Shiner St. Paul celebrate year-end awards

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Shiner St. Paul closed out last season’s accomplishments with three year-end awards. Head coaches Dana Beal-Sestak and Jake Wachsmuth have been honored for the second year in a row by the Texas Association of Private & Parochial Schools (TAPPS) as the female and male coach of the year in their 2A division. Meanwhile, St. Paul graduate Austin Barton won male athlete of the year in TAPPS 2A.

“Austin has represented St. Paul in a tremendous way,” Wachsmuth said. “He is one of the best athletes I have coached but more importantly he is a person who lives his life with great character. I’m very happy that he has been recognized as Athlete of the Year, because he has never been about individual awards. He has always been team first.”

Barton’s accomplishments throughout the year spanned through many different sports.

In football, Barton led the team to a second consecutive state championship and was named first team all-state athlete. Some list of accomplishments include:

  • Starting 48 games as quarterback with a 36-12 record as a starter
  • Two-time state champion
  • First team all-district for three years
  • First team all-state one year

In basketball, Barton was a first team all-district player who helped the team achieve a district championship for the second year in a row. Some of his accomplishments include:

  • Part of three playoff teams and two district titles
  • Honorable mention all-district team one year
  • First team all-district two years
  • Honorable mention all-state one year

In baseball, Barton was a second team all-district player as part of a district runner up team. Other accomplishments include:

  • Part of three playoff teams and one district title
  • Second team all-district two years
  • First team all-district one year

Barton led his team to a state track and field champions for the third year in a row, winning the discus toss, finishing second in shot put, sixth in the 400-meter run and ran legs on the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays that both finished fourth at the state track meet. Overall he’s:

  • Been part of three district championships, three regional championships and three state championships
  • Qualified for the state track meet three years in 10 events
  • Won two gold medals and three silver medals

The Cardinal graduate also had accomplishments in the classroom as he was named an academic all-state athlete for two years.

On the coaching side, both Beal-Sestak and Wachsmuth have won their year-end awards for the second year in a row.

“This is not about us,” Wachsmuth said of the award. “Our students deserve the glory for all of their hard work and dedication. It’s only because of them that we received this honor.”

Beal-Sestak has won the award three times and her accomplishments during the 2016-17 school year include:

  • 2016 girls’ cross-country state champions
  • 2016 boys’ cross-country state runner up
  • 2017 girls’ basketball state champions
  • 2017 girls’ track state champions

In previous years, Beal-Sestak has won the following awards:

  • Girls’ track state champions: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016
  • Girls’ cross-country state champions: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • Boys’ cross-country state champions: 2005, 2015

This was the third time Beal-Sestak has won female coach of the year for her division.

Meanwhile, Wachsmuth won the male coach of the year in TAPPS 2A for the following accomplishments:

  • 2016 football state champions
  • 2017 girls’ basketball state champions (assistant coach)
  • 2017 boys’ track state champions

in prior years, he’s won the state title in football in 2010, 2012 and 2015. He’s also coached the team that won the state title in boys’ track in 2015 and 2016.

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