Camdenton celebrated six athletes as they embarked on their next chapter in life on Tuesday, April 30, at Camdenton High School.
Seniors, Lexi Dickerson, Payten Hinton, Garret Hilton and Josiah Ketcham all signed their letters of intent to play collegiate athletics, while Garrison Thompson signed to play professional soccer in Argentina. Senior John Holt was also accepted into The United States Military Academy at West Point.
Lexi Dickerson
Dickerson said it was a surreal experience to sign her letter of intent to join the track and field team at MidAmerica Nazarene University, where she plans to major in education.
“I started this in seventh grade and I really just did it for fun, so it’s really weird to think that I’m actually going to college for it,” she said. “I want to thank my parents, because they were the ones who made me do it in middle school, and Charles Gordon, my throws coach. He has been there with me every step of the way and is not afraid to tell me to knock it off when I make a mistake, and he’s really helped me through so much.”
Payten Hinton
Hinton signed to play baseball at Missouri State University-West Plains, which will be a new experience for himself and for the school, as 2024 will be the Grizzlies’ inaugural season.
“It feels good to get it on that dotted line and over with, and I’m ready to play at the next level,” he said. “I want to thank my mom for signing me up for baseball when I was two, and I haven’t really stopped ever since.”
Hinton added that he plans to major in sports management and would like to compete for playing time in the middle-infield or outfield.
“I feel like I can contribute a lot to this new baseball program,” he said. “I’ve had a great group of coaches that have taught me a lot. They pushed me to be the best version of myself that I can be, and I would not be here without them.”
Garret Hilton
Hilton will be taking his talents to the gridiron to play football at Evangel University, where he plans to major in pre-medicine. He said he plans on getting his RN to specialize in Anesthesia. He also shared how thankful he is for his family and coaches as he gets to continue playing the sport he loves.
“It feels amazing, and it’s really just due to my coaches,” he said. “I want to thank my family for signing me up to play in third grade at Little Hawk. I’m thankful for my coaches I had there, and then in middle school and finally getting up here to learn from all of our varsity coaches is very surreal. And it’s not about their coaching, it’s about their character. It takes a very good person with integrity to be an amazing coach.”
John Holt
While other Lakers signed their letters to play athletics, Holt was accepted into The United States Military Academy at West Point, where he is eager to fulfill his dream of serving our country.
“Today is kind of a culmination of what I have been working towards for a long time,” he said. “So, to have the recognition and to really achieve the dream of having the opportunity to attend a service academy and serve my country, it’s a dream come true.”
Holt shared that Camdenton was the 10th school that he has attended, and that his parents have supported his dream every step of the way.
“No child takes this journey on their own,” he said. “I have been blessed with some really good parents who love me so much and they have supported me with everything I do. I moved here to Camdenton my sophomore year and I found a community where I had not found in other places.”
He added how grateful he is to have learned so much from joining the JROTC program at Camdenton.
“With the help of Lt. Col. McKiernan and 1st Sgt. Dowell,” Holt said. “They have been able to push me to become a better person, a better leader, and I really don’t think that if I was in a different place that I would have this opportunity and accomplishment to get accepted into West Point. It’s all due to the support I received from my peers, my teachers and the administration here, and I am extremely thankful to Camdenton for everything it has given me.”
Josiah Ketcham
After joining the track and field program his junior year, Ketcham will be joining the track and field program at State Fair Community College, where plans to major in welding.
“I’m feeling really good right now because today was a big accomplishment for me and I’m really proud of myself,” he said. “Coach Bruck has been really helpful, especially with last season being my first year of track. He showed me the ropes and then my teammates like Angel Dickerson, who was like a mentor and really pushed me in a different way to help me get to where I am now. I also really want to thank my mom. She definitely played a big part and is always getting on to me about eating junk foods and she has always been a big part of my life.”
Ketcham said he’s eager to compete for a spot on the 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams, and possibly a spot in the 100m dash.
“There is still more ahead and hopefully I can continue to grow off this with a new team that will push me even harder,” he said.
Garrison Thompson
As other Lakers prepare to enter the U.S. Military and college, Thompson will be forgoing his senior year at Camdenton to take his talents south of the equator to join the Mendoza United Futbol Club in Argentina.
“I am very excited to think that I will be living in another country,” he said. “I have never been outside the country before and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Thompson shared how hard of a decision it was to make, and he is thankful for the support from his family and friends.
“Obviously it’s more traditional to stay for your senior year of high school, but when I got the opportunity it just felt like something was pulling me to explore this. It is obviously really hard to leave all of my family and friends here behind, but I know they will always just be one phone call away, and I feel like this is just one of the sacrifices that I really need to make if I want to get to where I need to go.”
Thompson added that he expects to compete at the center-back position, but is ready to be deployed wherever the Lions need him.
“The plan is to compete at center-back,” he said. “With it being a professional prep team, so wherever they see that they need me, and where they can develop me is where I will play.”
He said that his freshman year is when he discovered his love for playing the center-back position, and that his coaches at Camdenton helped him develop into the player he is today.
“I have played center-midfielder in middle school for different club teams and was goalkeeper for a little while,” Thompson said. “I found out that I am more defensive-minded and was needed more on the field rather than in the goal, and I just fell in love with the center-back position. I was nervous when coach Sevon took over, but he has done a great job and I love where he put me on the field and I love the energy he brings to practice. Coach Baldwin has probably been the biggest influence on me. He has coached me ever since I can remember and has always been a big influence on my life and how to approach the game mentally.”
