Since 1983, the T. Franklin Boyd Tiger of the Year award has been awarded by the Mansfield Booster Club. Only since 2023 has the Kevin Mackey-Grayson Reese ‘Continue the Race” memorial scholarship been given. This year both honors found their way to the same pair of Tiger athletes.
The four decades old Boyd memorial plaque was recently updated with its winners being announced albeit in a slightly different setting than usual. Rather than being presented at the school’s annual year end athletic banquet, this year’s announcement came as part of the Mansfield High School class of 2025 commencement program on May 19. As such, MHS Booster Club President Angela Byers was given the opportunity to introduce Trinity Triska and Winston Allison as the newest Tiger of the Year winners.
In a separate special awards section, also as part of graduation, Mansfield High School counselor Ruth Schlinker announced the same two recipients with the ‘Continue the Race’ scholarship.
The Boyd Award was established as a way to honor an outstanding male and female senior high Tiger athlete. Throughout its history, past winners were often identified and voted upon by coaching staff and booster club members as persons exemplifying the spirit of the Tiger rooted for by the late T. Franklin Boyd.
That same basic approach still guides the 42 year old process although it has been quantified over the years to include the addition of evidentiary data. Within the operation, a criterion based rubric was formulated to take into account athletic involvement, athletic success, and academic achievement. The system then attaches a point value to each of the highly regarded nominees to establish a rank order. With this modification to the selection process, empirical data helps pair down the aspirants’ list to two gender winners.
Different and unforeseen circumstances caused both Triska and Allison to miss the annual all-sports ceremony on May 13. As such, the customary Tiger of the Year presentation was respectfully delayed and moved to the graduation ceremony.
The prevailing thought was that this adjusted time frame for the announcement would allow the two revered seniors to be recognized in a manner to which their athletic presence commanded.
Triska was a multisport athlete having played volleyball, basketball, and softball over parts of her high school career while also running track and cross country. She had received to some degree either All-Conference, All-District, or All-State awards within each of those various disciplines. She was also a River Valley All-Star cross country runner and a 3A softball All-Star nominee.
Throughout her playing days, the recent graduate was part of seven collective state championships as a member of the volleyball, indoor track, and softball teams. She also was part of five accumulated state runner-up finishes in cross country, basketball, outdoor track, and softball.
After graduation, her academic plans are to attend the University of Central Arkansas. It’s at UCA that Mansfield's female Tiger of the Year will enter a course load directed towards her future plans of becoming a pediatrician.
Triska was ranked ninth in the MHS graduating class of 2025 with an accumulative GPA of 3.74. She was the class treasurer and involved with the student council, BETA Club, FCA, yearbook, and homecoming committee.
Allison was on the class board, an honor graduate, and a two sport star. During his time as a Tiger, he was selected as an All-Conference player in each of his four years playing basketball and baseball.
In this, his senior season of basketball, the lanky point guard led the team in assists and was second on the team in rebounding and scoring. For his efforts, he was placed upon the 3A-4 All-Conference team for the fourth consecutive year. Similarly, he earned the same postseason accolade as an infielder on the award winning Tiger baseball team.
It was Allison’s junior season in basketball that was personally his most memorable. Just 2 ½ months before the start of his penultimate high school season, he broke the tibia and growth plate in one of his legs. With extraordinarily intense physical therapy, he miraculously willed his way back onto the court within months for the start of the season.
What a season it was. Statistically, Allison and the team had a superb season. Mansfield won the senior boys district tournament, finished regional runner-up, and made it to the class 2A state basketball tournament.
Allison’s positive attitude about his temporary setback was just one of the items that put him on radar for the T. Franklin Boyd award and the Mackey-Reese recognition the following year. His own words spoke volumes about his injury and subsequent recovery.
“Looking back, that injury felt like the end of everything I had worked for,” Allison wrote on the Kevin Mackey-Grayson Reese ‘Continue the Race’ memorial scholarship application. “But, in reality, it became the beginning of a new chapter. I learned that setbacks can shape us more than successes, and that determination can turn doubt into triumph.”
Mansfield’s newest male Tiger of the Year won a portion of the ‘Continue the Race’ academic scholarship to close out his senior year. The CTR educational endowment was established by longtime Mansfield coach and former athletic director John Mackey. The monetary award he and his family created is given in remembrance of the coach’s late nephews, Kevin Mackey and Grayson Reese, who each passed away before their expected time.
Both Allison and Triska were awarded sums as part of the ‘Continue the Race’ foundation. Although not associated in any way with the Booster Club’s Tiger of the Year selections, it’s significant in how both outlets viewed the credentials of the two players.
“The courage to keep my dreams alive comes from the lessons I’ve learned through my athletic journey,” wrote Triska on her application for the CTR academic prize. “Whether it was a hard loss or an injury, I’ve realized that giving up is never an option.”
Ironically, the two Mansfield seniors have both applied and been accepted to UCA. Triska will pursue biology as part of her pre-medical degree. Allison, who finished eighth in Mansfield’s senior class with a 3.80 accumulative GPA, wishes to study business.
“Being honored with Tiger of the Year is a huge accomplishment,” spoke Allison shortly after graduation. “For me, I’ve always strived to be the best on the court, in the field and in the classroom.
“Receiving any scholarship is always appreciated,” continued the male recipient of both the Boyd trophy and the Mackey-Reese plaque. “When it is a local scholarship like ‘Continue the Race’ from your hometown, it means even more. So thankful to the family of Kevin Mackey and Grayson Reese for the scholarship.”
Triska shared a brief thought as she too spoke privately after commencement exercises were completed.
“Such an honor,” said the Lady Tiger standout, having learned of the two separate awards. “Thank you so much!”
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