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Meekins’ sisters thriving on the court

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Brandi and Lance Meekins with their daughters Meg, Emma and Leah. Along with brother Adam the family grew up in the gym playing basketball and volleyball. (Courtesy photo)

If you grow up in Nocona more than likely you will have either a basketball or a volleyball in your hand by the time you are a toddler. Youth leagues are part of many family lives and the gym might just be your living room.
Brandi and Lance Meekins are one of those families who embraced sports for their son Adam, and their three daughters, Emma, Meg and Leah. Today, family get-togethers may be at the Indian gym as Emma is an assistant coach for the girl’s volleyball team, overseeing her dynamic younger sister Megyn, a senior and hardworking freshman sister, Leah. There is a special sister dynamic bubbling up on the court each week.
The sisters
Emma is the oldest of the Meekins children. She is 24 and a 2018 graduate of Nocona High School. Emma earned her bachelor degree in sports leisure studies at Midwestern State University in 2022 with an intention of going into occupational therapy, coaching was really not on her radar.
A friend Lauren Castles encouraged her to come coach at Wichita Christian School during her senior year at MSU. The hook was set as she fell in love with coaching and it looks like that will be her career.
“Three years ago the opening here at Nocona came up. I actually wanted to move away to coach and possibly end my career here, but when the spot opened here it just felt right, especially knowing my sisters were here. Meg was a sophomore and JoJo was coming up,” explained Emma.
Meg at 17 has earned many accolades as both a volleyball and basketball player earning district setter of the year in 2023, Texas Girls’ Coaches Association All-State Team, and was part of the state relay team the past two years. She was a big part of the Lady Indians’ basketball team that made it to the state championship game last year before losing on a buzzer beater in the final.
With the little bit of time she has left in the day Meg also is in the National Honor Society, PALs and student council. Her soft-spoken and slightly shy demeanor are obvious, but there is none of that on the court.
Leah is called JoJo by family and friends based on her middle name. The 14-year-old freshman stepped up to varsity volleyball this year, but she also enjoys playing basketball, which she says she “sorta likes better only because she has played more of it.”
For all three young women there is not much time for other activities during the height of volleyball season. District play began in late September when Meg was recovering from a foot injury, but she has since returned to the court.
Their brother, Adam, age 20 is attending Midwestern University. The 2020 NHS graduate played basketball at Ottawa in Kansas as a freshman, but returned home where he is going to MSU.
Beginnings
All of the Meekins kids played sports. Emma says growing up they always had a ball in their hand and were at the gym.
“That is sort of what you do here in Nocona. At family gatherings it was not uncommon to see us playing ball and in all the youth leagues. It was just natural, we didn’t know any other way,” said Emma.
The coach recalls she had a rough senior year playing volleyball.
“We really didn’t know a winning program. We were a small 3A playing good teams, we tried our best. It was rough, we only made the playoffs my senior year. The girls who played beside you were the focus along with becoming a better person in life,” she explains.
In recent years the Lady Indians have had tremendous success with its sports advancing to regionals and last year to the state championship in basketball just barely missing the title.
Meg doesn’t recall exactly when she fell in love with volleyball and basketball, but she looked to her older sister as an example.
“Just growing up watching her game I saw her expectations. We are following in her footsteps. She was a good example to follow, in some ways,” she stated, which also drew a few giggles from the other two.
JoJo gets a little misty-eyed and says it will be hard when Meg graduates because her big sister won’t be on the court with her; however, the other sisters see JoJo building her own village with her teammates. She adds playing with her best friend, Raylea Bowles is fun.
While the sisters have their own vibe on the court, they also love the culture of team sports. Meg says you see that bond on the court.
“When you’re struggling out there and your best friend looks over at you, it calms you. Skyler Smith was that for me. JoJo is developing her team among solid players, but with her sister on the court she knows she will be taken care of. When she is down I have to be there. I know what it is like your freshman year, it’s hard going out performing in front of the community in Nocona. It is awesome. For a freshman I want to be a role model that helps her,” explains Meg.
For Emma there was a unique transition from player and sister to coach. Emma feels her experience as a player was helpful, adding she had people to look up to and learn from, which helped. For Meg and JoJo it was hard to remember to call Emma Coach Meekins and not Emma. Meg got called out to run when it happened that first year.
Coach Meekins is enjoying her job and says getting to see the girls at their best and their excitement on the court is wonderful.
“I get little kids running up to me calling out ‘Coach Meekins, Coach Meekins.’ You know you are having an impact. I have seen a big change in JoJo from middle school to high school. I told Coach Kara Lucherk she is a different girl now. The best part of coaching is the athletes themselves, but for me to have my two sisters here, it is so special and almost unreal. Not many get to do that,” explains the coach.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.

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COUNTY LIFE

Storms causing major damage to city streets

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Spring storms have been creating dangerous conditions for the past two weeks, and Mother Nature continues to douse North Texas with rain this week.
For January through April the City of Bowie water plant staff recorded 14.56 inches of rain, including a whopping 11.76 inches in April alone. For the first six days of May the rain has totaled 1.55 inches.
Nocona received a bit more rain for this period, a total of 19.28 inches according to Texas Mesonet. In April it recorded 9.89 inches and in March 3.25 inches. For the first six days of May 4.36 inches was recorded.
Lake Amon G. Carter is still more than 100% full and threatening to go

over the emergency spillway when it reaches 927 msl. The lake is considered full at 920 msl and as of May 6 it was 924.47 msl.
Last week, the city sent out flood warnings for those downstream in the path of water that could flow out of the lake across this spillway. One month ago the lake was full at 920.06
City Emergency Management Coordinator Kirk Higgins said Monday as of now no water has come out of the spillway, but he does not expect that to continue if the rain does not stop. The lake continues to be closed due to flooding.
Lake Nocona was at 828.44 msl on May 6 and is considered full at 827.5 msl. Just one month ago the lake was 88.4% full at 825.60 msl. Its boat ramps were closed briefly last week due to flooding, but have since reopened.
Last week’s heavy rainfall continues to plague city streets and low-lying areas. While not unexpected the creek that flows in the Nelson Street area east toward Pillar was raging full of storm water last week topping the creek bed going into the streets and under nearby houses.
Public Works Director Stony Lowrance said a section of Rock near Pillar has been closed, although Pillar remains open. A section of the curb and road on the creekside has broken away and fallen into the ditch creating hazardous road conditions. A small part of the street had been coned off as a small section had caved in last month.
Lowrance said they are keeping a close eye on this area as rains continue, noting this is not an unexpected problem as the Rock and Pillar Street has been debated in the city council as being the next major capital project for the city. Nearby Nelson Street drainage was completed in late 2024 and while it alleviated flooding issues in that area, it also is sending more water down to an intersection where the culverts are in the same deteriorated and eroded conditions as those were under Nelson Street that were replaced.

Top photo: A section of the curb and street near Pillar and Rock has collapsed into the creek bed following last week’s rains. (Photo by Rosie Cole)

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COUNTY LIFE

Chisholm Trail Rodeo gears up for 73rd year

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Nocona is saddling up for the 73rd annual Chisholm Trail Rodeo May 9-10 at the rodeo grounds in Nocona.
The rodeo will be nightly at 7:30 p.m. with a parade on Saturday at 3 p.m. Rodeo gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance.
Along with the traditional rodeo events including bareback riding, saddle bronc, ranch bronc, bulls, ladies barrels, tie-down roping, ladies breakaway roping, steer wrestlers and team roping, there will be a calf scramble nightly for ages 8 and under and 9-12. Winners receive buckles. Friday night there will be an FFA calf scramble benefiting participating FFA chapters.
Mutton bustin’ will be conducted for those age eight and under at 7 p.m. nightly. The top five are back to performance. Enter onsite by 6:30 p.m. each night. Entry fee is $20 with buckles to the winners.

Read the full story and meet the rodeo queen and princess candidates in the Thursday Bowie News.

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COUNTY LIFE

Commissioner’s to meet May 12

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The Montague County Commissioner’s Court will meet at 9 a.m. on May 12.
A brief agenda of business awaits the court in its regular session.
The court will consider approving the Law Enforcement Support Office application.
Consider applying to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a scrap tire facility permit.
Discuss precinct one removing excess dirt and debris from bar ditches and giving it to Gary Brewer, Rickey Joyce and David Steadham.

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