The 2017-18 school year was full of super big highs and really tough lows for Bowie High School athletes and every moment was honored at the annual sports banquet Monday night.
The Lady Rabbit and Jackrabbit of the Year awards, voted on by coaches, went to two athletes who just returned from the University Interscholastic League Class 3A track meet.
Lady Rabbit of the Year recipient Kamryn Cantwell has competed in four sports during her high school career and advanced to the state cross country meet twice, the state track meet twice and just last week finished fifth in long jump and second in the 400-meter at the state championship.
This year alone, Cantwell was selected all-state cross country, all-state basketball and all-state track. Her athletic career is far from over as she heads to Southeastern Oklahoma State this fall to play basketball.
Kason Spikes received the prestigious Jackrabbit of the Year award. Spikes competed in three sports this year and was a member of the state championship basketball team. He also was selected all-state basketball and was the regional champion in high jump and advanced to the state track meet.
Fan of the Year was awarded to two recipients, the Bowie Rural Volunteer Fire Department and the City of Bowie Volunteer Fire Department. The award is given to the fan who shows the most love, support and heart for the Jackrabbits and Lady Rabbits.
“This year’s fans have been fans for a long time. They’re at every parade send off, every welcome home and even the late night welcome homes. Our Rabbits and Lady Rabbit spirit would not be the same without them,” said Bowie Booster Club President Jill Jones.
Booster of the Year was awarded to Ray Jones for his dedication to the booster club and the long hours spent organizing a team to set up the 30-foot inflatable Jackrabbit used by the football team.
Coach Jody Steele was awarded the Assistant Coach of the Year for her time not only as a coach but for her time spent working and volunteering to help the high school athletes.
Longtime Bowie coach Gayno Shelton presented the Hutto Award, which honors the coach of the year, to Bowie Jackrabbit Head Basketball Coach Doug Boxell.
“I have seen excellence everywhere in this community, in these athletes and the supporter of those athletes,” said Shelton. “We are blessed in so many ways with tradition. We are blessed with leaders and I am blessed to have been here in this community and seen it time after time. This year is no exception.”
Shelton said if he had one word to describe the Bowie High School athletic program, it would be class.
“We had dedicated folks out there who gave it their all and didn’t end up with a state championship or with a trophy, but did their very very best and are great kids. Now we have state championships that will go on the memorial.
“If I were to have one word of this team and coaching staff I would say class. They have class. We all know they’re winners but they are winners in so many ways. These are great kids and great coaches. I have seen some great coaches in high school basketball but no better than Doug Boxell,” said Shelton.
The coach also awarded the state championship rings to each member of the basketball team, coaching staff, administration and managers during a ring ceremony conducted at the banquet.
The banquet also saw the creation of a new boy’s track award, named in honor of Trent Walker, a Bowie High School senior who tragically passed away two weeks ago.
Track Coach Justin Prescott had planned to award Walker with the perseverance award during the night’s ceremonies.
“Webster dictionary defines perseverance steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty. That is the best way I can think to describe Trent. He didn’t know how to quit,” said Prescott. “He was not the most gifted of athletes. He didn’t wake up in the morning and he was fast. He had to work hard for everything he got. He was going to get my perseverance award, but I thought what better way to do it than to name it after him so this will be the first annual Trent Walker perseverance award.”
Prescott presented the first annual award to Joey Crawford, an athlete he said never listened to anybody else.
“The only word he ever heard was supposed to. He wasn’t supposed to make it out of district. He wasn’t supposed to make it out of area. He wasn’t supposed to make it to regionals. He wasn’t supposed to make it to the regional finals. He wasn’t supposed to place at the regional track meet. This man goes out and works hard, maintains his grades and holds down a job. If that’s not perseverance I don’t know what is,” explained Prescott.
Walker was honored with a memorial at the ceremony and his younger brothers, Mackenzie and Landyn, were in attendance to accept their big brother’s cross country and track awards.
The Bowie Booster Club awarded more than $37,000 in coaches requests this year to help high school athletes, club president Jill Jones reported.

For pictures, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.