Rockwall High School Jacket Backers recognize
Jacket Athletes of the Month
Jacket Athletes of the Month
Congratulations to RHS Jacket Backers Athletes of the Month
Listed below are all of the outstanding accomplishments made by these athletes during last month:
Baseball – Micah Kendrick, Senior
Micah plays second base and short stop. He is committed to play baseball at TCU. For the month of April, Micah hit .464 going 13 for 28 at the plate with 3 doubles, 3 triples, a homerun, and 12 RBI's. Micah also scored 8 runs and stole 9 bases.
Softball – Laci Larsen, Junior
Laci is an integral part of the Lady Jacket softball team. She is the starting catcher and does an incredible job behind the plate. She calls her own game because she knows how to read the situations, the batter and their stance. Laci knows her pitchers in and out making an effective defensive duo. Laci is batting over .300 and has driven in 17 RBI’s on the season so far. She has also been such a leader on the team. She works so hard, never takes a rep off, and is a true leader by example. Her passion for the game and for her teammates’ success is undeniable. Laci is a huge part of the RHS softball program’s success this year.
Men’s Gymnastics – Caden Nowaczyk and Jirden Ware, Team Captains
The team captains have done a fantastic job of leading this team all season long. As a result of their hard work and excellent leadership, the men’s gymnastics team has now won their THIRD straight State Championship title. Caden and Jirden have both put 4 years of training into the RHS Gymnastics program, and they understand (through experience) what it takes to be at your best at the right time. These two young men not only led by example, but also held their teammates accountable with the use of support, encouragement, direction, and enforcement of all the core values this team has demonstrated for years. Caden and Jirden’s leadership is much appreciated!
Women’s Gymnastics – Makenzie Kapphahn, Senior
Makenzie is a four-year varsity gymnast. She is a strong competitor and amazing leader. She always puts her team first and goes All In every day. Kenzie has had her fair share of adversity and set backs throughout her gymnastics career, but she has always comes back stronger and better each time. At the 2023 state meet, Kenzie was named to the High School National team and will compete for Team Texas in Florida on May 19th.
Men’s Track – Brendon Ross, Junior
Brendon had an unfortunate issue in the boys 100 meter dash at the District meet; however, he made up for it by qualifying for Area in the 4x100 relay and the 200 meter dash. At Area, Brendon placed 2nd in the 200 meter dash, which earned him a spot to advance to the Regional meet. In the prelims, Brendon ran a 21.65, a new PR. In the finals, Brendon placed 6th with a 21.72. Brendon is .09 away from the RHS school record in the 200 meter dash. Coach McCrary predicts that Brendon will set a new school record his senior year!
Men’s Track – T.J. Emory, Senior
T.J. qualified for Area in the 100 meter dash and the 4x100 meter relay. At District, TJ was considered a slight under-dog for the 100 meter dash; however, he ran an impressive 10.8 in the event. TJ's leadership will be missed, and we wish him the best of luck in his future.
Men’s Track – Michael Wells, Junior
Michael won both the shot put and discus events at the District meet. At Area, Michael placed 3rd in the shot put and 4th in the discus, which qualified him for Regionals in both events. At the Regional meet, Michael didn't have the best moment in discus, but he placed 3rd overall in Shot Put. He was 6.5" away from 2nd place, which would have been an automatic qualification for the state meet. Knowing Michael, he will use this to his advantage and will be representing Rockwall in the boys shot put in 2024.
Men’s Track – Collin McCrillis, Junior
Collin qualified and competed in the boys 110 hurdles at the Regional meet. Collin placed 5th overall in prelims while running a new PR time of 14.27. Collin placed 6th overall with a time of 14.46. Collin will take 2024 to the next level.
Men’s Track – Garrett Savage, Junior
At the District meet, Garrett placed 2nd in the pole vault with a PR vault of 14'0". At Area, he placed 4th but managed to qualify for the regional meet. Regionals didn't go quite like he had hoped but considering that he had an injury at the beginning of the year, Garrett had a great season. He knows what he has to do, and he already has it mapped out to have a successful 2024 season.
Men’s Track – Cristian Barron, Junior
Cristian is a distance runner. At District, he won the 3200 meter run and placed 3rd in the 1600 meter run. At the Area track meet, something was just off, so he didn't advance in the 3200 meter run. Cristian knew that if he wanted to extend his season, then he had to come out guns blazing in the 1600 meter run. He did just that by running a 4:31.98! Cristian placed 3rd and advanced to the Regional track meet. At Regionals, the race didn't go quite like he envisioned, but it doesn't define or take away from the season that he had. He still has one more season left with RHS. Cristian has his eyes set on getting his name on the record board in the 3200 and 1600 meter runs.
Women’s Track – Claire Lowrey, Senior
For the 2023 season, Claire is undefeated in the girls high jump. She won the Region II-6A meet for the third straight year, and she also qualified for her 3rd straight trip to the State Track Meet on May 13th. One more meet and Claire only has GOLD in mind to finish out her high school career.
Women’s Track – Ally Otis, Sophomore
Ally qualified for the Regional meet in 5 events. Ally is a very talented athlete that can do a wide variety of events. At the regional meet, Ally placed 3rd in the high jump and was also able to win the "Wildcard Spot" for the state competition on May 13th. Ally also ran the girls 100 hurdles. Although she didn't make the finals in that event, she did run a personal best of 14.70. She was also a member of the girls 4x400 relay that placed 5th overall at the regional meet.
Women’s Track -- Emma Santoro, Junior
Emma qualified for Regionals in 3 events. Emma placed 4th in the girls 800 meter run, and she was also a member of the 4x400 relay that finished 5th overall. The highlight of Emma's regional meet is her 2nd place finish in the 400 meter dash. Emma went into the regional meet ranked 5th and barely squeezed into the finals by placing 8th. Emma had lane 8 in the finals. Emma knew what she had to do, and she executed that plan by running a beautiful race finishing 2nd overall! Emma was only 1/100th of a second from 1st place. Emma will be competing in the State Track Meet on May 13th in the girls 400 meter dash.
Women’s Track - Presley Green, Senior
Presley ran the last race of her high school career at the regional track meet. Presley has been a huge leader on the girls track team and one of the many reasons for the team’s success. Presley ran the 4x100 and 4x200 relays at the regional meet. As a junior, Presley managed to get her name on the record board as a member of the 4x100 relay record breaking team. Presley’s coaches are forever grateful for the hard work and leadership that she brought to the RHS program. Presley is one that will definitely be missed. Good luck Presley as you begin the next chapter of your life as you go off to Texas A&M!
Women’s Track -- Tylar Parker, Junior
Tylar qualified for Regionals in the 4x100 and 100 meter dash. Tylar has the tools to go to the next level after high school. As a junior, Tylar broke the school record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.05. This year, at the district meet, Tylar broke her own record by running a time of 11.92 seconds. Bigger things are coming for Tylar in 2024.
Women’s Track -- Charley Hamilton, Junior
Charley is a distance/middle distance runner for the Lady Jackets. At the District meet, Charley brought home 3 gold medals by winning the 800 meters, 1600 meters and being a member of the 4x400 relay team. At Area, Charley placed 2nd in the 800, 1st in the 1600 and was on the 1st place 4x400 relay team. At Regionals, Charley placed 7th in 800, 16th in the 1600 and was a member of the 5th place 4x400 relay team. In the 4x400 prelim, Charley ran her first 59 second relay split. Charley is a very talented athlete that has JFND running through her veins.
Women’s Track -- Kaela Perez, Junior
Kaela is a junior hurdler and 4x400 relay member. At the district meet, Kaela got tripped up in the 100 hurdles and missed out earning a medal and advancing in what would have been her 3rd event for the area meet. She made up for that in the 300 hurdles where she won the district championship. She was also a member of the District and Area Champion 4x400 Relay teams. At Area, Kaela placed 3rd in the 300 hurdles and advanced to regionals. At Regionals, Kaela placed 11th in the prelims with a 46.24 that tied her overall PR time. Kaela also was a member of the 5th place 4x400 relay team that advanced to regionals. Kaela is a fierce competitor for RHS and will leave it all out there in 2024.
Women’s Track – Saylor Stevenson, Sophomore
Saylor is a distance runner. At District, she placed 3rd in the 800, 1st in the 3200, and 2nd in the 1600. Saylor dropped the 800 meter run for the area meet. She placed 1st in the 3200 and 2nd in the 1600. Saylor qualified for the regional meet in both races where she placed 9th in both events. In the 1600, she ran a personal best time of 5:21.35. Saylor is a solid athlete that will continue to get better each year. Looking forward to what the next two years have in store for Saylor.
Men’s Golf – Hudson Green, Freshman
Hudson led the Jackets in stroke average this year. He placed 6th in the district tournament on by shooting 72-80=152. This earned him a trip to the regional tournament at the Golf Club at A&M where he shot 74-76=150 and placed in the top 20 as a freshman. Hudson is a great talent with a great future. We are glad he has 3 years left as a Jacket. He earned 1st team all-district and 2nd team all-region with his scores at these tournaments.
Women’s Golf – Ainsley Hergert, Senior
Ainsley led the Lady Jackets in scoring average this year. Ainsley shot 85-89=174 at the district tournament and placed 4th. The team placed 2nd and went on to the regional tournament at the Golf Club at A&M. At Regionals, Ainsley shot 84-92=176 and tied for 34th. Not a bad career for a golfer that only began to play the first week of school her freshman year. She is continuing her career at Morningside University in Iowa next year. Ainsley has been a great asset to the Lady Jackets.
Listed below are all of the outstanding accomplishments made by these athletes during last month:
Baseball – Micah Kendrick, Senior
Micah plays second base and short stop. He is committed to play baseball at TCU. For the month of April, Micah hit .464 going 13 for 28 at the plate with 3 doubles, 3 triples, a homerun, and 12 RBI's. Micah also scored 8 runs and stole 9 bases.
Softball – Laci Larsen, Junior
Laci is an integral part of the Lady Jacket softball team. She is the starting catcher and does an incredible job behind the plate. She calls her own game because she knows how to read the situations, the batter and their stance. Laci knows her pitchers in and out making an effective defensive duo. Laci is batting over .300 and has driven in 17 RBI’s on the season so far. She has also been such a leader on the team. She works so hard, never takes a rep off, and is a true leader by example. Her passion for the game and for her teammates’ success is undeniable. Laci is a huge part of the RHS softball program’s success this year.
Men’s Gymnastics – Caden Nowaczyk and Jirden Ware, Team Captains
The team captains have done a fantastic job of leading this team all season long. As a result of their hard work and excellent leadership, the men’s gymnastics team has now won their THIRD straight State Championship title. Caden and Jirden have both put 4 years of training into the RHS Gymnastics program, and they understand (through experience) what it takes to be at your best at the right time. These two young men not only led by example, but also held their teammates accountable with the use of support, encouragement, direction, and enforcement of all the core values this team has demonstrated for years. Caden and Jirden’s leadership is much appreciated!
Women’s Gymnastics – Makenzie Kapphahn, Senior
Makenzie is a four-year varsity gymnast. She is a strong competitor and amazing leader. She always puts her team first and goes All In every day. Kenzie has had her fair share of adversity and set backs throughout her gymnastics career, but she has always comes back stronger and better each time. At the 2023 state meet, Kenzie was named to the High School National team and will compete for Team Texas in Florida on May 19th.
Men’s Track – Brendon Ross, Junior
Brendon had an unfortunate issue in the boys 100 meter dash at the District meet; however, he made up for it by qualifying for Area in the 4x100 relay and the 200 meter dash. At Area, Brendon placed 2nd in the 200 meter dash, which earned him a spot to advance to the Regional meet. In the prelims, Brendon ran a 21.65, a new PR. In the finals, Brendon placed 6th with a 21.72. Brendon is .09 away from the RHS school record in the 200 meter dash. Coach McCrary predicts that Brendon will set a new school record his senior year!
Men’s Track – T.J. Emory, Senior
T.J. qualified for Area in the 100 meter dash and the 4x100 meter relay. At District, TJ was considered a slight under-dog for the 100 meter dash; however, he ran an impressive 10.8 in the event. TJ's leadership will be missed, and we wish him the best of luck in his future.
Men’s Track – Michael Wells, Junior
Michael won both the shot put and discus events at the District meet. At Area, Michael placed 3rd in the shot put and 4th in the discus, which qualified him for Regionals in both events. At the Regional meet, Michael didn't have the best moment in discus, but he placed 3rd overall in Shot Put. He was 6.5" away from 2nd place, which would have been an automatic qualification for the state meet. Knowing Michael, he will use this to his advantage and will be representing Rockwall in the boys shot put in 2024.
Men’s Track – Collin McCrillis, Junior
Collin qualified and competed in the boys 110 hurdles at the Regional meet. Collin placed 5th overall in prelims while running a new PR time of 14.27. Collin placed 6th overall with a time of 14.46. Collin will take 2024 to the next level.
Men’s Track – Garrett Savage, Junior
At the District meet, Garrett placed 2nd in the pole vault with a PR vault of 14'0". At Area, he placed 4th but managed to qualify for the regional meet. Regionals didn't go quite like he had hoped but considering that he had an injury at the beginning of the year, Garrett had a great season. He knows what he has to do, and he already has it mapped out to have a successful 2024 season.
Men’s Track – Cristian Barron, Junior
Cristian is a distance runner. At District, he won the 3200 meter run and placed 3rd in the 1600 meter run. At the Area track meet, something was just off, so he didn't advance in the 3200 meter run. Cristian knew that if he wanted to extend his season, then he had to come out guns blazing in the 1600 meter run. He did just that by running a 4:31.98! Cristian placed 3rd and advanced to the Regional track meet. At Regionals, the race didn't go quite like he envisioned, but it doesn't define or take away from the season that he had. He still has one more season left with RHS. Cristian has his eyes set on getting his name on the record board in the 3200 and 1600 meter runs.
Women’s Track – Claire Lowrey, Senior
For the 2023 season, Claire is undefeated in the girls high jump. She won the Region II-6A meet for the third straight year, and she also qualified for her 3rd straight trip to the State Track Meet on May 13th. One more meet and Claire only has GOLD in mind to finish out her high school career.
Women’s Track – Ally Otis, Sophomore
Ally qualified for the Regional meet in 5 events. Ally is a very talented athlete that can do a wide variety of events. At the regional meet, Ally placed 3rd in the high jump and was also able to win the "Wildcard Spot" for the state competition on May 13th. Ally also ran the girls 100 hurdles. Although she didn't make the finals in that event, she did run a personal best of 14.70. She was also a member of the girls 4x400 relay that placed 5th overall at the regional meet.
Women’s Track -- Emma Santoro, Junior
Emma qualified for Regionals in 3 events. Emma placed 4th in the girls 800 meter run, and she was also a member of the 4x400 relay that finished 5th overall. The highlight of Emma's regional meet is her 2nd place finish in the 400 meter dash. Emma went into the regional meet ranked 5th and barely squeezed into the finals by placing 8th. Emma had lane 8 in the finals. Emma knew what she had to do, and she executed that plan by running a beautiful race finishing 2nd overall! Emma was only 1/100th of a second from 1st place. Emma will be competing in the State Track Meet on May 13th in the girls 400 meter dash.
Women’s Track - Presley Green, Senior
Presley ran the last race of her high school career at the regional track meet. Presley has been a huge leader on the girls track team and one of the many reasons for the team’s success. Presley ran the 4x100 and 4x200 relays at the regional meet. As a junior, Presley managed to get her name on the record board as a member of the 4x100 relay record breaking team. Presley’s coaches are forever grateful for the hard work and leadership that she brought to the RHS program. Presley is one that will definitely be missed. Good luck Presley as you begin the next chapter of your life as you go off to Texas A&M!
Women’s Track -- Tylar Parker, Junior
Tylar qualified for Regionals in the 4x100 and 100 meter dash. Tylar has the tools to go to the next level after high school. As a junior, Tylar broke the school record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.05. This year, at the district meet, Tylar broke her own record by running a time of 11.92 seconds. Bigger things are coming for Tylar in 2024.
Women’s Track -- Charley Hamilton, Junior
Charley is a distance/middle distance runner for the Lady Jackets. At the District meet, Charley brought home 3 gold medals by winning the 800 meters, 1600 meters and being a member of the 4x400 relay team. At Area, Charley placed 2nd in the 800, 1st in the 1600 and was on the 1st place 4x400 relay team. At Regionals, Charley placed 7th in 800, 16th in the 1600 and was a member of the 5th place 4x400 relay team. In the 4x400 prelim, Charley ran her first 59 second relay split. Charley is a very talented athlete that has JFND running through her veins.
Women’s Track -- Kaela Perez, Junior
Kaela is a junior hurdler and 4x400 relay member. At the district meet, Kaela got tripped up in the 100 hurdles and missed out earning a medal and advancing in what would have been her 3rd event for the area meet. She made up for that in the 300 hurdles where she won the district championship. She was also a member of the District and Area Champion 4x400 Relay teams. At Area, Kaela placed 3rd in the 300 hurdles and advanced to regionals. At Regionals, Kaela placed 11th in the prelims with a 46.24 that tied her overall PR time. Kaela also was a member of the 5th place 4x400 relay team that advanced to regionals. Kaela is a fierce competitor for RHS and will leave it all out there in 2024.
Women’s Track – Saylor Stevenson, Sophomore
Saylor is a distance runner. At District, she placed 3rd in the 800, 1st in the 3200, and 2nd in the 1600. Saylor dropped the 800 meter run for the area meet. She placed 1st in the 3200 and 2nd in the 1600. Saylor qualified for the regional meet in both races where she placed 9th in both events. In the 1600, she ran a personal best time of 5:21.35. Saylor is a solid athlete that will continue to get better each year. Looking forward to what the next two years have in store for Saylor.
Men’s Golf – Hudson Green, Freshman
Hudson led the Jackets in stroke average this year. He placed 6th in the district tournament on by shooting 72-80=152. This earned him a trip to the regional tournament at the Golf Club at A&M where he shot 74-76=150 and placed in the top 20 as a freshman. Hudson is a great talent with a great future. We are glad he has 3 years left as a Jacket. He earned 1st team all-district and 2nd team all-region with his scores at these tournaments.
Women’s Golf – Ainsley Hergert, Senior
Ainsley led the Lady Jackets in scoring average this year. Ainsley shot 85-89=174 at the district tournament and placed 4th. The team placed 2nd and went on to the regional tournament at the Golf Club at A&M. At Regionals, Ainsley shot 84-92=176 and tied for 34th. Not a bad career for a golfer that only began to play the first week of school her freshman year. She is continuing her career at Morningside University in Iowa next year. Ainsley has been a great asset to the Lady Jackets.
Athletes of the Month (AOM)
Jacket Backers recognize and award the student athletes for Yellowjacket Athlete of the Month (AOM) and Lady Jacket Athlete of the Month (AOM) from a pool of candidates recommended by each varsity head coach.
Coaches must submit their candidates on the Athlete of the Month Award Online Form no later than 9:00 pm on the last Monday of each month. The candidates are chosen based on athletic accomplishments and demonstrated leadership.
Jacket Backers recognize and award the student athletes for Yellowjacket Athlete of the Month (AOM) and Lady Jacket Athlete of the Month (AOM) from a pool of candidates recommended by each varsity head coach.
Coaches must submit their candidates on the Athlete of the Month Award Online Form no later than 9:00 pm on the last Monday of each month. The candidates are chosen based on athletic accomplishments and demonstrated leadership.
Alumni Athletes
We're proud of our Rockwall HS athletes who have graduated and who are still playing competitive sports. To keep track of some of our Yellowjackets please visit our Alumni News & Videos page.
We're proud of our Rockwall HS athletes who have graduated and who are still playing competitive sports. To keep track of some of our Yellowjackets please visit our Alumni News & Videos page.