A 2024 graduate of Gruver High School ... Played under head coach Trent Lankford for four years ... Also competed in track for four years under head coach Curtis Haberthur ... Helped lead Greyhounds to numerous achievements, including district, bi-district, area, and regional championships in 2023, as well as 2A state runner-up finish ... Contributed to a bi-district championship in senior season ... Scored single-game career-high 27 points in standout performance in final year ... Named District Newcomer of the Year, All-District first team (twice), and team's Co-MVP as an underclassman.

Erin Merkel, daughter of Tyler and Valerie Merkel and a Gruver, Texas native, chose John Brown University because it felt like a home away from home ... Attracted by the university's deep roots in faith and its high academic expectations ... Plans to major in kinesiology.