Last week, several local athletes announced their college intentions. Two of them opted to stay at home. Let’s take a closer look at where they will be attending school.

First up is Abby Howell from Bushland, who signed to play softball at West Texas A&M. Howell had an impressive season last year, hitting .524 with 17 home runs and 73 RBI. She led the way in kills in the state championship game against Gunter and helped lead her team to a state title ring.

Another local athlete choosing to stay at home is Jailyn Sledge from Tascosa, who signed with West Texas A&M for basketball. Sledge was a standout player for the Mustangs last season, averaging 20.3 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks per game. He was also named to the Amarillo Globe-News preseason boys basketball Super Team this year.

Finally, Mackenzie Hickman from West Plains signed her national letter of intent to play college soccer for Northwest Oklahoma State University. The outside midfielder was one of the top players for the Lady Wolves team that won a district title and advanced to the regional quarterfinals in their first year of existence last season. Hickman had an impressive performance last year with 14 goals and 11 assists in just 27 games