I’ll take incredibly busy Booneville High School students for $2000.
A clarinet, a tennis racket, and a pompom have this common.
Beep beep.
Who is Malena Loftin.
Correct.
“I love tennis and I love cheer. Band? I think it’s really helped me, it’s very intellectually challenging so I love band,” said Loftin. “Doing them all in the fall wasn’t really my choice, that’s where the chips fall so I have to kind of deal with it.”
By the way, the BHS sophomore is pretty good at not just one, but all of them, despite all requiring intense attention – she will run track in the spring but by then the so-called irons in the fire will be fewer.
Loftin showed up for a recent tennis match carrying a fast food sack and a drink well after her doubles partner had to be paired with another player due to the opponent only having doubles teams and needing to get started.
“I went from school to band practice, to cheer practice, back to band, and then to tennis,” said Loftin.
That forced Loftin into a doubles pairing with another Lady Bearcat but she was able to be involved in all three extracurricular activities within a span of 90 minutes or so.
“We’ve had cheerleaders in band before so we definitely have to work together,” said Loftin. “Honestly cheer and band have to come before tennis because it doesn’t matter what time I play I can go do (cheer and band) first and come back.”
Loftin was paired with yet another doubles partner for Tuesday’s tri-match event in Jessieville, which also included Bismarck, but when it comes to the district tournament she is unfortunately the odd one out as her doubles partner is now out with an injury and there are no singles slots left.
She is disappointed, but not distraught.
“Malena is a great kid. She’s one of those kids you always want to be around because she’s so positive about everything,” said tennis coach Katelyn Holub. “She’s always looking on the bright side. She’s sweet, very smart, and really funny honestly.
“I love that when she sets her mind to something, you can count on it getting done. I’d take about 10 more kids just like her.”
In band Loftin is a clarinet player with the advanced band meaning she marches in a cheer uniform at halftime.
Last year she was in beginning band, which means she took an uncommon route to the Friday night performances.
“I’m one of the only ones who got to skip intermediate band,” said Loftin. “First semester I was beginning band and second semester I was high school band.
“I got all my stuff done so they said I could move up.”
“She’s one of my most dependable band students. She’s quite talented and is one of my most consistent marchers,” said band director Brian Rhodes. “Mrs. (Angela) Rhodes and I are happy she’s in band.”
Loftin is the second oldest of four children and only daughter of local dentist Dr. Chris and wife Brianne Loftin.
She came with her family to Booneville while in elementary school and took up cheer in the sixth grade.
After taking off her seventh grade year Loftin returned and was a junior high cheerleader for two years and has now moved to senior high.
For coach Rachael May this year Loftin fills a base role.
“Malena is a hard worker. She’s a selfless teammate that would do anything to help her team succeed,” said May. “And she loves Jesus.”
Besides sports and arts, Loftin’s day is filled with plenty of class work. She is taking two college classes and all the advanced placement courses that would fit into her schedule, again as a sophomore.
After high school Loftin expects to do a mission trip – older brother Clayton is on one in Japan now – then go to BYU-Idaho, and eventually be an English teacher, or maybe teach biology, because again, she loves both.
She was born in the United States – Oklahoma – but Loftin and her family lived in Japan for a while and in Little Rock before coming to Booneville, as her father was an Air Force dentist.
It was during their time in Japan that Loftin and her brother took tennis lessons, laying the foundation to play the sport for the Lady Bearcats.
“We played a little bit so I kind of knew what I was doing but it took a lot of work,” said Loftin.
