Homecoming Queen, King Crowned at WT’s Victorious Oct. 1 Game

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Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

 

CANYON, Texas — Two seniors from the Panhandle region were voted Homecoming Queen and King during Homecoming celebrations at West Texas A&M University.

Emily Morgan, a senior social sciences major from Boys Ranch, was named queen, and Caleb Crum, a senior broadcast journalism major from Earth, was named king during halftime of WT Football’s victorious Homecoming game against University of Texas–Permian Basin on Oct. 1 in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

Morgan and Crum, both of whom represented Students Assisting in Good Endeavors, were the top vote-getters among a field of 20 nominees from across campus.

SAGE is a faith-based community service organization. Its disco-themed float was both the judges’ choice and the people’s choice for best float at the Oct. 1 Homecoming Parade, themed “WT Through the Decades.”

“It’s such an honor to be named Homecoming Queen,” Morgan said, “first off, just to be nominated, and secondly, to win the votes of my peers. It’s thrilling especially since SAGE won pretty much everything that day, and I’m honored to represent both the University and SAGE.”

Crum echoed Morgan.

“To be able to represent SAGE for Homecoming was such an honor,” Crum said. “I graduate in December, and to get to be the 2022 Homecoming King in my final semester is something special. These have been the best four years of my life, and having this as my final accomplishment at WT is something I’ll never forget.”

The Homecoming court also included Anna Estrada, a senior health sciences major from Borger; Elizabeth “Annie” Valicek, a junior agribusiness and economics major from Houston; Jax Brooks, Where the Learning Continues student from Amarillo; and Jacob “Jake” Cannon, a senior animal science major from Centerville.

Queen nominees also included Rachel Stansell, a senior music major from Midland; Emily Lake, a senior marketing major from Amarillo; Tearanee’ Lockhart, a junior broadcast journalism major from Amarillo; Victoria “Vicky” Vega, a sophomore pre-nursing major from Lubbock; Erin Arias, a senior animal science major from Leander; Starla Lawhon, a senior wildlife biology major from Georgetown; Aaryn Bivens, a sophomore communication studies major from Amarillo; and Lauren Moon, a senior agriculture major from Valley View.

King nominees also included Gage Winkle, a senior music education major from Arlington; Hector Rivero-Figueroa, a senior mechanical engineering major from Amarillo; Louis Alcala, a senior general business major from Dalhart; Allan Baltazar, a senior criminal justice major from Houston; Ransom Colette, a junior pre-engineering major from Big Spring; Gerardo De La Cruz, a junior agribusiness and economics major from Bovina; Nathan Huston, a senior agriculture major from Lindsay; and Joseph Brooks, a sophomore communication studies major from Pampa.

Student organizations nominate candidates to represent them on the court. Nominees were announced Sept. 19, allowing students a week to campaign, with the student body vote taking place Sept. 27 and 28. Finalists were announced Sept. 30 at Pigskin Revue, the annual Homecoming pep rally.

Parade floats were evaluated by a panel of alumni judges. The second-place parade entrant was ’90s-themed combined float for Greek organizations Chi Omega and Kappa Alpha. The third-place winner was spirit organization Maroon Platoon’s ’50s-themed float.

Audience members in person and watching on TV or via streaming could vote for the people’s choice award via QR code.

Fostering a commitment among students to be part of something larger than one’s self is a key value set out in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $110 million.

 

Photo: West Texas A&M University’s Homecoming King and Queen for 2022 are Caleb Crum, second from left, and Emily Morgan, third from left. Court members also include Jake Cannon, from left, Annie Valicek, Anna Estrada and Jax Brooks.