Lavaca Senior High track team competed in their district track meet yesterday in Danville. They did not have any high school (10th-12th grade) girls compete but we had three 9th grade girls from the junior high team move up and compete in the High School district. Anna Todaro took first place in long jump with a personal best jump of 15 ft 11 in and qualified for state. Resident Press would like to congratulate and wish good luck to Anna Todaro at State. All other 9th grade girls placed in their events but did not qualify. Rylie Green missed qualifying in the 100 m hurdles and the 300 m hurdles by one place. Several of the high school boys placed in their events, but did not qualify for state.
For the high school boys Austin Daigle, Bradley Dooley, Kaw-Liga Brewer, Jake Noble, Ethan Thomas, Colton Green, Andrew White, Cazsen Winters all competed and several placed in their events but none qualified for state. Coach Reed had this to say about his team, “I enjoyed the Sr high track season with the guys we had. Bradly Dooly placed 3rd in the 2 mile and 5th in the 1600m. Bradly improved greatly throughout the season. Austin Daigle placed in the 400m and 100m and was our best sprinter throughout the year. Colton Green placed in the high jump and has improved each year. All three of these guys will be back next year. Numerous athletes have improved this season and with our junior high guys moving up next year we will continue to grow.”
Friday, April 19, Hackett Elementary first grade teacher Val Harp was surprised during a testing pep rally assembly, and was named the Arkansas Rural Education Association’s (AREA) teacher of the Year for the North Region of Arkansas.
Harp was nominated for this honor by Hackett Elementary Principal Tura Bailey. Bailey submitted Harp’s nomination to Roy Hester, director of the Guy Fenter Education Cooperative. Each of the 15 educational cooperatives in Arkansas had a teacher vying for the AREA Teacher of the Year Award, and only two teachers were chosen statewide; one for the north region and one for the south region.
Harp has been an educator for 25 years. She is a National Board Certified teacher, is on the Economics Arkansas Counsel, the Federal Reserve Economics Advisory Board and is a presenter at the REAL Conference in Little Rock each summer.
She is the true epitome of a dedicated teacher of a rural school. Harp knows firsthand the benefits of teaching in a rural school and the heart break when a rural school has to be closed. Prior to teaching first grade at Hackett Elementary this year, she spent 24 years teaching at the now closed Hartford Elementary.
Her philosophy of teaching is that every child can and will learn at their own pace. Mrs. Harp seeks to fill her class with unique, hands-on lessons that appeal to all learning styles. Harp’s love of students and teaching is evident in her classroom each and every day. She seeks to instill the growth mindset of YET (which is Hackett Elementary’s personal motto this year) into each of her students. They may not be there YET but they will before they leave Harp’s class.
“She’s truly an outstanding educator. It was such a pleasure to see her honored in such a way today,” stated Bailey. Harp’s husband, Johnny Harp, Hackett High School agri teacher, along with their three children, grandchildren and Harp’s mother were present at Friday’s ceremony.
Dennis Copeland, Assistant Director of the Arkansas Rural Education Association was on hand to present the award. Harp is also invited to attend the Arkansas Rural Education Association’s summer conference July 9-10 in Eureka Springs, where she will once again be recognized. At the summer conference Harp will receive a crystal apple and a $1000 courtesy of the Rural Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
HES Principal Bailey said “Hackett Elementary is truly blessed to have Val Harp as one of our teachers and truly exonerates ‘Great things are happening at Hackett Elementary!”
In an eight-inning slam fest, the Hackett Hornets mustered every ounce of energy they had to secure a 5-1 win against the Mountainburg Dragons last Friday night. With two teams both determined to win this conference game, the Hornets achieved what they had set out to do in the first place and that was win. Hackett ended their season 4-9 in total play and 2-4 in conference.
Ty Smith netted three hits, one RBI, one putout, and four assists. Mason Oelke scored one hit and eight putouts. Ethan Slavens grabbed one putout and one assist. Luke Gann earned eight putouts. Isiah Carter secured one run and one hit.
Tyler Satterfield gained two runs, four hits, and one assist. Jessie Esparza brought in one run and one hit. Jake Fisher totaled one run, two hits, two RBI, and one putout. Layne Dennis snagged one putout. And pitcher Avery Hester garnered three hits, one RBI, one putout, and two assists. He also catapulted 104 pitches to 28 batters striking out seven. Next up for these Hornets will be District play on Wednesday, April 24.
In their last conference game of the season, the Waldron Bulldogs faced the Cedarville Pirates in a self-assuring in-your-face total control baseball match. The five-inning game was slow to start as zero runs were placed on the board in the first two innings. By the last three innings, the Bulldogs had smacked out 13 runs to the Pirates 1 ending the game.
Ruben Valdez grabbed one run and one runner batted in. Bryson Bailey secured one run, one, hit, and one RBI. Seth Hunt scored two runs, two hits, one RBI, one steal, and one putout. Drake Carnley netted one run, one RBI, and one putout. Clayton Montgomery earned two runs and one RBI. Braden Williams snagged two runs, two hits, and one RBI.
Blake Owens logged two runs, three hits, three RBI, and three assists. Caden Fuller took one steal and two hits. Lone senior of the team is Tyler Owens. Tyler obtained two runs, one hit, one RBI, and one putout. Also pitching for the Bulldogs, he threw out 88 pitches to 18 batters striking out 11. Tylers 0.61 ERA is amongst the top in the state in all classifications. He is a four-year letterman and starter and has played every varsity position except second base and shortstop. Tyler’s totals on the season so far are 13 hits, 8 runs, 8 RBI, 716 pitches to 169 batters, and 80 strikeouts.
The Bulldogs are sitting 4-12 in total season play and 4-6 in conference. Districts will be held later this week so until then the Bulldogs will fine-tune their skills and get focused on dominating their bracket.
It was an edge of your seat intense softball match between the Hackett Lady Hornets and the Booneville Lady Bearcats in last Fridays Magazine Showcase Championship Game. The game was action-packed the entire five innings when in the end the Lady Bearcats pulled ahead with the win 10-9.
Audrie Chaney grabbed a run and four putouts. Jamye Durham scored three runs, two hits, three runners batted in, and two putouts. Madi Taylor secured one run, one hit, and one putout. Sarah White bagged one run, six putouts, and one assist.
Shayla Foster landed two runs, one hit, one RBI, two assists, and one putout. Madeline Freeman gained one hit, one RBI, and two assists. And pitcher Kayla Richardson picked up one run, two hits, and two RBI. She also heaved out 111 pitches to 28 batters striking out six.
The 17-5 Lady Hornets have two games left to play this week until heading off to District play on Thursday. Tonight, they face the Lady Dragons in Mountainburg at 4:30 p.m.
Literally thousands of kids across our area gathered to participate in egg hunts at Mansfield, Waldron, Hartford and Hackett.
Those egg hunts took place at 1 and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. The Chamber of Commerce sponsored the one in Mansfield. Mayor Buddy Black prayed over the event, “Lord help us to remember the reason for this season and that you died so that we could live.”
In Waldron, Mayor David Millard hosted the first annual “Mayor Dave’s Easter Egg Hunt.” The day was a phenomenal success. Children were awarded bicycles, tricycles and other many prizes. “It was a lot of fun,” said city employee Regina Oliver.
In Hackett, the Special Events Committee hosted their annual event. The turnout was great, and the weather was perfect. The Easter Bunny even made a special appearance!
Lastly, in Hartford, the city hosted their fourth annual Reed Hyre Easter Egg Hunt at Alexander Park. They had great prizes, raffled off Easter Baskets, and had over 2,000 eggs!
No matter where your family attended, it was a win for all. Great family time, and fun for the kids!
The teams making up the 3A-1 West junior
high district track conference battled for bragging rights on Wednesday, April
17. In the girls division, it quickly became a three team race. Over on the
boys side, the winner was established early.
The Mansfield Lady Tigers, Waldron Lady
Bulldogs, and West Fork Lady Tigers pulled away early from the eight team
conference competition held at Elkins. The trio traded blows in what turned out
to be a real cat and dog fight.
As each team revealed their strengths
and weaknesses, the lead changes were abundant. With three very strong closing
events, it was West Fork that finally pulled away to win the meet. Mansfield
managed runner-up. Waldron dropped to third.
West Fork, a class 4A school a year ago,
dropped into Mansfield’s class 3A conference this season. Their numbers
advantage helped them amass 179 points for the win.
Mansfield’s junior girls, the conference
champions in 2018, topped out at 158.5 points. Waldron, another large school
falling into the smaller 3A division this year, closed with 144.5.
Cedarville, Greenland, Elkins,
Charleston, and Lincoln rounded out the league standings for the girls.
The Waldron boys had no trouble as they
raced out to a big lead and the overwhelming win. Their 200 points put them
well ahead of runner-up Cedarville’s 114.5.
West Fork’s third place boys pushed for
a plaque with 112 points. Mansfield with 56 points came in fourth. They
finished ahead of the remaining conference foes Charleston, Elkins, Lincoln,
and Greenland.
Mansfield’s girls had 11 athletes earn
All-District honors because of their top two event status. Olivia Bouse, Katelyn
Corson, McKenzie Griffin, Skylynn Harris, Madelen Jones, Harleigh Mars, Faith
Rainwater, Hope Rainwater, Sadie Roberts, Kynslee Ward, and Jadelynn Wood
comprised that list.
Only Ashton Hinkle off Mansfield’s male
roster earned such recognition. Several including John Branche, Dru Buckner,
Ethan Chapman, Mikeal Harrison, and Tommy Phang were near the conference
accolade with third place finishes.
Junior Tigers Tommy Phang and John Branche.
Natalie Allison and Alexis Rivera for
the Lady Tigers also compiled third place honors.
Madelen Jones established herself among
the conference elite. The Mansfield eighth grader with an individual tally of
37.5 points was the 3A-1 West high point winner in the girls division.
Jones won both the 100m hurdles (17.49)
and 300m hurdles (53.48). She was second in the 200m dash (29.75). She also
pointed in the long jump (3rd – 13-9.5), high jump (7th – 4-4), and 4x100m
relay (3rd – 56.27).
Harris won both the shot and discus.
Bouse joined Griffin and the Rainwater twins in the second place 4x800m relay.
Roberts was second in the high jump. Mars was second in the 300m hurdles and
was anchor to the second place 4x400m relay with Corson, Ward, and Wood.
Hinkle was a silver medalist in the pole
vaulter at 8’ 6”. Branche, Chapman, Harrison, and Phang joined forces for a
bronze medal in the 4x800m relay.
Mansfield’s Ashton Hinkle prepares for the boys pole vault at the junior districts in Elkins.
Chapman went bronze in the 1600m run in
a time of 5:13.22. Buckner was third in the 300m hurdles at 48.94.
Sarah Fisher and Seven Sanderson both
scored for the Lady Tiger throwers. Shawn Brown and Zayne Dugan did likewise
for the Tiger men throwers.
Logan Yoss also scored for the Mansfield
men as he competed in six events.
To close out the regular track season,
Mansfield enlisted a small band of Tigers to compete at the prestigious
McDonald’s Relays at Fort Smith Southside. Mansfield didn’t take its entire
roster as the games committee there restricted teams to certain entries that
met standards.
Mansfield’s Brooke Wright was the most
notable of the Tiger travelers to Fort Smith. The sophomore placed fourth
overall in a large field of discus throwers. She went near a personal best at
96’ 7” after taking nearly a week off of competition due to a sore shoulder.
Lady Tiger Senior Sara Willadsen
qualified for the most events at the big school showcase. She competed in the
high jump, 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay.
Sara Willadsen, Faith Rainwater, Lennon Woods, and Delilah McKusker wrap up the 4x400m relay at Southside as night falls.
Lennon Woods, Delilah McKusker, and
Makayla Strutton joined Willadsen in the sprint relay. The trio of Lady Tigers
also comprised the Mansfield hurdles team.
Harleigh Mars, a freshman that moved up
to the senior high team, competed in the 300m hurdles with Strutton and Woods.
McKusker was enrolled in the 100m high hurdles.
Fellow freshman Faith Rainwater also
moved onto the senior high squad after helping her junior Tigers to a runner-up
conference finish the night before. She ran a 6:31.88 mile and was third leg to
the 4x400m relay.
Ethan Chapman, Shelby Cole, Sadie
Roberts, and Logan Yoss similarly all moved up to the high school team for at
least one event at the Southside meet.
Freshman Ethan Chapman and junior Artem Zirka finish the mile run at Southside.
Mansfield sent five total throwers to
the big show. Along with Wright, Mansfield entered Haylie Burns, Janna Coplin,
Jacob Brown, and Bri Sanderson.
Senior Haylee Buckner competed in her
last regular season meet. She met the high jump standard with a pre-meet jump
of 4’ 9”.
Sophomore Renden Emery was the busiest
of the Tiger men. He took a turn at the high jump, triple jump, 300m hurdles,
and 4x400m relay.
Victor Steffen, another sophomore, ran
lead leg on that 4x400m coop with Emery, Yoss, and Artem Zirka.
Mansfield resident Charlie Little was sitting in a Bible study when the pastor asked “what’s your calling?” It was then he knew, and he responded, “I know what I want to do, I want to start a community orchard.”
Charlie Little with the Sam Taylor Memorial Fig Tree, which he planted at Coop Prairie Church.
It was in that moment of October 2016 that Little realized his passion could serve and minister to the needs of the community by providing fresh fruits.
Little’s passion is truly a gift. He has been blessed with the ability to propagate and grow natural fruit. He has rows of cactus plants, fig, persimmon, pomegranate and mulberry trees, as well as blackberries, dewberries, Lavaca berries, raspberries, elderberries and aronia berries.
“The cactus plant, people can eat the pear and the pads,” he explained. “The aronia and elderberries, those are medicinal.”
Little raises his plants all natural and has been able to trade across the country with others for different plant varieties. He does plan to begin offering workshops this year to teach others how to propagate plants and help them begin their own community gardens.
“The fruit is not for sale, but people are welcome to come and pick it. The figs should begin to ripen in August.”
The community orchard is located behind Coop Prairie Church in Mansfield. All are welcomed to come and help work at the orchard, too!
Lavaca defeated West Fork 16-2 on a day in which the Golden Arrows smacked three home runs on the day.Lavaca got things moving in the second inning when Trevon Moore hit a solo homer to give the Arrows an early lead 1-0. Then Tyler Armistead went yard in the third inning. In the seventh inning Jimmy Hall went deep to start what would become a 10 run 7th inning. The Arrows tallied ten hits in the game. Kaw-Liga Brewer, Tyler Armistead, and Jimmy Hall each collected multiple hits for Lavaca. Brewer led the way with three hits in five at bats.
Hall was the winning pitcher for Lavaca Lavaca/Golden Arrows Varsity. He surrendered two runs on five hits over six innings, striking out ten. Wyatt Kiene threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen. Kutz took the loss for West Fork. He surrendered four runs on three hits over two innings, striking out one.
Lavaca will next take the field in the 2A-4 District tournament. Lavaca will be the three seed and will be out to prove that they are ready to make a deep run in the State playoffs.
