Beaver athletes ink letters of intent
Glen Rose athletes Jackson Fikes, Kalan Goyne, and Andrew Weatherford participated in National Signing Day Wednesday at the Glen Rose Arena by signing to play collegiate sports.
Fikes signed with Lyons College to play golf for the Scots next year. Fikes said it has always been a dream of his to play at the college level. “The opportunity came probably through Christmas break,” he said. “They reached out, they asked me a little before Christmas break, they asked me to come on a visit. I came up there, loved the college, and they offered me. It’s always been a dream of mine so I’m really, really happy about it.”
Fikes said that he chose to sign with Lyons because of the atmosphere and the people. “The people were amazing, they were all very, very nice, great people and I was really impressed with everything there.” While attending Lyons, Fikes plans to get his degree in electrical engineering.
Goyne signed to play football at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, home of the Statesmen. Goyne said it felt good to be able to sign with WPU.
Goyne chose to play at WPU because of the scholarship they offered him. “They gave me a great scholarship and they have a great facility too.” While at WPU Goyne said he plans to take classes to be a physical education teacher and one day be a coach at a high school.
While playing for the Beavers, Goyne was named to the 3A-5 All Conference list in 2020 and helped lead the Beavers to an 11-3 record with a trip to the 3A State Playoff Semifinals.
Weatherford is staying close to home and signed with the Henderson State University Reddies. Weatherford said he was super excited to be signing with the Reddies. “I’ve been wanting to do it forever, whichever level I got to play at,” he said. “I’m just excited I actually get to go out of high school and play again.”
Weatherford said he chose Henderson because the atmosphere there matches the atmosphere at Glen Rose and that it felt like home. “I felt most comfortable down there,” he said. “Other places, it was nice, but it [Henderson] makes me feel at home.”
Weatherford said his plans may change, but at the moment he plans to earn his degree in coaching and teaching.
In the last two seasons, Weatherford has been named to the 3A AllState list. This last season he helped the Beavers reach the 3A State Playoff Semifinals and to an 11-3 overall record.
About Lyons College
Lyon College is a selective undergraduate liberal arts college located in the foothills of the scenic Ozarks. Founded in 1872, it is one of the oldest colleges in Arkansas.
Valued for its small class size, strong student-faculty interactions, and collegial atmosphere, Lyon has forged a singular identity by combining a deep commitment to outstanding liberal arts with a rich community setting.
Undergraduates at Lyon can pursue degrees in 15 disciplines as well as pre-professional programs leading to careers in education, law, medicine, physical therapy, and more. Additional programs include the APPLE Project Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science programs for high school students.
More than 99 percent of Lyon students receive financial aid. Lyon offers extensive merit-based scholarship programs, federal and state needbased and merit-based financial aid programs, and athletic grants-in-aid.
Lyon is frequently recognized as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation, ranking as a nationwide top college by Forbes.com; a “Best Southeastern College” by the Princeton Review; and a “Best Bang for the Buck” college and “Most Socially Beneficial College in Arkansas” by Washington Monthly, which also recognized Lyon for recruiting and graduating the highest percentage of low-income students of any college in the state
Anything is possible at Lyon— with the College’s award-winning faculty, Scottish heritage, highly competitive athletics, outstanding education and adventure program, many campus groups and activities, beautiful historic setting, and unique honor and social codes, students have the freedom to take charge of their own future.
About William Penn University
At William Penn University our mission isn’t simply a set of goals we hope to achieve. It’s who we are at our very core. It’s the belief that every individual has value and deserves access to a quality education. That it’s our differences that really do make us stronger. Our Quaker principles are the pillars of true leadership in today’s world.
To realize a powerful vision for the future, it takes an equally powerful history from which to gain the necessary knowledge, perspective, and perseverance. At William Penn, we have that kind of history. Founded in 1873 by Quaker settlers who strongly valued education and then named for the Quaker, William Penn, the University was located in Oskaloosa and graduated its first class in 1875. Since our founding we’ve persevered through a 1916 fire that destroyed the original campus, transitioned from college to university status, led the way in educational programs for working adults, and greatly expanded our campus and facilities.
The first graduate of William Penn, in 1875, was a woman— something that was relatively unheard of at the time. This is a testament to our Quaker heritage and belief system. We believe in simplicity, peace-making, integrity, community, and equality. We believe education is for all, because there is value in everyone. We believe in celebrating our Christian faith and letting it frame our outlook on the 21st-century world while also welcoming those with other spiritual beliefs. And we believe that education brings many rewards in life as well as a responsibility to use our knowledge for the service of others.
About Henderson State University
Founded as a private institution in 1890, Henderson State University has a strong liberal arts heritage that is the base of more than 65 undergraduate and graduate programs, earning the university its status as Arkansas’s public liberal arts university. The university encourages scholarly and creative activities in a caring, personal atmosphere that reflects the university’s motto for more than a century,
“The School with a Heart.” Mission Henderson State University provides a learning environment that prepares students for a lifetime of intellectual and personal growth in a global society. Vision Henderson will be recognized as a national model for bridging the liberal arts and professional aspirations, producing well-rounded graduates who are leaders in their careers and communities.