Cottingham, Horst honored by Region V
By Brenda L. Shelkey
It was a successful season for the Underwood Comet girls, going 17-1 in the regular season, taking second in the District 10 Tournament, and earning a berth in the regional playoffs. Even though the season ended with a two-point loss to Grant County in the final minutes of the loser-out round of the Region V tournament, the Comets didn’t go unnoticed for their powerhouse determination and flair. At the final ceremonies of the Region V tournament, the Underwood Comets came home with two honors that recognized the inner strength of a competitive team. Head Coach Toni Cottingham was presented with the Region V Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. Her only words were, "I am humbled by the honor. There are a lot of other well-deserving coaches out there who didn’t get recognized." Also honored during the closing ceremony was Underwood senior Kayla Horst who was recognized as the Region V Senior Athlete of the Year. Horst was part of the Region All-Tournament Girls Basketball Team, along with teammate Crystal Dammen – Underwood, Jenna Bayless – Turtle Lake-Mercer, Spanky Clayton – Center-Stanton, Abbey Gifford – Grant County, Shauna Long – Standing Rock, Samantha Schell – Washburn, Katie Schindler – Shiloh Christian, Megan Toepke – New Salem, and Ryan White Bull – Standing Rock.
