Owasso’s All-State athletes
By Ian Busking
Owasso is well known for their athletics across the state and even the country. There are a select number of athletes who accommodated for Owasso’s success and earned the title of being an All-Stater in the fall of 2021. Many people don’t get the behind the scenes to see how hard the Rams work.
The first athlete who earned a position at All-State was Reece Cunningham—a senior in cheerleading. Reece has been cheerleading for almost her whole life, which is when her mindset changed to working towards her goals.
Cunningham adds, “I believe the journey to becoming an All-Stater in my sport began a long time ago when I started cheerleading. I started cheerleading at the age of four and have been working to achieve my goals since then.”
In athletics, different sports have different ways of accomplishing this award; in cheerleading, there are tryouts for All-State which is competitive and includes many talented athletes.
Cunningham advises, “To inspire other people I would tell them not to be afraid to come out of their comfort zone. Trying out for All-State was different for me. I was shy at first and held back. I quickly realized I had to come out of my shell if I wanted to achieve becoming an Oklahoma All-State cheerleader. So I would tell people to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.”
The next athlete who got into All-State is, senior football star, Michael Jamerson. He is attending Southeast Missouri State University to play football and follow his journey from there.
Jamerson worked day in and out to put his name out where coaches would notice him and his skills. Many fans and critics have heard about him, but only his parents have impacted him the most.
Jamerson states, “My parents are the people who’ve helped me get to where I am 200%. They taught me to be humble and never give up.”
Rylee Martin has also earned the award, but for volleyball. Martin is attending Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) in the fall to continue in volleyball and, with her skillset, she will most likely go on to earn more awards beyond this one.
Martin informs, “The journey to become an All-Stater took many years. I’ve put in countless hours outside of practice doing lessons, working out and studying the game. I also have played on very competitive club teams where I travel all over the country.”
Martin is thrilled to achieve the All-State award because it gives her confirmation that all the hard work has paid off.
Last but not least is pom dancer, Rebekah Rake, who is not only a great student—as she won student of the month in December—but is also a great dancer who has worked her way to All-State. She, as well as Martin, is going to OBU, instead to join the dance team.
For Rake, the person who has helped her the most is her coach, Melissa Zumwalt.
Rake proclaims, “My biggest help has been my coaches, especially Melissa Zumwalt who helped me realize my potential as a dancer and pushed me to better myself.”
All of these athletes have proved how amazing they are in receiving an exclusive award. They are not just great athletes, but also very inspiring people to get to know. All of their stories are different, but they show what it’s like to represent Owasso in and out of their sport.