At Lutheran South Academy, the Class of 2022 was an impressive group that walked across the stage in May and brought a close to successful careers. Eight of those seniors graced the cover of this edition. VYPE got to know them better.
Chase Turley: Tennis – Centre College
CHASE TURLEY FACED THE MOST FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE OF HIS TENNIS CAREER THIS PAST SPRING.
No, it wasn’t the fact that he was chasing another TAPPS Tennis Doubles State Championship. It was the fact that he was indeed doing that, but with a brand new and younger doubles partner.
“I felt like a leader,” Turley said. “I was telling him what to do and what not to do at certain times. He stuck with it. He learned from his mistakes. We worked well with that.”
In the end, Turley and Michael Barton defeated the duo of Saint Mary’s Hall-San Antonio in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) to win the TAPPS 5A Boys Doubles State Championship in May.
“The work and dedication that we put into it, a lot of people don’t see that,” Turley said. “It was a great feeling to be done and finish my senior year with a first-place medal.”
Turley is signed to continue his playing career at Centre College in Kentucky.
“I love the guys there,” he said. “Centre is a great town. A lot of great people. Love the coach, love the atmosphere.”
As far as his legacy, leaving LSA as a back-to-back boys doubles State Champion, Turley wants to be remembered for his “dedication to tennis”.
“It’s not just school. A lot of people don’t see tennis as a hard sport, but it is,” he said.
Ayana Mallard-Smith: Track & Field – Sam Houston
WALKING DOWN THE HALL, THE SOUND OF METAL CLINKING AGAINST METAL CAN BE HEARD. IT IS COMING FROM THE PLETHORA OF MEDALS HANGING AROUND AYANA MALLARD-SMITH’S NECK.
The decorated LSA senior’s legacy is cast in gold, silver and bronze.
“I saw myself grow just because my time just kept going lower and lower,” Smith said about improving from her freshman to senior year. “I just felt confident in what I was doing.”
In her freshman year, Smith went to State in the long jump (6th – 15-feet-10.5-inches), 200-meter dash (2nd26.18) and 100-meter dash (2nd – 12.45). In 2020, due to the shutdown from the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was canceled after March.
Coming back in 2021, her junior year, Smith returned to State and won gold in the 100-meter dash (12.82) and long jump (18-feet-10-inches), and took silver in the 200-meter dash (26.25).
As a senior this year, she returned to State and capped her career as a back-to-back 100-meter dash State Champion (11.75).
“It was something I definitely felt like I could do because I knew I had it in me,” Smith said about winning back-to-back crowns. “But if you would have said this to freshman me, I wouldn’t have thought I would have come this far.”
Despite her decorated career on the oval, the Sam Houston signee hopes people will remember her for more than her legacy on the track at LSA.
“Off the track, I hope they remember me for who I am besides being an athlete,” she said. “What I showed during school and in the hallways. On the track, my dedication. See how much everything means to me and how I’m serious about it.”
Joel Hutchins: Track & Field – Stephen F. Austin
PICK A SEASON, THEN FIND A FIELD OR A TRACK AND YOU WOULD MOST LIKELY FIND JOEL HUTCHINS.
The Lutheran South Academy senior was an all-state wide receiver for the Pioneers in the fall, dabbled in soccer in the winter and finished as a State Champion track star in the spring.
“Every day just coming in, seeing the people I love,” Hutchins said. “Just hanging out. Going out to practice with good coaches and just having fun.”
Last season, Hutchins led the Pioneers football team in receiving with 1,311 yards and 20 touchdowns on 78 receptions. Hutchins finishes his high school career with 3,180 yards and 46 touchdowns on 174 receptions, averaging 18.3 yards per catch and 90.9 yards per game.
Once football and soccer were over, Hutchins turned his attention to the hardtop.
Hutchins won gold in the 100-meter dash (10.67), took bronze in the 200-meter dash (22.71) and was a part of the bronze medal 4x100-meter relay team. At the end, LSA boys track & field finished with 103 points, good enough for the TAPPS 5A State Championship.
“It was a lot of fun. I knew at the beginning of the season we had a lot of talent,” Hutchins said. “I didn’t think we had a chance of doing it, but we came together, had some fun and we did it.”
Hutchins signed to run at SFA at the next level, which is a “dream come true,” and hopes his legacy at LSA is people chasing and breaking his school records.
“Since I broke a lot of records, I think I’m just something for them to reach for,” Hutchins said. “Maybe beat me. Someone to look up to.”
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