NEWKIRK HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETES receiving
awards at the Newkirk All-Sports Booster Club Athletic Program
on Friday, May 11 include (seated, left to right) Cheyanne Bay,
Stephen Leven, Brady Wilson, Stephen Thomas, (kneeling) Rakan
Adwan, Mark Coggins, Colton Leaming, Mike Coots, Barry Phillips,
(standing in back) Courtney Baldridge, Chase Johnston, Kelly
Mantz, Sara Felix, Nick Felix, Erin Sheik, Kayla Finuf, Trevor
Austin, Kelsey Calahan, Audrey Johnston, Tyler Boyer, Anthony
McDonald, Jamie Collyar, Cory Spotted Bear, Kaytlin Hoyt, Justin
Perry, Mason Meeks, Courtney Landis, Lauren Leven, Meeka Gentry,
Ty Goodno, Hayley Luis, Lance White, Kaylyn Pulley, and Chris
Aupperle. Award winners not pictured include seniors Kirsten
Avallone, Lois Bell, Travis Crippen, Michelle Duff, Garrett Greer,
Josh Harshman, Tyson King, Justin Kirchoff, Jesse Osburn, Danielle
Peters, James Rodgers, Miranda Tate, and Jessica Voegele; juniors
Adam Holland, Daniel Merz, Garret Meyer, and Greg Riff, and freshmen
Mark Harden and Samantha Shrewsberry.
NHS Athletes Gain
Recognition At
Annual Booster Club Program
Warm feelings were exchanged at the annual Athletic Awards
Program hosted by the Newkirk All-Sports Booster Club in the
St. Francis Catholic Church Gymnasium on Friday, May 11. The
event concluded the 2006-07 sports year at Newkirk High School
in memorable fashion for NHS athletes and their families, Newkirk
coaches, and the remainder of the large crowd of interested onlookers.
 Among the many tributes during the three-hour
ceremony, many firsts and several finales were celebrated as
the athletes and coaches in the nine athletic offerings at NHS
were recognized for their efforts. Coaches and fans showed their
gratitude to the departing group of seniors and their younger
teammates, plus several more individuals who helped out programs
during the sports seasons. All together, more than 125 presentations
were made during the night by the Booster Club, NHS coaches,
Newkirk Herald Journal, and the athletes themselves, who displayed
their appreciation to their coaches and others.
Jamie Collyar welcomed the group of sports enthusiasts, and Fellowship
of Christian Athletes President Trevor Austin offered the invocation
to begin the final event of their NHS athletic career for the
two seniors and 25 more of their classmates. It also marked the
last appearance for NHS Girls' Basketball/Track Assistant Coach
Dana Pulley, Newkirk Middle School Coach Larry Whitworth and
NHS Head Girls' Basketball Coach Dwight Winburn as coaches. Whitworth
and Winburn are both retiring from their coaching positions at
the end of the school year, and Pulley is relinquishing her post
to pursue more classroom opportunities.
As their most recent sign of support for Newkirk's athletes,
the All-Sports Boosters not only put on the event by decorating
the gym with enlarged pictures of the teams and numerous athletes
and providing refreshments for the crowd, but they also passed
out several awards. Booster Club President Leigh Anne Johnston
and Vice President David Finuf started the awards segment by
distributing plaques to each of the seniors involved in athletics.
Also, Danielle Peters and Tyler Boyer chosen randomly for
one female and one male each received a $100 college scholarship.
Johnston also compiled and presented a top 10 list of coaches'
quotes that stood out in the minds of NHS athletes.
 Along with the Booster Club, the nine
head coaches at NHS and the Newkirk Herald Journal passed out
awards. In all, 58 people were recognized for their efforts with
tokens of appreciation, and 27 made multiple appearances on stage
to collect hardware.
Three-sport seniors Erin Sheik and Mark Coggins led the cast
with five awards apiece. Among the females, Courtney Baldridge
and Jamie Collyar each picked up four apiece, and four males
Nick Felix, Kelly Mantz, Cory Spotted Bear, and Stephen
Thomas each garnered four awards.
A total of 26 underclassmen were honored. Sophomore girls Hayley
Luis and Kaylyn Pulley received three apiece as did four boys
juniors Chris Aupperle and Lance White, sophomore Anthony
McDonald, and freshman Ty Goodno. Lists of all of the award winners
are shown below and on page 5.
Sheik was named the NHJ Female Athlete of the Year, and Felix
received the NHJ Male Athlete of the Year award. Also, Ron and
Shelly Sheik were honored as the NHJ Fans of the Year.
Each head coach of the NHS athletic programs took the stage to
expand on the highlights of the sports seasons, offer thanks
to supporters, and distribute team awards. The senior class collected
a total of 68 pieces of recognition, the juniors received 23,
the sophomores snared 11, and the freshmen added 10.
Tiger Head Wrestling Coach Gene Bennett opened the coaches' awards
presentations. The veteran coach recognized his five State qualifiers
and four State placers and gave the Tiger Leadership award to
Coggins, McDonald was distinguished as the Toughest Tiger, junior
Rakan Adwan received the All-Heart Award, and Felix secured the
Most Valuable wrestler designation for the second straight year.
 NHS Co-ed Cheerleading Coach Kim Wilson
pointed out the All-Region status attained by Mantz and the fact
that Mantz and Thomas will continue their cheer careers next
year at Cowley College. Mantz was also honored as Most Versatile
Cheerleader, junior Colton Leaming for his Leadership and Dedication
to the cheer program, and senior Kelsey Calahan as Most Valuable
Cheerleader.
Barrett Shupe, who had attended the event previously as an athlete,
made his first appearance at the proceedings as the head football
coach of his alma-mater, and recognized several of his players.
Among the top awards, Shupe recognized senior Travis Crippen
as Lineman of the Year, Thomas as Offensive Player of the Year,
Goodno as Defensive Player of the Year, and Aupperle as MVP.
Curtis Layton, who serves as NHS head baseball coach and athletic
director, joked about the weather's impact on the 2007 baseball
season. He recognized junior Daniel Merz for his consistency,
named Coggins the team's impact player, and singled out Aupperle
as the team MVP.
Winburn made his final appearance as an NHS coach and lauded
D.Pulley's efforts and also recognized a colleague, multi-sport
NHS Assistant Coach Randy Hill, for his years of contributions
at NHS. Returning to the exploits of the Lady Tiger basketball
team, which posted 20 wins, Winburn presented the Defensive Player
of the Year award to K.Pulley while Baldridge and fellow senior
 Cheyanne Bay shared the Offensive Player
of the Year award, and E.Sheik attained the MVP honor.
Brad Larimer, the head coach of both the fast-pitch softball
and boys' basketball programs at NHS, credited his players for
an 18-win season on the softball diamond. Junior Audrey Johnston
earned the Defensive Player of the Year award, E.Sheik took the
Offensive Player of the Year designation, and Collyar snared
the MVP award.
An 11-win season by the Tigers on the basketball court that included
a team championship at the Frontier Tournament also delighted
Larimer, who lauded the efforts of his seniors. Three seniors
claimed the top awards as Boyer was named Offensive Player of
the Year, Cory Spotted Bear grabbed the Defensive Player of the
Year award, and Trevor Austin took the MVP plaque.
NHS Head Track & Field Coach Jeff Wilson, who guides both
the girls' and boys' teams, recognized the five athletes
four females and one male who placed at the State Meet
and the four girls who made first-place showings at the Regional
level. He also lauded the strong academic accomplishments of
the girls' team to produce a 3.69 grade-point average as a team.
Among Lady Tigers, J.Wilson presented the Tenacity award to  Hayley Luis and the Determination award
to K.Pulley. For the Tigers, Spotted Bear attained the Acceleration
award, Mantz turned in the Inspiring Performance, and junior
Brady Wilson gained the Endurance award.
J.Wilson remained on stage to pay tribute to Whitworth's 33 years
of service in Newkirk and the 17 years they coached together
in the middle school ranks. J.Wilson declared that Whitworth
will "do anything you ask of him."
To honor Winburn's efforts, D.Pulley documented many of his coaching
accomplishments but underscored that "more than his stats,
I appreciate the type of Christian person that he is." Winburn
coached in Newkirk for 17 years and will remain as principal
at NHS.
Following many of the coach's presentations, several Newkirk's
senior athletes in each sport honored their coaches. Also, the
athletes and coaches recognized NHJ Sports Editor Steve Testerman
in several ways, both with compliments and special gifts.
L.Johnston closed out the proceedings with closing remarks. She
proclaimed the tenets of Newkirk's Booster Club and asked for
the support of parents and community members to back the efforts
of student-athletes in the NHS athletic programs.
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