Prosper HYPE - Fall 2021

Prosper ISD Sports - Fall 2021 Football | Volleyball | Team Tennis | Cross Country

ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

2021 Fall Sports Recap

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PRIDE

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DISCIPLINE

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RELATIONSHIPS

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SERVANT 8 | Prosper HYPE - Fall 2021

LEADERSHIP Fall 2021- Prosper HYPE | 9

//PREGAME//

ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

Publisher Cedarbrook Media Admin@CedarbrookMedia.com Creative Director Jason Reynolds Jason@CedarbrookMedia.com Director of Sales & Marketing Heather Reynolds Heather@CedarbrookMedia.com 972-347-6231 District Coordinator Valerie Little Director of Athletics valittle@prosper-isd.net

SPOTLIGHTS 12 //MEET THE EAGLES 13 //MEET THE BLUE HAWKS

Photography Jason Reynolds Cedarbrook Media Group www.CedarbrookMedia.com Production/Design Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC Design@CedarbrookMedia.com

A Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC Publication www.CedarbrookMedia.com

14 //FOOTBALL 22 //VOLLEYBALL 30 //TEAM TENNIS 32 //LEADERS ON AND OFF THE COURT

Prosper HYPE is published by Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC. Prosper HYPE Magazine is published 3 times a year. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or copied whole or in part without expressed written permission from the publisher, Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC. ©2020. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. The title and all material are protected by international copyright laws and are reserved. Although the greatest of care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this magazine at time of going to press, neither Prosper Hype Magazine, Prosper ISD nor Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC can be held liable for omissions, inexactness or errors. The views and opinions of Prosper HYPE advertisers does not reflect that of Prosper HYPE Sports Magazine.

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FALL 2021 Left to right- Michael Sain, Assistant Athletic Director: Erin Struwe, Ticket & Event Manager: Valerie Little, Director of Athletics: Mary Anne Cooper, Admin. Assistant to the Director of Athletics: Tommy Sacco, Natatorium Director

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nother Fall season continues to bring success here in Prosper ISD. Our Fall programs do not have time to ease into their school year, they start competing even before the school year begins for students. They definitely set the tone for all others as we have had some early success so far this Fall which will propel all sports forward for their respective seasons!

The Prosper Cross Country Varsity Girls and Boys Team have been ranked top in the state this season. The girls have been consistently ranked 3rd through the season while the boys have been ranked 9th. Their season is winding down and district is in two weeks – Season Highlights so far Texas A&M Islander Splash: Girls: 1st place out of 18 Teams/Boys: 2nd out of 64 Teams and

PHS Football is heading into their 2nd District game after playing tough pre-season competition to prepare us for our District 5-6A opponents. In the preseason, we beat South Grand Prairie, Mansfield Lake Ridge and Arlington Lamar to help us prepare for the games that count. The Eagles are currently 0-1 in District and will still be a formidable force in District 5-6A as the season progresses.

Jesuit XC Classic: Varsity Girls 1st out of 28 teams/Varsity Boys 4th out of 37 teams.

RHHS Football is a much-improved team in Season 2! They have already doubled the wins from last year by beating both Dallas Samuel as well as Princeton for a 7-5A District win. Sitting 1-1 in District, the Blue Hawks are looking to make a run at their first post season.

PHS Volleyball is currently 23-9 overall for the season and 4-2 in District 5-6A. With losses to both Guyer and Boyd in the first round, the Eagles look to avenge both of those losses and hopefully head into a long post season which will start the first of November.

RHHS Volleyball is currently sitting in 3rd place in District 10-5A. With wins over The Colony, Princeton and Denison, the Blue Hawks hopes for playoffs are high!

The Prosper HS Tennis Team is on a roll this fall season! They are 6-1 in district, 8-3 for the season and going into the Fall District Tournament as the 2nd seed.

Rock Hill Tennis has had an amazing year so far. Varsity is 6-0 in district. They had a great win over Wylie East, who they lost to last year.

They will wrap up District soon and head into the District Tournament as well.

Rock Hill HS Cross Country has had a great preseason also. The varsity boys have placed in the top 10 at four of their five meets, including a 2nd place finish at the Braswell Invitational. The varsity girls have also placed in the top 10 at four of their five meets, and won the Braswell Invitational. Both teams are headed into the District 10-5A Championship on October 12th with eyes set on qualifying for the Regional and State Championships.

As you can see, our Fall sports have paved the way for a great year of athletic successes here in Prosper ISD. We are very proud of our student athletes and the characteristics they portray on a daily basis – hard work, perseverance and servant leadership! We look forward to them all winning in District and their respective post seasons.

Go Eagles & Blue Hawks!

Honor the Game,

Valerie Little Director of Athletics,

Prosper Independent School District

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Meet the Eagles On Saturday, August 14th, family, friends, and fans for the Prosper High School Eagles headed to Children’s Health Stadium to celebrate the announcement of the 2021 fall athletic teams. It was a great evening of celebration as each of the coaches said a few words to kick off their seasons and then introduced their teams and their Seniors. Most of these dedicated athletes had worked out all summer long to prepare for their seasons, and practices and games were underway before classes even began! The tradition of this celebration over the years rang true as the stands were filled with fans wearing their Prosper green and supporting their Eagles.

Prosper High School athletes from Football, Volleyball, Tennis, Cross Country, and Swim & Dive were recognized. There were also performances from the PHS Cheerleaders, Talonettes and the Mighty Eagle Band. It was indeed a great night to be an Eagle and the Prosper community showed amazing community pride and excitement for these hard-working student athletes!

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Meet the Blue Hawks The fall sports season at Rock Hill High School is officially underway, and on August 21st, the community, family, and fans were introduced to the 2021 teams at the annual Meet the Blue Hawks event. The celebration is a great way to introduce these hard-working student athletes and to showcase the 2022 Seniors. While most of the teams had already been practicing, and some even competing by then, the event is a great way for the coaches to kick-off their seasons and pay tribute to their senior leaders.

Rock Hill High School athletes from Football, Volleyball, Tennis, Cross Country, and Swim & Dive teams were introduced. There were also performances from the RHHS Cheerleaders, Rockettes and the Rock Hill Blue Hawk Band. Rock Hill is only in its second year of existence, but their school spirit and the support of the community is apparent. They are definitely building a family atmosphere and the students and fans alike are full of Blue Hawk spirit! It was a great evening of celebration and the excitement for the fall sports’ seasons was at an all-time high!

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||PHS FOOTBALL

-Coach Brandon Schmidt

As we began this season, I was compelled to reflect on what our society has endured the last 18 months and what we continue to work through as we find ourselves in this ever-changing world.

With that being said, we welcomed the 2021 Prosper Eagle Football season with great anticipation and excitement knowing that the one thing that remains unchanged is the amazing strength, support, and general goodness of this community in Prosper, Texas.

We are proud to represent Prosper and will do so with integrity and excellence, as our Prosper Football culture continues to be foundationally built with three simple letters: DYJ (DO YOUR JOB). We expect our athletes to do their job in all aspects of life: on the field, in the classroom, in the community, and in daily life.

We are full focus on exhibiting DYJ every single day, in all we do.

DYJ represents who we are when no one is watching.

I would be remiss to not acknowledge the amazing run we had last season, playing football all the way into January in the 6A Division II State Quarterfinals. Who would have ever thought Texas high school football would be playing after Christmas at the start of a new year?! Then, to be in our third overtime and see our team keep pushing was a memory few will forget, even though it turned out to be the end of a memorable season. Our players and coaches sacrificed holidays to keep the train on the tracks and I could not be prouder of their accomplishments. I hope they know they are building a legacy.

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Our theme this year is “Off the Rails.” This program has established itself by staying on track with core values that deliver success.

Now it’s time to increase the speed and velocity and earn a legacy that most programs can only dream of. Being unstoppable and off the rails takes dedication, hard work, perseverance, and belief in the process. We want to be able to go out and compete at a high level without the fear of making mistakes. Mistakes will happen so we will learn from them and move on. It is awesome to have the opportunity to come to work everyday and get to work with these young men. They are all great individuals, but their different personalities make each day a new experience. With so many great kids, our leadership can come from any of them on any day. Nash Gagliano and Kaleb Miles are probably two most consistent leaders.

We are currently sitting at 4 – 3 overall and 1 – 2 in district play.

We have some work to do, but if we can win 2 of our last 3 games, we should be able to get into the playoffs. Regardless of how this season plays out, the 2021 Prosper Eagles football season will, at some point, come to an end. The lights will go out for the last time, tears will be shed as some play their last football game or say goodbye to their football family. Young people will suddenly become grown. In our program, we measure success not by wins and losses but rather by the people these Prosper Eagles become. We expect these young people to leave us with a servant’s heart while knowing and exhibiting the value of hard

work, dedication, and what can be accomplished with perseverance. We recognize and celebrate the value of others and their contributions. Ultimately, we want to produce great people who have the tools to pursue their passions and be winners in the game of life.

Finally, but most importantly, THANK YOU for your continued support of what we do through the Prosper High School Football program, which involves not just players but all students playing a role every single day to showcase “what’s right with the world.” Our program thrives and excels because the many hearts and hands of this community make light work. Thank you again for allowing us to represent Prosper and all it stands for. We hope you will join us by cheering encouragement from the stands, getting loud, and joining us for a season that we expect will be Off the Rails!

Off the Rails

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

-Aristotle

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||RHHS FOOTBALL

-Coach Mark Humble

After battling through a 2020 year, which saw your Rock Hill football team win its first game in school history, we continue to grow stronger by leaning on our school core values, the 7 Life Skills, the Blue Hawk Process, and our standard of bringing our BEST every day. Most importantly, we continue to grow stronger together with all our programs, school, and community with UNITY. Our program values are all centered and revolve around our Prosper ISD Athletic Mission Statement, “That athletics is an extension of the educational setting at all times. We provide the most important values and lessons through athletics while developing the overall student into a better athlete and better person.” We use this BLUEprint in our “Journey to EL1TE” to not only be successful on the field, but more importantly to mold our athletes into young men of incomparable character. These are the values that will lead our athletes to “WIN” on the field and in the GAME OF LIFE as productive citizens, great husbands, excellent fathers, and future leaders in our country.

The theme for Rock Hill Football for the 2021 season is M1NDSET. Since the end of the 2020 season our young men have been working hard to not only change their physical bodies to prepare themselves better for the 2021 season, but most importantly their mental aspect of not only football but their lives in general. After eight months of hard work in the off-season and the summer, the 2021 Rock Hill Football team has already seen tangible results of their focus on their Mindset. So far in

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the 2021 Varsity season, the Blue Hawks are 2-4 with 4 district games remaining on the schedule. Not only are the Blue Hawks still in control of their playoff destiny, three of the four losses on the season have come by a touchdown or less. To say the 2021 is an improved version from the 2020 would be a massive understatement. Most of the improvement can be shown in tangible results on the scoreboard but it would be remiss to not note the results in their efforts off the field as well.

So far, some of our standouts for the Blue Hawks would include senior running back Donovan Shannon. Shannon has already been named the Star Local Media’s Athlete of the Week after his 278 yards and 5 rushing touchdown performance against Princeton. On the year, Shannon has already ran for 780 yards and 11 touchdowns and also has added a receiving touchdown as well. Another offensive standout for the Blue Hawks has been senior quarterback, and University of Texas Baseball commit, Brenner Cox. Cox has led the Blue Hawk offense so far this season with 1240 yards through the air, 332 yards rushing, and 15 total touchdowns.

Defensively, Rock Hill has been led by senior linebacker Jarrett Hutson 64 tackles and 7 of those for loss. Another defensive standout for the Blue Hawk defense is junior defensive lineman Casy Adjei. Adjei so far on the season has accounted for 23 tackles, 7 of those tackles for loss, 5 quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles.

M 1NDSE T There has been a major difference in this year’s team due to a number of factors but one of the most notable would be the senior leadership. This senior class is not only a large class in number for Rock Hill, but also in impact both in the locker room and in the community. Some of the standout leaders from this senior class include offensive lineman Brayden Reynolds, offensive lineman Matt Sermania, and defensive lineman Cole Seitz. These senior leaders paired with the above-mentioned Shannon, Cox, Hutson, and Adjei to not only take leadership on the field but also in serving the Prosper ISD community. This senior class has done a great job of leading from the front and has “doubled down” so to speak on the foundation built by the first ever Rock Hill Football team in 2020.

The future of Rock Hill Football is extremely bright with the mindset of loving the process of improving every single day. This mindset has influenced the Blue Hawk football program at all levels in 2021. The Rock Hill sub-varsity teams have seen tremendous success again both on and off the field that continues to build the excitement of the Prosper ISD community for the years to come.

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||PHS VOLLEYBALL

-Coach Erin Kauffman

How is your season progressing, and what do are your projections for District play and post-season?

Are there any graduating seniors who are moving on to compete at the college level?

We are currently 23-9 overall, 4-2 in district. Right now there is a tight race at the top of the district with 4 teams having 1 or 2 losses, so the second round of district will be really important for us and we will have a better feel for where we will finish.

From last year’s class: Sami Jacobs is at Alabama, Nikki Steinheiser is at Boston College, Taylor Youtsey is at Cal Poly, Bailey Birmingham-Rowe is at Tulsa, and Kialah Jefferson is at Virginia Commonwealth (VCU). We have four seniors currently on the team, and right now Jazzlyn Ford is the only senior committed to play in college, at Indiana State.

What are you enjoying most about this year’s team and how are different from your past teams?

This year we welcomed a lot of new faces to the Varsity squad, after graduating 9 last year. They are very close to each other, and everyone works really hard in practice daily.

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Who are your standouts this season, and who has really surprised you?

Sophomore Ayden Ames leads our team in kills this year and has been a great addition to our program. Seniors Jazzlyn Ford and Kendall Hewitt have been consistent forces for us, both offensively and defensively.

Juniors Brie Martin, Ella Chaney, and Callie Kieffer are all returning

Protect The Tradition Varsity starters who have just continued to dominate on the court in their positions.

Some girls that have emerged this year are Seniors Hayley Harrington, who is doing a great job on defense and is great at stepping up vocally and possesses a lot of energy, and Kamryn Vanatta, who is multi-faceted and is willing to do whatever is needed for the team and has played both backrow and front row for us this year. Sophomores Sydney Thornton has stepped up in the middle and has emerged as one of our most talented blockers and is extremely fast laterally, as well as her arm swing, and Reese Renfrow has continued to improve and has made her way into our starting lineup.

What types of accolades have your athletes received so far this season?

Sophomore Ayden Ames, named to the National Team Development Program Fall Camp Roster, Rockwall “Battle for the Rock” All Tournament Team and Northwest ISD AllTournament Team. Junior Callie Kieffer and Senior Jazzlyn Ford both Northwest ISD All-Tournament Team. Juniors Callie Kieffer, Ella Chaney, and Brie Martin all named to the AVCA “Phenom” list, and Senior Jazzlyn Ford named to the AVCA All American Watchlist.

Let’s talk about your theme for this season…do you have a slogan, and if so, what does it mean?

Our theme is “Protect the Tradition”...it’s not a secret that we graduated a huge chunk of our team last year. I knew that we were going to surprise a lot of people with our talent this year--even if we are young--but I also wanted the girls to have something to motivate themselves to keep pushing for more and have faith in themselves, because they are capable of so much. We are Prosper Volleyball…we don’t rebuild; we reload!

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||RHHS VOLLEYBALL

-Coach Angel Mauterer

We’re about halfway through the season now…how are things going for Rock Hill Volleyball and do you have any projections for District or postseason play?

We are 18-15 on the season and sitting in 3rd place in district. We expect to make our 2nd consecutive postseason appearance with a chance to go a few rounds deep.

It’s your second season as Rock Hill’s Head Volleyball Coach. What do you enjoy most about this team and how are they different from last year’s?

I love how invested these athletes are in making our program and school the best it can be. They truly understand what it means to leave a legacy and they do everything they can to pass that passion and excitement on to the younger players!

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Are there any of your seniors who are moving on to compete at the college level?

Yes, Hailey Smith will continue her volleyball career at Nova Southeastern University.

Who are your team leaders this season, and what makes them truly special?

We have a large leadership group; each leader has a specific skill set and role for the team. Our leadership group started working last spring with a book study over the book Power of a Positive Team. We would then teach each of those lessons to the rest of the players in the program.

Trust Who are your standouts and is there anyone who has really surprised you this season?

Hailey Smith and Alexa Breslin have been doing a great job for us this year. Hailey has the highest hitting percentages in the district and is ranked 2nd in the state. Alexa Breslin is 2nd in district in kills and top 5 in digs!

Does this year’s team have a theme or a slogan, and if so, what does it mean?

Our theme this year has been TRUST…we want the players to trust each other, the coaches, the process, their families and trust themselves.

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||PHS Team Tennis

- Coach Mandy Weaver

Our Prosper JV and Varsity Teams are on a roll this fall season! Both teams are working extremely hard on and off the court and coming together as a true family! That is our slogan this year... #family and they demonstrate that well.

lead by words, yes, but their actions, morals and accountability are things that their teammates see and notice. Aside from being successful young adults, they are outstanding students in the classroom and athletes on the tennis court.

The Varsity Team is doing extremely well and to say I am proud is an understatement! We are 6 – 1 in district, 8 – 3 for the season, and going into the Fall District Tournament as the 2nd seed. I believe we can go far in the postseason and have very high hopes for this team. Coach Cunningham and I are very proud of how hard they work, how hard they fight, and how well they represent Prosper ISD.

I want to highlight that it is a complete TEAM effort to be where we are right now. An athlete can go out and win their individual match, but we must win a total of at least 10 matches to win the entire dual match. We fight together, we win together, and to see them pull together and do this as a team is really something.

The JV Team is doing great as well. They are 4 – 2 for the season and in district and are going into the Fall JV District Tournament as the 3rd seed.

We have a lot of new faces on the JV team, but they have really come together to be very successful.

Drew John and Ava Kirkendall are two of our seven seniors on the Prosper High School Varsity Tennis Team. These two were elected captains by their teammates and they are doing an incredible job! They

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This year has been a lot of fun and it helps when you have athletes on both teams who want to be a part of something, want to learn and get better, and want to win! One of the many things I love about high school tennis is that we compete all year! We have two seasons, fall and spring.

That means we have SO many opportunities to get better, work harder and BE better. It’s only the beginning to a great year and the team has had an unbelievable start! GO EAGLES!

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Leaders

On and Off the Court

Drew John and Ava Kirkendall are both seniors on the Prosper High School Varsity Tennis Team. They were elected team captains by their teammates, and they are doing an incredible job! Yes, they lead with by words, but their actions, morals, and accountability are the things that their teammates see and take notice of. Aside from being successful young adults, they are outstanding students in the classroom and athletes on the tennis court.

Drew John plays number one singles and number one doubles this year.

His height is one of the first things his opponents notice, and he uses that to his advantage and puts that in play with an outstanding, strong serve and volley. Along with being 6”4, his intensity shows the second he walks on the court. His match is one the team wants to watch and learn from. It’s always a good one; loud and fired up, his teammates learn from his skills, rituals, and intensity. He is extremely coachable, making it very enjoyable to coach him. When his match is over, you can find Drew on the sidelines cheering his team on as others play. Last year Drew won the District Tournament in Boys Doubles and made it to the quarterfinals at the Regional Tournament. Drew is a great student in his classes, knowing that his studies are just as important as tennis. His goal after high school is to play tennis at collegiate level and study business.

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Ava Kirkendall is a solid player whose height is the opposite of Drew’s, but don’t let that fool you. She may only be 5’4”, but she is as determined as she can be! She steps on the court ready to win, doesn’t give up, and is respectful to her opponents and represents Prosper in a positive way.

There are many things that stand out about Ava, but Coach Weaver was extra proud of her for something she recognized and did this year. Last season, Ava was Prosper’s number one singles player and she held that spot all year. A couple of new players moved into the district this summer and she now plays at the number three singles spot. Instead of being upset and discouraged by not playing the top position, she did just the opposite. She embraced the notion that if she needs to play three singles to help her team win and be better... bring it. That is what she does. She puts her team first and leads her team by showing them that there is “no I in team”. Ava was a dual athlete two of the years she played on the varsity tennis team, running for the Track and Cross Country team. She did a fantastic job in both of those and was a big part of those program’s successes. Ava is also an extremely hard worker in the classroom and puts her studies first. She plans to study biochemistry and molecular biology in college.

Drew John

These two are doing a fantastic job leading their team this year and Prosper Tennis is just getting started!! The team is doing an incredible job this year, winning two of their matches 19-0 and beating Denton Guyer, who defeated them last year. It was a solid, exciting win! Coach Weaver has high hopes for this team. They work very hard at practice and on their own, but most importantly they play as if they were a FAMILY. They push each other, hold each other accountable, and they have fun!

Ava Kirkendall

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||RHHS Team Tennis

-Coach David Sands

We have had an amazing season so far. Our varsity team is 6 – 0 in district play and our JV is 5 – 1. We are guaranteed to make the playoffs and are playing for the district championship in our final match against an undefeated Lovejoy. Either way we will finish 1st or 2nd in District.

This team has played their hearts out and I could not be prouder of them.

We graduated 8 seniors from last year’s team, so several players have had to step up and fill the void from our graduating seniors. They have not disappointed and some of our biggest matches have come down to a new varsity player.

The thing I enjoy most about this year’s team is the “team first” mentality and wanting to improve day in and day out. They make my job as a coach easy because they want to get better and be successful. We graduated both of our team captains and have two new ones this year. Ben Cochrum and Ainsley Lutes have stepped up in a big way and built on the culture we created in our first-year last year. They have led the team by example and grown as individuals. Our captains could not have done a better job!

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Our standouts for the year have been two players, a boy and a girl. Blake Anderson, who is a freshman, is our #1 player and has gone undefeated!

Oviya Panneerselvam, who moved here from Illinois, has fit right in and raised our Girls’ team to a whole new level! I try to tell my team before each match and in our huddles “And remember to HAVE FUN!” There are too many times in sports that people forget that the reason they play is to have fun, so I try to remind of that every chance I get!

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||PHS CROSS COUNTRY

-Coach Jennifer Gegogeine

What have you enjoyed most about this year’s team and how are they different from your past teams?

This year’s team is very close and are very supportive towards one another. Practices are great because you will see each runner high five one another and encourage each other during their workout. They genuinely care for each other and their bond travels beyond the course.

Do you have any graduating seniors who are moving on to compete at the collegiate level?

As of right now, Aubrey O’Connell has verbally committed to Oklahoma State University. I do believe we will have more seniors run at the next level, but they are still deciding at this point.

How has leadership shaped your team this season, who are your leaders, and what makes them so special for the team?

On the Boys’ side our team leader is Remi Oyedipe. On the Girls’ end we have several seniors that are leaders: Rylee Gleich, Sadie Gonzales, Emily Kern, Cailtyn Kennedy and Aubrey O’Connell.

They all offer a unique perspective and a key role that contributes to the overall success of the teams.

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Who are your standout runners and who has really surprised you?

We have quite a few standouts this year. We have Diane Shaw, a junior who has actively pursued volleyball until this year and has transitioned to distance running, Max Miller and Tyler Epps have been putting in the hard work and their races this year have revealed all that hard work.

We have also added some new faces to the team like Shewaye Johnson, Taryn Stilson, Kristjana Miller and Madeline Patel. In addition, we have a few of new freshmen like Reagan Reed, Ava Garretson, Gabe Logan and Grant Krueger who have had standout performances.

Are there any accolades that your kids have earned so far this year?

The Girls’ team has constantly been ranked 3rd in the state for 6A this season and the guys were ranked 9th in the middle of the season.

What is this year’s theme? Do you have a slogan and if so, what does it mean?

Each year we have a team mantra for the season. This year our team mantra is RTW! “Race to WIN!” We are in the hunt and want to take the gold. Each day they are chopping wood so when the big meet is here they are prepared and ready to race and win!

Race to W IN!

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||RHHS CROSS COUNTRY

-Coach Zach Morgan

How do you feel like your season has gone and do you have any projections for District or postseason meets?

How has your team leadership shaped up this season, who are your leaders, and what makes them so special for the team?

We have had a great second season. Several newcomers have stepped up in terms of fitness and leadership on the varsity level. The varsity boys and girls have placed in the top 10 at 4 out of 5 meets, and the varsity girls won the Braswell Invitational. Both teams are projected to qualify for the Region II 5A Championship, and the UIL State 5A Championship!

Our leadership this year has been great. This year’s seniors came in with only one season of varsity experience, and they have done an excellent job grasping hold of what they learned last season and sharing it with their teammates.

What do you enjoy most about this year’s team, and how are they different from your inaugural team?

I have really enjoyed watching a new group of athletes show up each day determined to run better for their team. We graduated almost half of our roster last year and have a lot of young newcomers put in the work and surprise themselves each week after their race.

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Who are you standout runners and who has really surprised you?

Gabriel De La O and Rees Van Voorhis have led the way for the Blue Hawks at each meet, both running personal bests and posting several top 20 finishes at each meet. Lena Schmid has been a great addition and surprise this season. She is a foreign exchange student from Switzerland and posted a #5 all-time 5K in school history with no prior running experience. Evan Petermeier has also been a nice surprise. He was a middle of the pack freshman on JV last year but made a big leap in fitness this year and landed himself on our varsity squad.

Rock 2 Rock

Time to brag on your athletes a little…are there any accolades that your kids have earned so far this year?

Connor King, Rees Van Voorhis, and Logan Dellenbach have all been named Prosper ISD Student Athlete of the month. Varsity Boys and Girls both qualified for the Region II 5A Championship for the second year in a row. Gabriel De La O, Matthew Kasenic, Lena Schmid, and Rees Van Voorhis earned all-district honors by placing in the top 10 at the district championship.

What is this year’s theme? Do you have a slogan and if so, what does it mean?

We have a saying this year of ‘Rock 2 Rock’ which means to reach our goal of both Rock Hill teams qualifying for the state meet in Round Rock, Texas.

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Honor the Game

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