Tuesday, May 7, 2024
During the April 22 meeting of the Gatesville Independent School District Board of Trustees, Tenley Winkler was honored during the Student Spotlight presentation.
GISD Superintendent Dr. Barrett Pollard had the following to say about Winkler:
“Tenley Winkler is a very busy 7th grade student at GJHS. Not only is she a very bright student who does outstanding academically, but she is highly involved in many school extracurricular activities and events outside of school. For example, over the years Tenley has participated in UIL academics, choir, volleyball, track, and cheer. For two years in a row, Tenley has read her Patriot's Pen Essay at the Veteran's Day ceremony. More recently, at our district junior high track meet, Tenley was 1st place in Pole Vault, 2nd place in the 400m, 2nd place in the 4x400 relay, and 4th place in long jump. At the Lorena track meet, Tenley cleared 8'2" (a personal record) to win 1st place. Outside of school, Tenley participated in a state gymnastics competition in San Antonio and won 1st place All Around Champion, 1st place on Floor, 2nd place on Beam, 3rd place on Uneven Bars, and 8th place on Vault. Please help us congratulate Tenley on all of her great accomplishments inside and outside of the classroom.”
Shawna Martin, the Girls Junior High Athletics Coordinator, commented on Winkler:
“As a student athlete, Tenley is a coach’s dream. She is extremely coachable and works hard at everything she does on and off the court and track! As a seventh grader, she participated in volleyball and track. After volleyball, she transitioned to off-season track where she trained daily with (Mr.) Coach Martin, working on running form and speed development. Once track season began, she tried out for pole vault and long jump. Knowing her gymnastic background, (Mrs.) Coach Martin quickly saw that Tenley had potential to do great and encouraged her to get extra technique work outside of school. Tenley was able to end the season with an impressive 8’ 3” vault to win District! Her speed on the track earned her 2nd in the 400m dash, 4th in long jump. She was in the 2nd place 4x400 meter relay and on the 4th place 4X100 meter relay. If her coaches could’ve snuck her into the triple jump, high jump, and a few more races, she would’ve been in those events as well! Her coaches are looking forward to her many future accomplishments! Congratulations, Tenley! We are all very proud of you!”
Gatesville Junior High Principal Suzy Penrod also commented on Winkler:
“I know that Tenley is being recognized for her exceptional athletic achievements, but it is important to know that there is more to Tenley than just her athleticism. Tenley is an absolute delight to have on our campus. She is always smiling! Tenley has been a great role model for her peers as an outstanding student, excellent athlete, and even better teammate. I have no doubt that Tenley's future will be filled with great achievements and success. And I am certain that she will be sharing that big, beautiful smile all along the way.”
