BENTONVILLE -- The only thing McKenzie Dixon couldn't accomplish this spring was help Bentonville's girls soccer team win a fourth consecutive Class 7A state title.
What the 5-foot-7 forward did during her senior season with the Lady Tigers, however, was one for the record books.
Dixon smashed the school's single-season scoring record for a second straight year with 43 goals, then became the Lady Tigers' career leader in scoring with 112 goals and assists with 59. Meanwhile, she was also named Arkansas' girls soccer player for the second straight year by Gatorade.
"From a personal standpoint, the senior season was awesome," Dixon said. "I got to break my record from last year, but on top of it all, I got to play with some of the most awesome girls that I've ever played with and created bonds with them that will last forever.
"The team that I played with helped me become the player I am and helped me achieve my goals."
Dixon, who signed a national letter of intent with Austin Peay in February, was held scoreless only twice out of Bentonville's 22 matches this season. She had five hat tricks and scored four goals on three occasions, including a four-goal outing in which she tied the career scoring mark with her 104th goal at Fort Smith Southside.
"When I did all that I did during my junior season, I asked myself 'weren't you supposed to do that during your senior season,'" Dixon said. "I had that in mind, but I wasn't so focused that to where it consumed my thoughts in every single game, every single practice. I knew that if I gave my best when I was out there, the results would come."
None of those personal records, though, came to Dixon's mind when asked what would stand out most. Instead, she turned to the Lady Tigers' perfect run though 7A-West Conference play.
"In the past years we won conference, but it was 7-0," Dixon said. "This year, it was more special and had more meaning we had to play everybody twice. That's a difficult thing to do because it could be a different game and a different lineup."
-- Henry Apple • @nwahenry
Sports on 06/10/2015