A crowning moment: Aspyn McCord and Hector Navarrete are the 2024 homecoming royalty

BY HAELEY CARPENTER / Managing Editor

Hector Navarrete and Aspyn McCord were crowned Tarleton State University’s 2024 Homecoming King and Queen, respectively. 

The lighting of the smokestack is one of the first events of the celebration week and it is where students find out who has been nominated for the coveted title of Homecoming King and Queen.

The five men chosen for the king nominations were Andre Archuleta, Ethan Gutierrez, Garrett Jones, Hector Navarrete and Zachary Thompson.

The five ladies chosen for the queen nominations were Hannah Bradley, Madison Lehman, Aspyn McCord, Lauren Stacy and Morgan Waters.

During halftime of the Texan Football game against Utah Tech, the court was brought out on the field and Navarrete was crowned king and McCord was crowned queen.

McCord is a senior nursing major from Pilot Point, Texas. Her hometown has a population of a little over 6,000 people so going from a tiny town to Tarleton with around 17,000 students on the campus alone was a big jump.

“I didn’t wanna go somewhere too big where I would just get lost in everything,” McCord said. “When I came here I felt at home, like there was a place for me here and that I have a meaningful connection that I wasn’t gonna be just another face in the crowd.”

She would be right. 

McCord is part of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority where she was the Director of Social Media and Vice President of Marketing before serving as the current president. She was also a Rho Gam, helping potential new members find their home in Greek life and is part of the Order of the Omega.

“I just felt kind of inclined to kind of represent not only organizations that I’ve been apart of but also my current major, it’s one of the hardest majors I’ve heard about and also been apart of,” McCord said. “I feel like they don’t think they can do anything outside of school work and so I feel like this gave me an opportunity to represent that you can, as long as you put your mind to it.”

Navarrete is a junior criminal justice major with a minor in legal studies. He ran for king because of his fraternity.

“My GG Big in my fraternity, because I’m a part of Phi Kapp, he did it last year and I saw how much fun he had and just being able to meet people and I kinda wanted to do it just because I wanted to put my name out there,” Navarrete said.

His first choice of college was a private university in San Antonio but he visited and toured three different times and it just didn’t feel right. Tarleton was an up and coming D1 school at the time and found a chance at independence.

“First 30 minutes of orientation, I fell in love with the place. It felt like home. Not too big, not too small and I felt like I was gonna be more than a number,” Navarrete said.

He is the current president of Phi Kappa Sigma where he previously served as the new member educator and the philanthropy chair. Navarrete was also the vice president of finance and chosen as man of the year for IFC (Interfraternity Council). He is also part of the order of the Omega.

Outside of Greek life, Navarrete was also a two-time Tarleton Transition Mentor and served on orientation staff and is a two-time College of Liberal and Fine Arts Congressperson for the Student Government Association.

Although both Navarrete and McCord wear a lot of hats, neither of them thought they would actually win the crown.

“I wasn’t even on homecoming court in high school so [winning] was just not even in my play book at all,” McCord said. “All of those girls on the court were amazing, two of them were actually my freshman roommates [Morgan and Hannah] so that was just really meaningful to me. I was rooting for all of them.”

Talk about a full circle moment.

McCord described her crowning moment as “pure shock as well as immense thankfulness.” Her running partner, Garrett Jones, had to give her a gentle push towards the crown because couldn’t move.

McCord might have been surprised to hear her name, but Navarrete was not.

“When I heard her name called out, I was like ‘she is very deserving of this’ she has done a lot for her chapter and overall Tarleton State,” Navarrete said. 

Navarrete was not expecting his name to get called either.

“I didn’t know how to act,” Navarrete said. “When I heard my name, it was just like ‘wow.’ It was kind of crazy.”

Isaiah Laque and Jordyn Carson, Homecoming King and Queen 2023, crowned Navarrete and McCord, respectively, who they had known previously.

Carson and McCord were quick to hug each other, sharing a special moment.

“I’ve known Jordan since we were in high school,” McCord said, “These two small town girls are out in front of a stadium of thousands, it was pretty cool.”

McCord wants to thank her mom, brother and sorority specifically to help get her through the week of craziness. She also mentions how she would not be here without God.

Navarrete wants to thank the rest of the homecoming court and their support of each other, specifically Gutierrez. He also wants to thank his family and fraternity for their support throughout the week.