) — 1. Brock, 45; 2. Onalaska, 30; 3. (tie) Dallas Life Oak Cliff, 22; Riesel, 22; 5. (tie) SA Great Hearts Northern Oaks, 20; Mineola, 20; Daingerfield, 20; 8. (tie) Whitney, 18; Franklin, 18; Spearman, 18; Little River Academy, 18

    3,200 meters — 1. Will Boyce, Onalaska, 9:27.31; 2. Marco Rey, Presidio, 9:32.30; 3. Wyatt Hoover, Poth, 9:34.78; 4. Angel Torres, Tornillo, 9:40.54; 5. Crawford Kiser, Amarillo River Road, 9:41.93; 6. Logan Courtney, Lorena, 9:54.74; 7. Jacob Bustamante, Bishop, 9:54.75; 8. Hayden Moussa, Ponder, 9:59.18; 9. David Magdaleno, Waskom, 10:16.18

    800 — 1. Will Boyce, Onalaska, 1:54.71; 2. Chris Saling, Tuscola Jim Ned, 1:56.48; 3. Obi Landeros, Valley View, 1:58.16; 4. Reese Lara, Santa Rosa, 1:59.01; 5. Ryan Butters, McGregor, 2:00.08; 6. Hayden Montgomery, Tulia, 2:00.28; 7. Rodolfo Sandoval, Progreso, 2:03.24; 8. Devin Ferris, Valley View, 2:03.90; 9. Tate Hughes, Wall, 2:08.06

    1,600 — 1. Will Boyce, Onalaska, 4:26.37; 2. Marco Rey, Presidio, 4:27.56; 3. Wyatt T. Hoover, Poth, 4:27.94; 4. Angel Torres, Tornillo, 4:30.52; 5. JoseCarlos Hernandez, Lytle, 4:31.47; 6. Travis Sims, Elysian Fields, 4:35.07; 7. Logan Courtney, Lorena, 4:35.77; 8. Noah Richardson, 4:37.01; 9. Hayden Moussa, Ponder, 4:45.05

  • Lit team heads to state

    051321 literaryCOURTESY PHOTO Kayley McCrory

    Special to the News-times

    GROVETON — the Groveton High School Literary Criticism team, earned its sixth consecutive trip to the state contest, with junior Kayley McCrory advancing as an individual.

    The team is coached by Jeremy Gentry.

    In a non-COVID year, the whole team would have qualified, as they would have earned the wildcard slot for being the highest second-place team in the state after the regional contest; they were the second highest team in the state, beating the first-place teams in three of four regions.

    The UIL Literary Criticism Contest is a 90-minute test in which students are assessed on their knowledge and application of college-level literary analysis, as well as a familiarity with authors and thematic concerns of the Western literary canon.

    The test consists of four parts: knowledge of literary terms and literary history; the UIL reading list (different authors are selected each year); ability in literary criticism; and the required tie-breaking essay.

    At the state contest, Kayley won the silver medal, coming in just two points short of the gold-medal winner. Her score is the highest ever scored by a GHS student in Literary Criticism at state.

    Her score also was high enough to have earned her a spot in the top three had she competed in any of the divisions, from 1A to 6A.

    Kayley is the daughter of GHS alumnus Shane McCrory.

  • Students receive accolades

    011A5887TONY FARKAS | TCNS Students gathered to be recognized for their achievements.

    Academics, sports accomplishments noted with plaques, scholarships

    By Tony Farkas

    TRINITY — Athletic Director Patrick Goodman said the students and athletes of the school needed to be recognized for their efforts after such a tumultuous year, which teachers and coaches did at the annual awards ceremony, held Thursday.

    Thousands of dollars in scholarships and numerous awards were given to the students that excelled throughout the year.

    Goodman also brought back the tradition of naming athletes who went above and beyond — the Tiger Heart Award — which went to Zoey Grey and Emilio Cleveland. He also started an all-around athlete award, which went to Cynthia Sizemore and Treylin Goodman.

    Other awards include:

    UIL Academic Results

    District

    Brooke Kelley, first place Ready Writing; Emilio Cleveland, third place Computer Apps; Diego Lewin, fourth place Computer Apps; Hunter Cassidy, third place Current Issues, fifth place Computer Apps; Kaitlyn Smith, second place Prose Interpretation, third place Persuasive Speaking; Allie Ancira, fourth place Prose Interpretation; Izaiah Fortenberry, second place Informative Speaking; Paton Mauldin, second place Biology, third place Chemistry, fourth place Physics; Zachary Thibodeaux, second place Chemistry.

    Team Results

    First place, Science: Hunter Cassidy, Emilio Cleveland, Paton Mauldin, Zach Thibodeaux.

    Second place, Current Issues and Events: Hunter Cassidy, Emilio Cleveland, Paton Mauldin, Candida Guzman.

    Regional Results

    Izaiah Fortenberry, seventh place Informative Speaking; Kaitlyn Smith, fifth Persuasive Speaking; Zachary Thibodeaux, fourth place Biology.

    Sports Awards

    Cross country

    Boys and girls track

    Ava Morrison, cross country/track, regional cross country and area track, first-year letter winner; Kemberlie Caceras, track, area track, first-year letter winner; LaResa Green, track, area and regional qualifier, first-year letter winner; Aaliyah Hale, track, Area, first-year letter winner; Yesica Lopez, track , first-year letter winner; Yasmin Moore, track, area and regional qualifier, first-year letter winner; Daria Woods, track, Area track, first-year letter winner; Shania English, 23-3A District Champion 400 Meters, area and regional qualifier, Victoria Smith, area qualifier, Shelby Walters, Pole Vault, 23-3A District Champion Area Champion and regional qualifier, Anaya Weathersby, area and regional qualifier, Myona Wilson, area and regional qualifier, Zoey Gray, area qualifier, Cole Caldwell, first-Year track letter winner; Julian Clayborne, first-year track letter winner, area qualifier; Austin Cummins, first-year track letter winner; Marshall Sizemore, first-year track letter winner; Zylon Woods, first-year track letter winner; Tristan Williams, first-year track letter winner; Kaden Barnes, first-year track letter winner.

    Tennis

    Olivia Kitts, first-year letter winner, 23-3A second-place regional qualifier girls doubles; Natalie Bates, first-year letter winner, 23-3A second-regional qualifier girls doubles; Andrea Hickman, 23-3A District Champions girls doubles and regional qualifier; Gabby Kaufman, 23-3A District Champions girls doubles and regional qualifier, Team MVP; Dylan Ford, 3rd place boys singles; Paton Mauldin, Letter Award Winner

    Volleyball

    Cynthia Sizemore, first-team All-District, Co-MVP; Aniya Phillips, second-team All-District, Co-MVP.

    Soccer

    Melissa Acosta, first-year letter winner

    Athletic training, student aides

    Gabrielle Potts, 2 Years Varsity, first-year Letter Award Winner; Morgan Allbright, 2 Years Varsity, first-year Letter Award Winner

    Football, Bi-District Finalist

    Julian Clayborne, first-year letter winner; Navjot Gill, first-year letter winner, Academic All-District , UIL Scholar Award; Cole Hortman, first-year letter winner; Kaden Barnes, first-year letter winner; Romero Lopez, first-year letter winner; Trintin Fulsom, first-year letter winner, Academic All-District ; Randall Dumas, first-year letter winner, Academic All-District; Cole Odom, first-year letter winner; Treylin Goodman, Trinity first-team Running Back and second-team linebacker; Austin Cummins, Trinity, first-team Offensive Line and first-team Defensive Line, Academic All-District; Emilio Cleveland, Trinity, second-team Offensive Line , Academic All-District, UIL Scholar Award; Andrew Crabtree, Trinity, second-team Defensive Line; Fidencio Ruiz, Trinity, second-team Defensive Line, Academic All-District, UIL Scholar Award; Colton Smith, OL, Trinity, second-team Offensive Line

    Boys and girls basketball, Bi-District Finalist

    Nevaeh Craft, second-team All-District; Shania English, Honorable, Mention All-District; Peyton Robb, first-team All-District; Cynthia Sizemore, first-team All-District; Treylin Goodman, first-team All-District; Jakai Miller-Gates, first-team All-District; Terius Maxie, first-team All-District; Fermin Aleman, second-team All-District; Quinn Mack, Honorable Mention All-District, first-year Letter Award Winner; Tristian Martinez, first-year Letter Award Winner, Honorable Mention All-District, Academic All-District, ; Marshall Sizemore, first-year Letter Award Winner, Academic All-District; Cameron Anderson, first-year Letter Award Winner, Academic All-District; Cole Hortman, first-year Letter Award Winner

    Baseball

    Cole Hortman, first-year Letter Award Winner; Romero Lopez, first-year Letter Award Winner; Remi Lassman, first-year Letter Award Winner; David McKendree, first-year Letter Award Winner; Tristan Williams, first-year Letter Award Winner.

    Golf

    Anneliese Beasley, 23-3A Medalist, regional qualifier; Emilio Cleveland , Academic All-District; Hunter Cassidy, Academic All-District, UIL Scholar Athlete; Tyler Calloway, Academic All-District.

    Boys and girls powerlifting

    Deandra Mills, regional qualifier/medalist; Alyssa Hill, regional qualifier; Maria Mendoza, regional qualifier, first-year Letter Award Winner; Kailyn Fisher, Regional Champion, State Champion; Treylin Goodman, regional qualifier/medalist; Austin Cummins, regional qualifier.

    Softball

    Cynthia Sizemore, Defensive MVP; Dayanara Martinez, Utility Player of the Year, first-year Letter Award Winner; Peyton Robb, first-team All-District; Nevaeh Craft, second-team All-District; Abby Crowton, first-year Letter Award Winner; Brooke Arnold, first-year Letter Award Winner; Yasmin Moore, first-year Letter Award Winner.