Two Kingfisher County high school seniors are listed among 100 top scholars statewide recognized as 2022 Academic All-Staters by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Jayden Collier of Cashion High School and Katon Lunsford of Kingfisher High School were selected from 397 seniors nominated across the state.

Each of them will receive a $1,000 merit-based scholarship and a medallion and will be recognized at the foundation’s 36 ^th annual Academic Awards Celebration May 21 at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City.

Collier and Lunsford join students selected from 75 high schools in 67 Oklahoma school districts for this year’s awards and their names have been added to a list of 3,600 top high school seniors who have been recognized since the award’s inception in 1987.

David L. Boren, founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, describes the selection of the scholars as “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic awards selection process.”

Students can only be nominated for the award if they score at least a 30 on the ACT, at least 1370 combined in reading, writing and math on the SAT or be selected as a semifinalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship.

Final selections are made based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement, as well as letters of recommendation and an essay submitted by each nominee.

Jayden Collier is the son of Rob and the late Tisha Collier and is a QuestBridge College Prep Scholar and National Match Finalist.

He is the president of Cashion’s chapter of Business Professionals of America and placed first in fundamental spreadsheet applications and second in advanced spreadsheet applications at the BPA state conference.

Collier also is founder of the Cashion chess club, treasurer of the school leadership program and academic team captain.

He has been listed on the principal’s and superintendent’s honor roll.

Katon Lunsford, the daughter of Kenny and Meggan Lunsford, is senior class president and president of the FFA chapter, where she was a member of the nationally qualifying conduct of chapters and parliamentary procedure teams.

She competes in cross country, track and field and cheer, is listed on the superintendent’s honor roll and is National Honor Society president.

In the community, Lunsford volunteers for Meals on Wheels, Kingfisher Winter Nights and vacation Bible school at Federated Church.

The awards ceremony will be televised statewide May 28 and 29 on OETA.