Tiger seniors sign national letters of intent

Seven Dripping Springs High School seniors announced their commitments to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. Soccer players Jessica Carmichael and Ziva Payer, cross country/track athlete Bobby Holt, football players Parker Alford and Lane Dominey, baseball player Bailey Sandoval, and rower McKayla Cothern.  

Combined with 11 DSHS seniors who announced their college commitments in November, this brings the number of Tiger student-athletes continuing their playing careers at the collegiate level to 18. Below is information on each student-athlete.

Parker Alford, Football, University of Texas 

A three-year letter winner at wide receiver, Parker Alford started for the Tigers the past two seasons. He was named to the 2018 All-District First Team after receiving second-team honors as a junior. Parker was named to the Academic All-State Team as a senior after earning a spot on the Academic All-District Team the previous two years. In his high school career, he recorded 20 touchdowns and more than 2,000 all-purpose yards while averaging 22.6 yards per catch. Parker will be continuing a family tradition as two of his uncles played for the Longhorns. He is the son of Dacia and Brent Alford. Coach: Galen Zimmerman.

Jessica Carmichael, Soccer, University of Arizona Little Rock

Jessica Carmichael is a four-year varsity letter winner in soccer. As a freshman, Jessica received all-district honorable mention, in her sophomore year she was named to the All-District Second Team, and as a junior she was voted to the All-District First Team. Jessica also has earned academic all-district honors. Jessica was one of the top three goal scorers and led the Tigers in assists as a freshman, and has continued to be ranked among team assist leaders the past two years. Jessica started running varsity track her junior year, competing in the 4x200-meter relay and the 4x100-meter relay teams. The daughter of Kimberly and Kelly Carmichael, she plans to study marketing and business administration. Coach: Bailey Perinne.

McKayla Cothern, Rowing, University of Texas

McKayla Cothern forged her own path to her commitment with the Longhorn rowing team. After becoming interested in rowing, she joined CrossFit Onion Creek, where she learned the mechanics of the sport. She took the initiative to contact UT’s rowing coaches to find out what specific times and distances were necessary to be considered for the team. After 18 month of training, she met those goals and earned an offer from the University of Texas. Recently she placed first in her age division in the “Row’d Royalty 2019 Online Rowing Competition.” McKayla has been a member of the DSHS Color Guard for four years, serving as a lieutenant last year and captain this year. The daughter of Kathryn and Steven Cothern, McKayla plans to major in English at UT.  Coach: John Biber.

Lane Dominey, Football, Dordt University (Iowa) 

A three-sport athlete at DSHS, Lane Dominey has participated in basketball and track as well as football. In football, he was a three-year starter at cornerback and as a punt returner; the past two years he has been the Tigers’ kick returner as well. He has received all-district honors twice at cornerback and also this past fall as a punt returner. Dominey holds the school record for most kickoff return yards in a game (161 yds.) and is the only player in Tiger history to play in the state quarterfinals in both football and basketball in the same year (2016-17). As a three-year varsity basketball player, Lane earned academic all-district honors as a junior. He also qualified for area in track as a sophomore (Long Jump). The son of Elise and Victor Dominey, he plans to major in Mechanical Engineering. Coach: Galen Zimmerman.

Bobby Holt, Cross Country/Track, Texas A&M University 

Bobby Holt is a four-year varsity letter winner in both cross country and track. As a junior, Bobby finished sixth at the UIL State Cross Country Meet and fourth at the UIL State Track Meet in the 1600 Meters. This past fall, Bobby finished sixth at the UIL State Cross Country Championships. He is the school record-holder in the 5K with a time of 15:06. As a senior, he was a member of the All-State Cross Country Team and the 25-5A All-District Academic Team. He is the son of Michele and Brian Holt and plans on majoring in business.  Coach: Marisa Tuzzi (cross), Ben Reid (track). Ziva Payer, Soccer, University of Arkansas Little Rock

Ziva Payer is a four-year varsity letterman in soccer. As a freshman and sophomore, she started every game and was among the team’s top three players in both goals and assists. As a freshman, Ziva received all-district honorable mention, then as a sophomore she was named to the All-District First Team. In her junior year, she was voted team MVP and was named to the All-District Second Team. During her junior year, she began running track, running in the 4x100 and 4x200 varsity relay teams, and also joined the Tiger powerlifting team. The daughter of Todd and Lotus Payer, Ziva plans on majoring in pre-med. Coach: Bailee Perinne. Bailey Sandoval, Baseball, McMurry University (Abilene)

One of the team’s hardest workers and leaders by example, Bailey’s positions include all three outfield spots. In addition to being a member of the DSHS baseball team for four years, he also has played football for the Tigers throughout his high school career. Bailey played baseball for several travel teams before joining the Lonestar Baseball Club as a sophomore.  The son of Reyna and Frankie Sandoval, he plans to major in Criminal Justice at McMurry University with the career goal of becoming a game warden. Coach: Chris Payne.