78 Featured Athletes – Makayla McClendon and Oscar Hernandez – Jasper High School

Just off of Viking Drive in Jasper, you’ll find a school buzzing with excitement and learning. Within those halls, two individuals are now staring down their final two months of high school. Meet Makayla McClendon and Oscar Hernandez, a pair of student-athletes who have excelled in the classroom and on the athletic fields. They will graduate in May and pursue their respective fields of study – Makayla a travel nurse and Oscar a physical therapist—and both have made Jasper High School proud. 

 Let’s learn a little more about them:

Makayla McClendon 

Makayla McClendon says her favorite subjects in high school are environmental science and health science. She’ll use that passion for science later when she becomes a nurse, but for now, she’s concentrating on softball season and making good grades. 

A catcher on the softball team, Makayla is coached by Brandi Hall. She plans on continuing her softball career at the junior college level before transferring to a 4-year university. 

Makayla also participates in school activities such as the Beta Club, Spanish Club, HOSA, Yearbook, and Key Club, and has a 3.6 GPA. 

Her parents are Richard and Carol McClendon. 

Oscar Hernandez 

Two-sport athlete Oscar Hernandez has not only a perfect 4.0 GPA, but also a plan for the future. After graduating in May, he says he want to pursue an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in physical therapy. But more than that, he says that he wants to become someone who demonstrates that hard work pays off in the end. 

Oscar plays soccer and runs cross-country for the Vikings, and is coached by Gunter Wisdom and Caroline Kamplain, respectively. A few of the school activities he’s involved in include FBLA, HOSA, Anchor Club, National Honor Society, JHS Ambassadors, Beta Club, Key Club, MAC Club, and Spanish Club. 

He says his favorite subjects are AP biology and physical science. 

Oscar is the son of Juan Hernandez and Maria Palacios. 

Please extend a hearty congratulations to Makayla and Oscar for being our 78 Featured Athletes! 78