Vote on Alisha Dumas’s State Farm GMSD April Athlete of the Month for High School and Middle School

GMSD is excited to announce the April nominations for Athlete of the Month, presented by Alisha Dumas with State Farm. These nominations are based on athletic work ethic, attitude, and sportsmanship, but these student athletes are just that - students first, athletes second.  They must have good academic standing, maintain a good attendance record, and have a positive outlook towards their education and their community. Hear directly from their coaches about what makes them a great teammate, a hard worker, and a great athlete. Receiving a nomination is an honor in itself!

Each month the community will get to vote on which athlete they would like to see become the GMSD Athlete of the Month. There is a High School category and a Middle School category. Voting for these categories will be kept separate, so each month there will be an Athlete of the Month from the High School and the Middle School. The winners will be announced towards the end of each month. 

Here are the April High School nominees: 

Christina Anderson - Junior, Softball
“Christina is a Junior catcher for Houston Softball. She has been a steady force for us behind the plate since her freshman year. She is off to a great start in her Junior campaign with a .346 batting average with 3 doubles and 2 triples. Christina is a tremendous student athlete with a 4.5 GPA and she plans to double major in business and environmental studies!” - Coach Christian Jackson, HHS Softball

Sophia Foley - Sophomore, Girls Lacrosse
“Sophia is a second-year lacrosse player who has quickly made a strong impact on our team. Drawing on her experience as a seasoned soccer player, she brings exceptional field awareness, footwork, and defensive instincts to the game. Those skills have translated seamlessly, earning her a role as a starting defender. Sophia has a natural ability to disrupt opposing players, consistently taking the ball away and giving our team valuable possessions. She continues to grow each game and is becoming a key piece of our defense.” - Coach Jeff Ross, HHS Girls Lacrosse

Noah Gempler - Senior, Boys Lacrosse
“Noah has been a 3 year varsity starter for the Mustangs at Attack and Midfield over his high school career. He was an All Region selection in 2025, and he is off to a great start this season. He is one of the top scorers in the state and leads the 5-1 Mustangs with 22 goals so far this Spring.” - Coach Steve Anderson, HHS Boys Lacrosse

Samantha Hardison - Senior, Girls Track & Field
“Samantha recently signed to run Cross Country & Track and Field with Lee University on the same week that she ran a PR in both the 1600 (5:24.50) and the 800 (2:20.61). The 800 is a Top 25 in TN time! She will continue to make an impact throughout the season on this team!” - Coach Rachel Randall, HHS Track & Field

Maxwell Manning - Sophomore, Boys Track & Field 
“Maxwell ran the top time in TN in the 400 meters with a time of 48.15. Only a sophomore, Maxwell is already the school record holder in the 400 and 200 meters while also an honors student at Houston High School. The future is bright for this rising star!!!” - Coach Rachel Randall, HHS Girls Track & Field

Maddie McClure - Junior, Softball
“Maddie is a Junior pitcher/first baseman for Houston Softball. She has been voted by her teammates as a team captain for the 2nd year now. Maddie is a force to be reckoned with both in the circle and at the plate. She has pitched 24 innings already this year with 21 strikeouts and is boasting a .419 batting average with 4 doubles, 2 triples and 10 RBI. She is off to an unbelievable start to her Junior campaign!” - Coach Christian Jackson, HHS Softball

Here are the April Middle School nominees: 

Josie Arterburn - 7th, Riverdale, Track & Field 
"Josie scored points for the team in two separate track meets last week in the long jump. She also consistently performs well in the sprints as well as the relay teams.” - Coach Baddorf, Riverdale, Track & Field

Ja'Darren Banks - 8th Grade, Riverdale, Track & Field
"Ja'Darren turned in excellent performances in his first track meets of the season. At the MYA meet on Saturday he came in second place overall in the High Jump and also scored points for the team in the 400 meter run. In the 100 meter dash he also finished just outside of scoring position. ” - Coach Baddorf, Riverdale, Track & Field

Landon Britt - 8th Grade, Houston Middle School, Baseball
"Landon is a powerhouse on the field and a friendly face in the hallways at HMS. He brings a positive vibe to the dugout.” - Coach Betchick, HHS Baseball

Liam Jordan - 6th Grade, Houston Middle School, Baseball
"Liam is a versatile player who can play infield or outfield at a high competitive level and is also able to achieve in the classroom with enriched classes all while having a smile on his face. He also brings those smiles and good attitude to the dugout to encourage his teammates when not on the field.” - Coach Betchick, HHS Baseball

Lucy Pierce - 8th Grade, Houston Middle School, Softball
"Lucy is one of our team player captains & leads by example. Simply put, she is exceptional in virtually all areas, leading the team in hitting, slugging percentage, OBP, extra base hits, RBIs & runs scored. On the mound Lucy is 4-0 and a big part of our league leading 8-0 record so far this season.” - Coach Peterson, HHS Softball

Cast your vote for middle and high School athlete of the month! Voting is set to close on April 30, 2026 at 12:00pm CST.

Vote Now!