23 Gatesville student athletes honored for Academic All-State recognition

Twenty-three Gatesville High School student-athletes earned Academic All-State recognition and were honored before graduation, a mark of how many seniors managed demanding schedules, high grades and competition at the same time.

The recognition came during the Gatesville ISD School Board’s regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, at the Gatesville ISD Administration Building, 311 S. Lovers Lane in Gatesville. High school principal Liz Shoaf presented special cords to the students so they could wear them at Gatesville High School’s graduation ceremony, scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Friday, May 22.

This year’s honorees were Amaya Gomez, Amos Phillips, Charlie Winkler, Collyn Coleman, Daniel De La Torre, Dylan Watts, Emma Pollard, Gehrig Keeton, Greyson Eggeling, Julia Petty, Kaden Coffman, Kameron Mooney, Kayden Mayes, Kensley Eary, Kinsley Wrisk, Larry Schwertner, Levi Webb, Marin Segraves, Miles Tull, Paisley Wells, Roman Wallace, Seth Finley and Taylor Sanderson.

The honor is not simply a reward for athletic success. The Texas High School Coaches Association bases Academic All-State recognition on GPA, class rank and ACT or SAT scores, and requires a 92-or-higher GPA on a 100-point scale for grades 9 through 11, with senior coursework still in progress. The Texas Girls Coaches Association uses similar standards for senior athletes, cheerleaders and support staff, including a 94-or-higher GPA for grades 9 through 11 and good moral character. In practical terms, the award signals that these students kept up with academics while carrying the workload of practices, games, travel and team obligations.

Several of the same students had already been recognized in March for sport-specific honors. Amos Phillips was named first team; Charlie Winkler, Greyson Eggeling and Dylan Watts were second team; Kayden Mayes and Collyn Coleman earned honorable mention; Taylor Sanderson and Emma Pollard were first team for the Lady Hornets; and Amaya Gomez was second team. That basketball season carried its own weight, with Gatesville’s boys winning district for the first time in 16 years and both the Hornets and Lady Hornets advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

The number also fits into a broader pattern at Gatesville High School. A year earlier, 34 student-athletes received Academic All-State recognition, a total the school described as record-breaking. Even with this year’s count lower, 23 honorees still pointed to a large senior class that met a high bar in the classroom and on the field, court, track or in the pool as they moved into graduation week.