NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER
McAllen High sophomore Westyn Henderson announced her commitment to Texas A&M University soccer through Twitter on Wednesday.
Henderson said she has been an Aggies fan her whole life and didn’t hesitate to secure her future at the Division I university in College Station.
“This weekend was just the cherry on top, and they offered me this morning at 9, and I committed at 9:01,” Henderson said.
She’s been in maroon and white since a young age. Her parents are both graduates from the university, and she’s been at Kyle Field almost since birth.
“My first Aggie football game is when I was 14 days old,” Henderson said. “Since then, it’s always been a goal. I’ve been attending their camps ever since I could attend their camps. Both my parents went there, so when I got an opportunity to play for them, it just felt right.”
Last month, Henderson led the Bulldogs all the way to the state semifinals. They became the first RGV girls team to reach the state tournament.
The speedy midfielder lifted the McHi team comprised of mostly underclassmen in both games of the regional tournament. She made a brave run into the box and executed a spin before shooting the ball past San Antonio Johnson’s defense and goalie to send McHi to the final.
Against Lake Travis, she assisted on the lone goal, in the 78th minute, to punch her team’s ticket to Georgetown and the state tourney.
“High school got the ball rolling, definitely,” Henderson said. “Making it to the final four definitely helped out with exposure. I’ve been playing on this classic elite team out of San Antonio … so I’m exposed to a bunch of college coaches, just being in that environment.”
She praised her club and high school coaches for getting her onto the radar of Division I scouts.
“The mixture of Gary Hamilton, who is my club coach from the Valley, he has done an amazing job making connections in the soccer world,” Henderson said. “Him and my club coach from Classic elite and (McHi coach Pat) Arney, they’ve all done such a great job of helping me get put out there.”
She said she is confident she will not have a change of heart and is glad to have the peace of mind moving forward.
“I’m 110 percent committed to going there,” Henderson said. “I think if this would have happened a year ago, I would still be in the same mindset. I’ve always been an Aggie, so no matter what time I was given this opportunity, I would have accepted it and been fully committed to going and playing there. I was their last 2020 offer, and I’m the fifth girl in the class to commit. It felt right, and I’m excited.”
With two years of McHi soccer ahead of her and the weight of the recruiting process off her shoulders, Henderson said she is ready to build on the history the 2018 group made.
“It makes me have new mentality and outlook on this whole process,” Henderson said. “Now I’m just ready to work harder than I have been. We’re excited about McHi soccer and want to bring home a state trophy for McAllen.”