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| Chelsea Jackson (front row, center), with her parents Bill and Carolene on either side, signs a letter of intent to attend Hesston College in the fall of 2003 and play basketball. In the back row (left to right) are Thomas High School athletic director Rob Royalty, Thomas High School girls basketball coach Brian Hamer, Hesston College women's basketball coach Joel Kauffman, and Thomas High School assistant girls basketball coach Kim Roof. |
June 2, 2003
A senior at Thomas (Okla.) High
School who will play basketball at Hesston College next year has been
named Female Athlete of the Year for the state of Oklahoma.
The board of the Oklahoma Coaches
Association (OCA) gave the honor to Chelsea Jackson during a meeting
Sunday, May 18. A plaque will be presented to her during the OCA's Hall-of-Fame
banquet July 27.
Earlier, Jackson was selected as
the Female Athlete of the Year for Region I, which is northwest Oklahoma,
by all the coaches in Region I. With that regional honor comes a $500
scholarship, according to her basketball coach Brian Hamar, at Thomas
High School.
What makes Jackson's accomplishments
even more incredible is that she is deaf. "Deaf since a toddler,"
Hamar explains, "she has overcome this unbelievably. She is one
of those 'refuse to lose' players. She is a true competitor in everything
she does."
As a senior, Jackson averaged 19.2
points per game as a guard-forward. Her team advanced to the state semifinals,
and she was named to the all-state team by the Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma
City, for the second straight year.
Jackson was also an all-state selection
by the board of the Oklahoma Coaches Association, and will compete in
games in Edmond, Okla., May 31, and in Tulsa, Okla., July 30.
In addition, Jackson is among 10
women who will represent Oklahoma in the annual clash of the best from
Oklahoma against the best from Texas. Those games are slated in Wichita
Falls, Texas, June 19, and at Oklahoma University (Norman) July 26.
Coach Hamar emphasizes that Jackson
is a well-rounded athlete, having participated in basketball, track,
slow-pitch softball, and fast-pitch softball during her high school
career. "Chelsea is the most determined athlete I've been around,"
he said.
Jackson was named to the all-district
softball team this year, and was a state track meet qualifier for three
years.
In the classroom, Jackson is the
epitome of the student-athlete. She is co-valedictorian of her class,
a member of the Oklahoma High School State Honor Society, and a member
of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
As far as sports involvement at
Hesston College, Jackson will focus on basketball, according to women's
basketball coach Joel Kauffman. "Chelsea is a very fundamental
player, with good mechanics. She's strong, with good upper-body strength,
so she's well-suited for the more physical college game.
Even though Jackson is only 5'8",
Kauffman says she's a versatile player, and can play anywhere on the
court. "She can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket,
or hit the three-point shot," he said. "We'll likely develop
her mid-range abilities."
Kauffman added, "Jackson is
a true competitor, but one of the nicest persons you'd ever want to
meet. I'm looking forward to her coming here. I think Hesston College
will be a great fit for her."
Jackson's parents, Bill and Carolene
Jackson of Thomas, Okla., are Hesston College alumni. Their home congregation
is Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Hydro, Okla.
Chelsea's two older siblings, Matt
and Stephanie, also attended Hesston College.