Cousins from Cape Girardeau, Sikeston win national Cricket Wireless contest

Two Southeast Missouri cousins honored their own cousin and sister Thursday, Oct. 24, after winning a national competition organized by Cricket Wireless.

Missy Wasson of Cape Girardeau and Blair Moore of Sikeston were among more than 3,000 participants of the Atlanta-based service provider’s Kick it with Cricket contest. To participate, they designed custom sneakers online. Cricket Wireless leadership selected 20 finalists and asked people to vote on social media to select their favorite designs. More than 14,000 votes were cast.

“We went online, it was super easy to do. We took a little time to make them unique and fun. We sent them off to the family group [chat], and we submitted them. Then we won,” Moore said.

When submitting their designs, entrants could nominate an educator to receive prizes should their sneakers be selected as one of the five winning designs.

“That could have been anybody. A coach, a teacher; anybody from the past they just wanted to give a shout out to. Now the teacher also got to win $1,000 as well,” Cricket Wireless associate director Steven Ramsey said.

Moore and Wasson both chose Meghan Wasson, a special education teacher at Mehlville High School in St. Louis, as their educator to recognize. She is Wasson’s twin sister and Moore’s cousin.

“It’s so nice to feel the love from my family and everybody around me supporting me,” Meghan Wasson said. “I’m a first-generation college student in my family. I’m the only one who’s moved more than about two hours away from everybody. I’m kind of branching myself out there … and it’s just so good to know that even if my family is two-plus hours away, I still have that love and care.”

The five designers with the most votes nationwide won $1,000 apiece and a Samsung Galaxy S24 phone, as did their chosen educators. Since both her sister and cousin selected her, Meghan Wasson won $2,000.

Moore and Wasson heard about Kick it with Cricket from Moore’s sister Taylor Sullivan, who works at the Cricket Wireless at 3047 William St. in Cape Girardeau. Their family and friends supported them throughout the contest, which lasted from July 12 to Sept. 5. Voting started on Aug. 19.

Both cousins said their sneakers were more for display and conversation than regular use.

“I’m just going to display mine. I just love artwork from anyone so this is going to add on to that,” Missy Wasson said.

Each of the five winners had their sneaker designs made into real-life shoes with the aid of different professional sneaker artists. Moore and Wasson collaborated with artists Jastin Staphens and Stephaun Steele, respectively.

Sullivan’s Cricket store honored the winners with a special event Oct. 24.

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