Taylor Hummel and Kyle Henry now have one more thing in common. For starters, the teens from New York’s Tuscarora Reservation are related; they are first cousins, their mothers are sisters.
Hummel and Henry were both seniors this year at Niagara Wheatfield High School in Sanborn, N.Y. And both are talented lacrosse players, starring with their high school team, the Niagara Falcons, this past season.
In part because of their lacrosse accomplishments, both Hummel and Henry were recently awarded the prestigious Tewaaraton Outstanding Native American Scholarship. Hummel, the female recipient, and Henry, the male winner, were honored at a ceremony June 3 in Washington, D.C.
The scholarships, worth $5,000 each, are presented each year to one Native American female and one Native American male. In order to be eligible for the award, nominees must play high school lacrosse and also be a member of a tribe in the U.S.
Winners are selected on their athletic performance as well as their academic achievements and ambitions. Those who were interested in winning the award also had to submit an essay on why they would be a deserving recipient.
“I’m kind of shocked that I got it,” Hummel said. “It was a spur of the moment thing (to enter).” Award winners are chosen by a panel consisting of previous recipients, retired collegiate coaches and exemplary members of the Native American community. Hummel, a 17-year-old goalie, started playing field lacrosse for her school’s junior team when she was in ninth grade.
“A lot of my friends were playing. I knew they needed a goalie so I thought, why not?” Hummel played just that one season at the junior level. And for the past three years she was the starting goalie for the Falcons’ senior squad.
Field lacrosse goalies don’t wear much protective equipment, but Hummel doesn’t mind being in the line of fire, though at times getting hit by the hard rubber balls can be painful. “I don’t like the ones at the knees,” she said. Besides being a key member of her team, Hummel also excelled in the classroom. She had an impressive overall average of about 96 percent in her 12th grade studies.
As for this coming year, she will attend Dartmouth University in New Hampshire. Though she is undecided about her major, Hummel eventually wants to work in the field of environmental science.
Hummel is not expected to try out for the Dartmouth women’s varsity lacrosse squad during her freshman year, instead, she might explore the possibility of playing some club lacrosse.
Suiting up for the Dartmouth team at some point during her university career though is something she would consider. “I think it would be cool to play, but I don’t know if I have that ability.”
As for Henry, who is 18, he’s off to Syracuse University in New York. Though he would love to play for the school’s renowned men’s lacrosse team he’s not sure if that will happen.
“I wasn’t recruited, but I’ll try out.” Henry is not sure whether he has what it takes to play at the NCAA level. “We’ll see,” said Henry, who will be majoring in computer science. “I’m not sure, but I’ve played with some college guys before.”
Henry started playing box lacrosse at the age of 3, venturing across the U.S./Canada border to play in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. He also started to play field lacrosse when he was in sixth grade. When he got to high school he ended up dropping box lacrosse and now just plays the field game. Henry suited up for the Niagara Falcons during all four of his years in high school. He toiled for the Falcons’ junior club in ninth grade and then was a member of the senior team the following three seasons. Besides being on his high school team, Henry also played in the Buffalo Lacrosse Association and with the Western Nike lacrosse club in 2009.
Like Hummel, Henry also fared well academically. His final 12th grade average was about 92 percent.
Henry said he would like to follow in the footsteps of his father and play lacrosse professionally. Between 1993 and 2002, his father Robert (Bear) Henry played portions of seven seasons with the Buffalo Bandits in the National Lacrosse League. “Hopefully (I can play pro),” said the younger Henry. “I just have to work hard enough.”
