5 MP athletes sign LOIs Wednesday
by Quentin Boyd
Sports Editor
Mount Pleasant Tribune

Mount Pleasant celebrated five athletes who signed letters of intent to continue playing their sports at the collegiate level during a ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Willie Williams Gymnasium in front of friends, family, teammates and coaches.

Signing were Payton Chism (basketball, Collin College), Kelcey Morris ( football and basketball, North American University), Xavier Hills (track, Umpqua Community College), Geovanni Calderon (track and cross country, Jacksonville University) and Dana Memije (soccer, Texas A&M-Texarkana).

Chism, a multiple-time all-district performer on the court who was also named all-region and all-state this past season and will graduate in the top 10 percent of his senior class, will sign with Collin College in McKinney. The Cougars, coached by Jim Sigona, finished 18-12 last season and graduated eight sophomores from last season’s team. Collin College is a member of the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference with Ranger College, McLennan Community College, Weatherford College, Hill College, Temple College, Southwestern Christian College and Grayson College.

Morris, who returned to play football this past season and is also a multiple-time all-district performer in basketball, will look to play both sports at Houston’s North American University. Morris is the second Tiger athlete to sign with NAU this season, joining Zay Barksdale, who signed with the Stallion football team earlier this year. The Stallion football program finished last season 3-8. The Stallion basketball team, coached by Bryan Doze Jr., went 2-15 last season and will graduate four players from last season’s team. North American is an independent member of the NAIA.

Hills, who went to the state track meet last year and was an alternate this year, signed with Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. The RiverHawks are members of the South division of the Northwest Athletic Conference.

Calderon, who advanced to state in cross country this past year and medaled in almost every race in which he ran, will run at Jacksonville University in Florida. The Dolphins are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference with Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Queens and Stetson.

Memije, the Lady Tigers’ team captain, will play at Texas A&M-Texarkana. Former Lady Tiger Dulce Memije recently finished her collegiate career at TAMUT. The Lady Eagles, coached by Don Koontz, went 17-2-1 on the season and advanced to the NAIA tournament.

“This is a great opportunity for all of these athletes,” said MP Athletic Director Joey Cluley. “Not only did they earn it in their sport, but they also earned it in the classroom. They’ve done everything you can do to have someone tell them, ‘We want you to play for us and we want to give you a scholarship.’ We’re extremely proud of all five of them.”

Group photo by Quentin Boyd
All other photos by John Whitten