BENTONVILLE -- To play or not to play.
That decision was totally left in McKenzie Dixon's hands last week. Bentonville's girls soccer team had already clinched the 7A-West Conference title before its match at Fayetteville, and the senior had competed in the Class 7A state track meet earlier that day.
Profile
McKenzie Dixon
School: Bentonville
Class: Senior
Notable: Has scored a school record 39 goals this season. … Holds the school’s career scoring mark with 110 career goals. … Has played a key role in helping Bentonville to three consecutive state championships. … Also a member of the Lady Tigers’ state champion track program.
Her original plans were to sit out that game, especially after a full day of the triple jump and the 100-meter hurdles. Those thoughts changed once she arrived at Harmon Field that night, just minutes after she helped Bentonville's girls celebrate their fourth consecutive state track championship at Ramay Junior High's track.
"We made our way over there, and when we got out of the car and headed down the hill to the field, the buzzer had sounded for halftime," Dixon said. "I went down there, and I still had on my track uniform.
"I just had this feeling inside of me that I needed to put on my soccer uniform. I went into the bathroom, put it on and went over to the bench to get taped. I got warmed up and went in during the second half."
It didn't take long before Dixon -- the Lady Tigers' career scoring leader and the single-season scoring leader -- made her presence felt once more. She scored her 39th goal of the season -- and the 110th of her career -- only 37 seconds after Fayetteville had scored to tie the game, then she had the assist on a Melanie Matkins goal a minute later as the Lady Tigers took a 3-1 victory and completed a perfect run through league play.
Bentonville coach Kristina Henry was not at all surprised when she saw her standout arrive and prepare herself to play once more. It's something Henry has grown accustomed to seeing over the last four years as Dixon balanced a busy soccer and track schedule.
"That's just part of her character," Henry said. "That's who she is. A lot of people would like to put McKenzie up on a pedestal as this phenomenal athlete, but in her heart she's all about her team. She's going to do whatever it takes for her team.
"I think she also demonstrated that at the track meet. She probably could have not done track. She could have made a lot of choices to sacrifice one team over the other, but she's a team player."
Dixon will get a break from her usually hectic schedule through the rest of her high school career. Her track season was completed with last week's state meet, so she can turn her full attention to soccer.
Dixon has been an integral part of Bentonville's run of three straight state soccer championships, having scored the winning goal in two of the three title matches. Bentonville (18-4) begins its quest for a fourth consecutive state title Friday when the Lady Tigers play a quarterfinal game in Bryant, and Dixon would love nothing more than another shot at another game-winning goal.
"That would be something that would hold a special spot in my heart," she said. "Especially for Morgan Freehling and I, the two seniors who have been here all four years. That's something that we've had in mind, and that's what we've been wanting to work toward all season.
"We're really trying to make it obvious to the rest of the players how important and how awesome it would be to be in that state championship again."
Sports on 05/14/2015