MARCH JACKET BACKER ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

 Men’s Baseball – Landyn Locke, Junior

Landyn is a Junior baseball player.  He plays first base, third base and pitches.  He is a leader on our team, always remaining positive no matter what.  He embodies our core beliefs, being relentless and selfless.  As a 2 sport starter, he is a leader on our team, in our school and in our community. His stats are as follows:

Hitting: 10 hits, 1 2B, 4 3B, 9 RBI, 7 R, 8 BB, 1 SB

 

Pitching: 2 Wins, 2 Losses, 1.67 ERA, 21 IP, 16 H, 19 K, 4 BB, 5 ER

 

 

 

Women’s Softball – Ava Wallace, Senior

Ava Wallace, one of our senior captains this season, has been a constant threat to our opponents this season. In our 12 games played in March, the Kansas commit had a .481 batting average with a double, three triples, and three homeruns in the mix. Ava also drew 11 walks, helping our team by getting on base to move around and score.  She is a major offensive threat and a huge part of our lineup. She drove in 12 RBIs and scored 15 times. She is a tough lefty that leaves it all on the field as well, playing center field and assisted in two double plays, which is not an easy feat as a center fielder! Way to go, Ava!

 

 

Men’s Gymnastics – Josh Smelser

Josh Smelser competed at the Battle for the Rock on 3/20/2024.  He scored a season high 53.6 in the All Around taking 2^nd place behind teammate Trey Lopez.  He also placed the following:

2^nd All Around

3^rd on Floor

1^st on Pommel Horse

4^th on Rings

2^nd on Vault

2^nd on Parallel Bars

3^rd on High Bar

 

Josh has also scored a perfect 10.0 six times this season (4 times on Pommel Horse).  He is ranked 1^st in the state on Pommel Horse.

FEBRUARY ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

 FEBRUARY ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Women’s Basketball – Natalie Barrett, Freshman

In the 4 games in February, Natalie led the team in points (10ppg) and was second on rebounds (6.8pg).  She helped the team on senior night take down the Mesquite Skeeters and was the leading scorer in both playoff games helping the team win a Bi-District Championship.  Natalie is a great teammate and hard worker.  She got to the gym early every morning to work on improving her free throws and succeeded.  She went from shooting 40% from the Free Throw line in January to 66% in February!  Natalie’s determination and love for her team are what motivate her to succeed.

Women’s Gymnastics – Ashley Clinger, Senior

Ashley is a leader in every way possible.  She’s consistent, dependable, hardworking, and supportive to her team in and out of the gym every day.  She is the true meaning of JFND.  

Women’s Swimming – Brylie Ray and Livi Roberts, Sophomores

Both girls have qualified for NISCA All American times.  Livi qualified in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Breaststroke.  She achieved both of these times at the regional swim meet.  Brylie qualified for the 100 Breaststroke from the state swim meet.  All American time standards are really difficult to accomplish.

**Brylie Ray**

**Livi Roberts**

Men’s Swimming – Brad Binns, Senior

For the second consecutive year, Brad has qualified for the state meet in 2 events.

He made it to the state meet in the 200 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle.  Brad will be sorely missed as he will continue his swimming career in BYU next year.

JANUARY JACKET BACKER ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

 Men’s Soccer – Ryan Lord, Senior

Ryan is one of our Varsity captains. He is the backbone of our team, and a great example of a STUDENT/ATHLETE. He consistently makes save after save. Ryan is a true example of leading by example. He plays with confidence and determination that fuels our team every week. He has multiple shutouts this season, and I have no doubt that a lot of success will come his way. JFND!

Women’s Soccer – Layla Amaya, Senior

Layla has put in the work during the off-season to gain an opportunity to play at the next level. Her hard work and determination set her apart. She has been an incredible leader and player for the success we have accomplished thus far. Layla is on top of her studies, and she will have an incredible future because she is always looking to accomplish her goals.

Women’s Basketball – Mack Lindigrin, Senior

Mack had a great month in January by shooting 35% from the 3pt line (11 makes), shooting 100% from the free throw line, and leading our team in steals.  She is one of our best communicators on the floor, which helps the team be "LINKED" offensively and defensively.

Men’s Basketball – Corbin Brown, Senior

Corbin was an integral part of our team’s success for the month of January.  He is a captain on our team and one of the leaders in scoring, rebounding & assists.  On top of that, Corbin has been exceptional in the classroom earning 4 A’s his first semester.  He is a great kid that does things the right way on & off the court.

Women’s Gymnastics – Peyton Wagner, Junior

Peyton is a 3rd year varsity gymnast.  While Peyton is an all around gymnast, her specialty is bars and she is ranked #7 in the state.  Peyton has the most positive attitude every day and pushes herself day in and day out to be the best she can for herself and her team.  She is blessing to everyone around her, and we look forward to more amazing gymnastics from her this season.

Men’s Gymnastics – Jacob Watkins, Senior

Jacob Watkins competed in the Southside showdown on 1/26/24, which was the team’s first optional meet of the season.  He competed in five events and scored for the team with all 5 of his scores.  Jacob also competed new skills on Floor and High Bar and set/tied personal best scores on 4 events.  He was top 5 (out of 81 competitors) for all 5 events:

Floor: 5th place

Pommel Horse: 3rd place

Vault: 5th place

Parallel Bars: 5th place

High Bar: 4th place

Men’s Wrestling – Dom Wilson, Sophomore

Dom went undefeated at the State Dual Championships this past weekend. He beat the #1 ranked wrestler in the state to go undefeated. He also led his team to a 2nd place state finish, our highest since 2002.

DECEMBER JACKET BACKER ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

 Men’s Soccer – Brady Valladarez, Junior

Brady is currently tied for the lead for goals on the year. He works hard on the field as well as in the classroom. Brady is very successful in everything he does and always gives 110%. Determination is a great word to use to describe Brady. Can't wait to see what the future holds. JFND

Women’s Soccer – Bridget Gooch, Freshman

Bridget is an eager and hard-working athlete who has a high level of play, which has landed her a spot on the varsity roster as a freshman. She scored her first ever Varsity goal in our first scrimmage against Sachse. She is talented, both academically and athletically. She is a great person off the field and is setting up the culture for future Lady Jackets.

Women’s Basketball – Aubreyanna Yelverton, Junior

Aubreyanna averaged 9.5 points per game and 8.3 rebounds for the month of December having 3 double-double games.  She is a great leader who cares deeply for her team and her team's success.  She is one of the first to the gym every morning and one of the last to leave.  She is a hard worker that embodies that JFND spirit every game.

Women’s Gymnastics – Sydney Shepherd, Senior

Sydney is a 4-year varsity gymnast who always gives more than asked of her. Her motivation and drive to improve and better her team is what truly sets her apart.  Sydney is a leader who can be depended on and trusted by all her teammates.  Sydney is currently ranked 10th on floor in the region.  We are looking for great things from her this season.

Swim – Leyton Roberts, Junior & James Flores, Sophomore

Both Leyton and James have done a fantastic job this past month.  Their work ethic has been outstanding.  Neither swimmer missed a day of practice.  Their hard work will pay off for the rest of the season.

LEYTON ROBERTS

JAMES FLORES

 

 

NOVEMBER JACKET BACKER ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

 Volleyball – Ava Weigan, Senior

Ava has been a huge part of the team’s success this season. Her stuff block against Cedar Hill in the second-round playoff game was the biggest block of her career and sealed the victory.

Football – Michael Wells, Senior Offensive Lineman

 

Michael has been instrumental in the success of the team’s offense this year.  He paved the way for one of the best offenses in the state of Texas. Michael was a team captain and led well both on and off the field.  Michael did all of this while maintaining a very high academic standard in the classroom.

Men’s Basketball – D’von Turner, Senior

D’von is leading the team with 14 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game.  He has been instrumental in helping the Jackets start the season with a 3-2 record.

Women’s Basketball – Nicole Aguirre, Senior

Nicole is a great leader on and off the court.  She is a senior captain playing point guard and leading our team in points and assists.  She is a dynamic player that is super explosive and leads the team well.  She helped the team to an 8-2 start in the month of November.  She is super humble, excels in the classroom, and is loved by everyone. 

 Men’s Gymnastics – Preston Hunter, Senior

Preston Hunter has been voted on by his peers to lead the team as their captain.  Preston's leadership has helped the team to a fantastic start of the season with a school record setting 178.8 team score.  Preston also had personal best scores on floor and high bar (including his first perfect 10.0 on high bar).  Preston finished in 2nd place on floor (9.9), 1st on high bar (10.0) and 4th in the All Around.

Women’s Gymnastics – Haylee Finley, Junior

Haylee is a third year Varsity gymnast in the RHS program.  She is already one of the strongest competitors in the state on all four events and in the all-around.  She has placed 1st in the all-around at every meet this far as well as scored a perfect 10.0 on vault at the Toys for Tots Invite.  She's an amazing leader both physically and mentally. Keep a lookout for her to do amazing things throughout the entire season.

Men’s Swim – Mason Shirley & Brad Binns

Both guys competed in the Lone Star TISCA meet in Mansfield.  Both guys helped out the 2 relays with great splits.  Brad did a fantastic job finishing 11th in the 100 yard Butterfly with a time of 51.79 seconds.  Mason had the best swim in the 500 yard freestyle finishing with a time of 4:45.62 seconds which was an almost 8 second time drop.

Mason Shirley

Brad Binns

Women’s Swim – Livi Roberts

Livi competed in a really important swim meet in Mansfield called the Lone Star TISCA Invite.  Livi helped out the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay with great times.  She broke the school record in the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1:04.64 and almost broke the record for the 200 Individual Medley.  She was off by 1 second behind the one-time NCAA Athlete of the Year from Texas A&M, Raena Eldridge.

Men’s Wrestling – Jake Moon, Senior

Jake Moon, wrestling at 150 pounds, opened up his Senior campaign with a tournament championship at the annual Rumble at the Rock. In dominant fashion, he outscored all opponents a combined 66-13 across his 5 different matches. Jake is currently the #1 ranked wrestler in the state at his weight and in the top-10 pound for pound rankings. 

Women’s Wrestling – Kylie Wood, Senior

Kylie kicked off her senior season at the 2023 Rumble at the Rock. She wasted no time pinning every opponent within the first period of each match. Her performance led her to a first place medal, top 3 team finish, and most outstanding wrestler award (girls-132 and below).

 

OCTOBER JACKET BACKER ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

 Volleyball – Halle Jameson, Junior

Halle has been one of our most consistent performers. She has amassed 278 kills from the outside in her first season with the Jackets. Her skill, competitiveness, and positive attitude have helped propel this year’s team back into the state tournament.

Football – Mason Marshall, Senior Quarterback

 

Mason is a great example of what it truly means to be a student-athlete.  Mason not only sets a high bar on the football field as shown by his 1,149 yards passing and 21 TD’s, but he holds himself to a very high standard off the field also.  Mason is a team captain and does a great job of conducting himself in a positive way in the community. In school, he also holds a very high academic standard by maintaining an “A” average with several high-level courses.  We are very thankful for the example that Mason sets for our team and for all future Jackets.

Men’s Cross Country – Cristian Barron, Senior

Qualified for the State Cross Country meet and finished 98^th!

Women’s Cross Country – Saylor Stevenson

Saylor was one of the top finishers at the regional meet and just missed the last state qualifier spot by less than 2 seconds.

SEPTEMBER JACKET BACKER ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

 Volleyball – Sydney Lafferty, Senior

Sydney is a three-year varsity starting Middle Blocker. This season, she has amassed 153 kills and 26 blocks.  Sydney is leading the team in offensive efficiency with a .378 hitting percentage.

Football – Jake Overstreet, Senior

Jake has played a critical role in the success of Rockwall football this season.  He plays Free Safety and is currently leading the entire district with 83 tackles in just 6 games.  Jake is a team Captain and a great leader on the field.  He also represents the football team well off the field.  Not surprisingly, Jake was just voted as the Homecoming King for RHS.  This is a direct result of the way that he treats people and the value he places on his relationships.

Men’s Water Polo – Brad Binns, Senior

Brad Binns has been a great player for the team.  He has shown great leadership throughout the season, but he also shows great patience with the team.  When the team needs a goal, they look for Brad to do it.  Brad consistently gets double and triple-teamed from the defense, but he makes it every time.  Brad was the team’s Homecoming Escort.

Women’s Water Polo – Brooke Shirley, Senior

Brooke Shirley has been an integral part of the water polo team.  This year, she’s a big recruiter, leading scorer and she leads the team in steals.  Brooke is very versatile, too.  She can take a shot from 5 meters out or make a pass leading someone to make a score.  Brooke was the team’s Homecoming Sweetheart.

Women’s Cross Country – Rachel Kinniburgh, Sophomore

Rachel is a sophomore that has set a new school record of 18:25 in the 5K.  She is a fierce competitor and has been the high point scorer on the team for the month of September.  She has won 3 of the 5 races, 2nd in another and placed in the top 20 in the rest.

Men’s Cross Country – James Kinniburgh, Senior

James has been the high point scorer on the team for the month of September.  He ran a personal best of 16:15 last week and has been improving all season.  He is a constant contributor and also a national merit scholar.