Members of the various teams, in front from left, include Alivia Stidams (math), Jordan Rhodes (math) and Amanda Mall (math and interdisciplinary). In the middle row are Tessa Freel (social studies), Shae Henn (social studies, science and interdisciplinary), Kyndall Fisher (social studies) and Laurana Perry (English). In the back row are Anthon Anker (social studies), Jake Cowan (social studies, science and interdisciplinary), Cayden Wegener (English) and Addison Torres (English and interdisciplinary). Not present for the photo was Alexis Matney (science, math and interdisciplinary).

During the Academic Super Bowl Class 3 regional competition Saturday at Wawasee Middle School, WMS had four teams — social studies, science, math and interdisciplinary — place first. The English team placed second. There were 17 schools competing Saturday. How the WMS teams rank at the state level has not yet been finalized.

The Wawasee middle school boys golf team lost a match Monday night against Crestview, 178-204. The Warriors were led by the combo of Dillon Drake and Jacob Krugman, both turning in scores of 48. Jared Krugman added a 52 and Hunter Hlutke rounded out the scoring tallies with a 57.

Registration for swim lessons using the American Red Cross program is being held on Saturdays, May 17 and 24, from 8 a.m. to noon at Wawasee Middle School. Anyone coming to register should enter the school through the pool access doors.

The lessons are being offered by Julia Allen and cost $50 per child.

Session 1 will be held June 9-20, Session 2 is June 23-July 4, and Session 3 runs from July 7-18.

Morning classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and evening classes start at 6 p.m. Allen offers Parent/Child, levels 2, 3, 4 and 5, using the American Red Cross swim lesson program. The swim lessons will take place at Wawasee Middle School.

Registrations may also be made at the start of each session for any available openings. Any questions may be directed to jallen@wawasee.k12.in.us.

Hale Bowen jumps with joy after finishing first for the Riverview 4×400 relay team. Riverview won the eighth grade boys title and tied for first in the seventh grade meet. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

PLYMOUTH- Track and field superiority was up for grabs at Plymouth High School on Saturday as the Rock Pile played host to the 2014 North East Lakes Middle School Conference Championships.

The boys meets were exciting and exhilarating for four local schools, Edgewood, Lakeview, Wawasee and Whitko. A scrappy Wawasee team played an underdog role and managed to tie for first with Riverview in the seventh grade meet as both teams finished with 74 points. Lakeview tied for third with Crestview with 65 points, Edgewood finished sixth with 62 points and Whitko took seventh place with 31 points.

In the eighth grade meet it was Riverview that claimed top prize with a score of 100.75 points. Edgewood (93), Lakeview (69.75), Whitko (56) and Wawasee (26) finished second, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

In the seventh grade meet each of the four area schools won at least one event but it was depth that helped Wawasee claim first place.

The Warrior seventh graders took first place in the 110 hurdles with Luke Griner (17.70) finishing first in front of Jon O’Dell (17.80) of Indian Springs. Wawasee also took first in the 4×400 relay. The relay team made up of Griner, Braxton Alexander, Dylan Hepler and Bennett Hoffert finished with a time of 4:15.39 to beat out Riverview’s time of 4:16.54.

Hepler took second in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes with times of 12.69 and 26.14, respectively. He also placed third in the long jump 15’8.75″ to help boast the depth for the Warriors.

Griner (2:21.23) and Hoffert (2:27.55) took second and third, respectively, in the 800 meter run for Wawasee. Braeden Schlabach also picked up a fourth place finish for Wawasee in the high jump with his height of 4’6″. The second through fourth place finishes across the board were what ultimately put Wawasee into first place with Riverview.

The win for the Warriors came as a surprise to many but made nobody happier than Wawasee head coach Jay Smith.

“Coming in we weren’t real sure how our boys would do,” said and very pleased coach Smith. “We had to dismiss one of our best distance runners from the team this week because he missed too many practices so we were in a tough spot coming in but the boys made up for it.

“We had two runners, per event, that did well and that picks up big points. I don’t know what else to say about our boys today, they did well and I’m very happy for them.”

Since there was a tie for first and only one plaque to be given out on Saturday, Lincoln Junior High Athletic Director Carol Gilbert decided a fun way for Riverview and Wawasee to determine who would get to take the plaque home and who would have to wait for theirs to arrive in the mail. Gilbert asked for a number between one and ten from each team and Wawasee guessed the closer of the two numbers, which can be seen in the video below.

Lakeview’s placed first in three events on Saturday. Bryce Garner finished first for the Tigers with a time of 57.59 in the 400 meter dash. William Robison took first in both the 800 and 1600 meter runs with times of 2:19.09 and 5:00.68, respectively.

Lakeview’s 4×4 relay team of Robison, Eli Owen, Josse Leyva and Eric Ramirez claimed third place with a time of 4:29.25. Owen also took second in the long jump (16’7.5″).

Edgewood and Whitko each claimed first in one event on Saturday. Whitko’s Zack Freel won the high jump with his height of 4’9″. The Edgewood 4×1 relay team took first with a time of 51.49. The relay team was Gustavo Cartejena, Kane Dawson, Cobe VanHouten and Jack Stewart.

Edgewood did much better in the eighth grade meet, despite not placing first in any event.

Edgewood’s second place finish overall in the meet was highlighted by four second place finishes in various events. The Tigers took second in 100 (Daniel Deantes, 12.86), 400, (Marc Motter, 57.94), 1600 (Motter, 5:11.71) and high jump (Dane Stookey, 5’1″).

Edgewood’s 4×1 and 4×4 relay teams both took third. Deantes, Brandon Bradley, Kyle Hayward and Lucas Harvey made up the 4×1 team. The 4×4 team included Kennis Dye, Taylor Mills, Ridley Lemon and Motter.

John Svinarich claimed a third place finish in the discus throw for Edgewood with a distance of 117’9″.

Lakeview was well represented by Eduardo Calderon. Calderon took first in the 1600 (5:07.70) and second in the 800 (2:15.86). Leytan Perry picked up a second place finish in the shot put ring for the Tigers with his distance of 40’6″.

Whitko’s eighth grade held its own in several events. Matt Smith took first in discus (125’2″) and third in shot (38’8″). Alex Wilson gave the Wildcats something to cheer about on the track as he claimed first in both the 100 and 200 with times of 12.66 and 25.73, respectively. Cory Sandlin also took first for Whitko in the 110 hurdles with a time of 17.76.

Wawasee struggled to break through in most events. Zach Linnemeir claimed fifth and sixth place in the 800 and 1600, respectively, for Wawasee. Travis Harney, Blayne Faught, Jacob Moore and Dalton Pearish made up the 4×1 relay team for the Warriors that claimed fifth place.

Pearish also took fifth place in shot (36’1″) and fourth in discus (114′).

Edgewood, Wawasee and Lakeview all battled at the top of the eighth grade meet at the NELMSC Championships held at Plymouth High School on Saturday morning. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

PLYMOUTH – The girls meets at the North East Lakes Middle School Conference Track and Field Championships were dominated by two local schools on Saturday morning.

The Rock Pile at Plymouth High School proved to be anything but rocky for the Wawasee and Edgewood girls track teams. Edgewood slipped by Wawasee by a score of 103-100 for the eighth grade title. The Wawasee seventh graders ran away with their meet championship with a score of 103 points, well ahead of second place Lincoln Junior High who finished with 61 points.

Edgewood only won two events in the eighth grade meet, but cleaned up in second through fourth spots across the board to get a somewhat surprising win over rivals Lakeview and Wawasee. It was not easy, but the Tigers did exactly what they had to do in order to bring home NELMSC bragging rights.

“We had a lot of personal bests today,” said Edgewood head coach Donna Moudy. “Almost everybody that competed had personal bests, they really just ran their hearts out today. I am very proud of these girls. They have improved so much over the year, I can’t believe it. I’m just so proud of them.”

Moudy’s girls took first in the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 56.99. Raina Armey, Kerigan Hatfield, Liza Lewis and Paola Nieves all made up the first place relay squad. Morgan Bruner gave Edgewood its only other first place finish in the long jump with a distance of 14’8″. Lewis (14’4″) took second in the event.

Edgewood also took second in shot put (Katiana Rodriguez, 29’4″), high jump (Alexie Day, 4’8″) and in the 4×4 relay (4:46.41). The Tigers racked up more points with a third place finish in discus from Hatfield (89’1″) and four fourth place finishes in the 800, 1600, hurdles and discus. The second through fourth place finishers were key for the Tigers in surpassing Wawasee by such a slim margin to get the meet championship.

Wawasee still had a stellar day on the track as the Warrior girls won five events, the most of any school on Saturday.  Hannah Marie Lamle picked up one of those first place finishes for Wawasee with her time of 17.19 in the 100 meter hurdles.

Lamle also claimed third in the long jump with her mark of 14’1″. Yanelly Pizana led the Warrior distance runners as she claimed third in both the 800 (2:41.11) and 1600 (5:59.27). Lamle and Pizana were the only Warriors to get third place finishes on Saturday. Wawasee had no second place finishes and the only fourth place finishers for Wawasee were Lamle in the 200 and Harmony Schlabach in discus.

Despite the lack of points gained from second through fourth place finishes, the Warriors still cleaned up in certain events. Wawasee’s 4×4 relay won comfortably over Edgewood (4:46.41) with a time of 4:40.03. The team was made up of Pizana, Lamle, Regan Atwood and Aubrey Kuhn.

Kuhn led the way for Wawasee as she won three events on her own. Kuhn set a new school record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.00 seconds and set a new school record for individual points set at a conference meet with 32.5. Kuhn also finished first in the 200 (28.29) and 400 (1:06.19).

Kuhn’s accomplishments did not come easily as she was challenged every step of the way by Lakeview’s Abbi Curtis. The two girls have a budding rivalry as each has gotten the best of the other at one point in their two prior meetings this season. Curtis took second by narrow margins in the 100 (13.07), 200 (28.40) and 400 (1:07.07).

The rest of Curtis’ team had solid finishes across the board as well as Lakeview finished third overall with a score of 79. Lakeview took second place in the 4×1 relay with their team of Curtis, Shunterra Davis, Hanna Leach and Emma Gelbaugh.

Passion Gardner took third in shot for Lakeview with her mark of 25’9″. Gardner also gave Lakeview its lone first place finish with her mark of 94’4″ in discus.

Whitko’s Megan Thomas made herself known on Saturday as she took third in both the 100 and 200 with times of 13.45 and 29.90, respectively.

The results were not quite the same in the seventh grade meet.

Wawasee’s seventh grade girls absolutely dominated their meet, placing top three in 11 of the 12 events.

Wawasee’s relay teams were solid, per usual. The 4×1 relay team of Casey Schroeder, Katie Haines, Jada Parzygnot and Olivia Clouse was the highlight of the the meet for Wawasee. The girls set a new school record in the event with a time of 55.00 seconds.

The 4×4 team, made up of Carmen Yoder, McKenzie Smith, Marissa Hunziker and Caitlin Wortinger, did not set a record but still managed to win its race by a comfortable margin. The girls finished with a time of 4:41.02, well ahead of Riverview’s 4:48.69.

Smith took first place in the 400 with her time of 1:05.89 for the only other first place finish on the track for Wawasee. The Warriors only won three track events, but dominated in the field.

Casey Schroeder placed second in the high jump (4’5″) and first in the long jump (14’2″). Graceanne Kerlin took third in the shot put for Wawase with a mark of 26’8″. Finally, Wawasee cleaned up in the discus throw with Kerlin’s first place mark of 89’8″ and a second place finish from Sara Pritchard (78’7″).

“We’re real proud of this girls team,” said Wawasee head coach Jay Smith. “We knew coming in that we had a strong group so to see them break a record and win the meet is good.”

Lakeview’s best finish of the day came from Lynae Dawson in shot with her mark of 27’2″. Lakeview also saw a third place finish from Abby Wilson in the high jump with her jump that measured 4’4″. Lakeview finished fourth with 41.5 points.

Edgewood struggled, finishing in just sixth place. The Tigers top finishes both came from Kenzie Martz. Martz took second in the 400 (1:05.89) and third in the long jump (13’9″).

Whitko’s day was highlighted by Emalee Duggins’ day on the track. Duggins placed third in the 100 (14.28) and 200 (29.82). Duggins also helped Whitko place fourth in the 4×1 with her relay teammates, Sidney Overmeyer, Kristina Slater and Ellie Snep. The girls finished with a time of 58.00 seconds.

Wawasee Middle School eighth-grade students who earned straight A grades all three years of middle school included, from left, Isaiah Metcalf, Tiffany Koble, Kyndall Fisher, Hannah-Marie Lamle, Rosalie Garro and Amanda Mall.

Wawasee Middle School eighth-grade students chosen to have their artwork displayed in the main gallery of the school until they graduate from high school include, from left, Kaden Kyser, Brady Robinson, Tiffany Koble, Reagan Atwood and Myah Cannon.

Wawasee Middle School presented end of the year awards during the last day of school June 4. Following are the awards:

Eighth-Grade Subject Awards

Social studies — Rosalie Garro, Tiffany Koble, Kabrea Rostochak, Jacqueline Tucco

Language arts — Aubrey Kuhn, Josh McDaniel, Brianna Haessig, Andrew Jones

Advanced language arts — Amanda Mall, Tiffany Koble

Language lab — Dalin Powell

Geometry — Rosalie Garro

Honors algebra — Anthon Anker, Alyssa Elpusan

Mastery algebra — Wynter Rhoads

Pre-Algebra — Libby Goralczyk, Jordan Smith, Emma Alfano, Emily Streby

Science — Tiffany Koble, Brady Robinson, Emma Alfano, Amanda Foy, Jacqueline Tucco

Szynal Leaf Project — Emma Alfano, Jairus Boyer, Amanda Foy, Katelyn Baker, Rosalie Garro, Jacqueline Tucco

Physical education/health — Morgan Perry, Sam Savage

Aquatics — Sam Brugh, Devon DeWitt

Computers — RaeLynn Yoder

Industrial tech — Jairus Boyer

Orchestra — Katelyn Baker

Band — Amanda Mall, Forrest Holsten

Choir — Libby Goralczyk, Natalie Friedrich

FACS — Haley Fellabaum

Visual arts — Morgan Conn, Tiffany Koble, KC Mendoza

Visual arts gallery awards — Aubrey Kuhn, Keegan Silva, Skyla Rodgerson, Haley Fellabaum, Courtney Larson, Elizabeth Brugh

Artwork framed for WMS gallery — Myah Cannon, Kaden Kyser, Tiffany Koble, Reagan Atwood, Brady Robinson, Blake Norris

Eighth-Grade Teacher’s Choice Awards

Social studies — Jake Cowan, Tessa Freel

Language arts — Caitlin Kitson, Adam Spurling

Language lab — Mikayla Hernandez

Science — Reagan Atwood

Pre-Algebra — Librety Sielsenew, Ali Troutman, Ellsie Bowman

Algebra — Zach Hunter, KC Mendoza

Mastery algebra — Jairus Boyer

Mrs. Walmer — Hettie Winegardner, Alison Troutman

Computers — Amanda Mall

Industrial tech — Josh McDaniel

Orchestra — Payton Vandiver

Band — Russell Runyon, Landon Cox

Choir — Greg Cook, Aileen Wolken

FACS — Madelyne Bradley

Visual arts — Rosalie Garro, Keyanne Clevenger, Morgan Jones

Seventh-Grade Subject Awards

Social studies — Genevieve Cierpilowski, Jace Barrett, Lesley Tayagua, Brooke Heche

Science — Amaya Rhodes, Jada Parzygnot, Rhyss Kunkle, Morgan Adkins

Language arts — Anthony Whalen, Allison Saylor, Adrieanna Yoder, Autumn Buell, Genevieve Cierpilowski, Nick Murphy

AR award — Alivia Stidams, Clay Kelsheimer

Language lab — Parker Glick

Math — Olivia Birch, Natasha Noe, Ben Meeks, Nick Murphy, Alex Mathew, Jada Parzygnot

Physical education/health — Aric Krallman, Olivia Clouse

Aquatics — Natalie Winters, Alex Mathews

Computers — Caleb VanLue

Industrial Tech — Jacob Carson

FACS — Madelyn Tucco

Orchestra — Evan Wolferman

Band — Garrett Smith, Megan Harris

Choir — Ben Meeks, Jada Parzygnot

Visual arts — Genevieve Cierpilowski, Rhyss Kunkle

Miss Stoelting — Logan Miller, Aaron Troutman

Seventh-Grade Teacher’s Choice Awards

Social studies — Andrew Weber, Matt Rhodes

Science — Devyn Rhodes

Language arts — Caitlin Kingrey, Hannah Dennis

Language lab — Ashton Stookey

Math — Amelia Dumford, Madeline Zimmerman

Computers — Adrianna Yoder

Industrial tech — Lauren Babb

Orchestra — Aaron Troutman

Band — Anthony Whalen, Chris Rogers

Choir — Caleb VanLue, Abbie Hackleman

FACS — Dakota Jacobs

Visual arts — Jada Parzygnot, Morgan Adkins

Sixth-Grade Subject Awards

Math — Gabrielle Eckert, Logan Adkins, Logan Harter, Lila Fierek, Braxton Studabaker

Advanced math — Elizabeth Kleopfer, Michael Hammer

Science — Evan Coblentz, Grace Morrison, Kasey Gunkel, Carson Hunter

Language arts — McKenzie Click, Logan Harter, Benson Yoder

Language lab — Austin Baker

Social studies — Evan Coblentz, Elizabeth Kleopfer, Jaydon Boyer, Mary McCleese

Advanced language arts — Evan Coblentz

Advanced reading — Carson Hunter

Reading — Jenna Weiler, Lila Fierek

Computers — Nathan Bess

FACS — Valerie Haessig

Industrial tech — Evan Coblentz

Orchestra — Sydney Jaggers

Band — Grace Morrison, Ashley Vazquez

Choir — Rebecca Whirledge, Mason Brown

Visual arts — Evan Coblentz, Kasey Gunkel

Physical education — Hannah Grindle, Dylan DeWitt

Aquatics — Logan Harter, Michael Hammer

Special aquatics — Daniel Dunithan

Sixth-Grade Teacher’s Choice Awards

Math — Daysis Vargas, Hannah Grindle

Advanced math — Grace Morrison, Hannah Cline

Science — Jack Collins, Ryan Zorn

Language arts — Coralee Winegardner, Dustin Yoder

Advanced language arts — Gabby Eckert

Language lab — McKenzie Coy

Reading — Anna Clark, Marissa Hollis

Social studies — Kasey Gunkel, Benson Yoder

Computers — Michael Hammer

Industrial tech — Elizabeth Kleopfer

Orchestra — Kasey Gunkel

Band — Evan Coblentz

Choir — Braxton Studabaker

FACS — Kalyssa Kaase

Visual arts — Logan Harter, Valerie Haessig

The Wawasee middle school cross country team won both the Wawasee and Prairie Heights invitationals recently. From left to right are Spencer Hare, Ben Hoffert, Ethan Carey, Parker Bame, Braxton Alexander, Jace Alexander and Luke Griner. (Photos provided)

SYRACUSE – The Wawasee Middle School cross country teams have been rather successful to begin its 2014 campaigns.

Wawasee middle school cross country runner McKenzie Smith was the individual champion at the Wawasee Invitational.

Last weekend at the Prairie Heights Panther runs, McKenzie Smith led the way for the girls varsity team finishing fourth overall. The Lady Warriors put four runners on the awards podium in Smith,  Katie Haines (6th), Lila Gregory (9th) and Valeria Pizana (12th) and placed second overall as a team with 54 points. St. Charles/St. Jude Middle School won the team title with 50 points.

Wawasee’s Luke Griner won the boys varsity race in a time of 11:00 and was joined on the awards stage by Spencer Hare (4th), Braxton Alexander (5th), Ben Hoffert (7th) and Jace Alexander (15th). The boys team brought home first place honors, scoring just 32 points while St. Charles/St. Jude finished second with 46 points.

Wawasee opened its cross country season Aug. 26 at the third annual Wawasee Cross Country Invitational. Smith won the girls varsity race in a time of 11:55 while Griner won the boys varsity race in 10:50. In the seven-team field, the Wawasee girls brought home the winner’s trophy with a score of 24 to Fairfield’s second-place 52 points. Not to be outdone, Wawasee’s boys also won, scoring just 25 points to Lakeview’s 67 points.

SYRACUSE – Wawasee’s middle school cross country teams continue to pile up success.

Tuesday in a three-way meet, both teams brought home two more wins. The Wawasee girls beat Lincoln by a 20-39 count with Whitko scoring 85. The Wawasee boys dominated with a perfect 15 to Lincoln’s 55 and Whitko’s 81.

Last Saturday, both teams took second place among the 25-team field at the Indian Springs Middle School Invitational. Luke Griner lead boys varsity runners finishing second at 10:11. Westview’s Kevin Yoder took top honors finishing in 10:05. Braxton Alexander was ninth, Ben Hoffert 14th, Spencer Hare 15th and Jace Alexander 27th rounded out the scoring for Wawasee.

Wawasee finished with 62 points topping long-time rival Maple Creek, which finished in third with 85. Westview won the boys title with just 42 points.

The girls also showed well finishing in second place with 82 points. Maple Creek won with 44 points.

Varsity scores for the girls included McKenzie Smith seventh, Carmen Yoder tenth in returning from injury, Katie Haines 17th, Lila Gregory 22nd and Valeria Pizana 26th.

Top finisher in the boys reserve race for Wawasee was Cameron Rager finishing seventh overall while Genevieve Cierpilowski finished in 36th place to lead the Wawasee girls reserve racers.

Both teams will compete this Saturday in the West Noble Invitational.

The Wawasee middle school girls varsity cross country team gets ready to run at the West Noble Middle School Cross Country Invitational Saturday morning. From left to right are Lila Gregory, Katie Haines, Carmen Yoder, McKenzie Smith and Caitlin Wortinger. (Photos provided)

LIGONIER – The Wawasee middle school cross country teams found themselves racing familiar foes at the West Noble Middle School Cross Country Invitational Saturday morning.

The Wawasee girls team took second place behind champion Maple Creek, which ran away from the 31-team field to win with just 31 points. Wawasee provided the nearest competition finishing with 105 points. Carmen Yoder led the Warriors, crossing the finish line in seventh place. Rounding out the scoring for Wawasee were McKenzie Smith in 20th place, Katie Haines 22nd, Lila Gregory 26th and Valeria Pizana 30th.

The Wawasee boys team again found themselves battling Westview and Maple Creek Middle Schools for top honors. Westview won the team title with 35 points, with Wawasee falling back to third with 108 points. Luke Griner paced the Warriors with a seventh place finish. He was followed by Braxton Alexander ninth, Bennett Hoffert 11th, Spencer Hare 27th and Cameron Rager 54th.

Top Wawasee finisher in the Girls Reserve Race was Autumn Turner. Ethan Carey was the top finisher in the Boys Reserve Race.

Wawasee will head to Central Noble Thursday, September 25, for a dual meet. Saturday Sept. 27, the teams will join the Wawasee High School teams at the Culver Military Invitational.

The Wawasee middle school boys cross country team rolled to a team title at the North East Lakes Middle School Conference cross country championships Saturday. In the front row, from left to right are Ethan Carey and Jace Alexander. In the back row are coach Gene Yoder, Bennett Hoffert, Braxton Alexander, Luke Griner, Spencer Hare and coach Jay Smith. (Photos provided)

SYRACUSE – Saturday was a big day for the Wawasee middle school boys and girls cross country teams. Wawasee claimed three of the four team titles, winning the boys and girls varsity races as well as the boys reserve race.

The Wawasee middle school girls cross country team won a team title at the NELMSC cross country championships. From left to right are McKenzie Smith, Valeria Pizana, Carmen Yoder, Lila Gregory, Caitlin Wortinger and Katie Holmes.

Wawasee’s boys varsity team ran away with the title, totaling just 32 points to pull away from Lakeview’s 69 points. Luke Griner led Wawasee with a championship run of 10:11. Braxton Alexander, Bennett Hoffert and Spencer Hare all landed in the top seven with Jace Alexander taking 13th to round out the scoring.

Wawasee’s girls varsity team narrowly beat a strong Indian Springs team, 30-34, for the team title. Carmen Yoder led Wawasee with a third-place finish, with McKenzie Smith, Valeria Pizana, Lila Gregory and Katie Holmes all landing in the top nine places.

The reserve boys from Wawasee rolled to the title with just 17 points to outdistance Edgewood’s 49 points. Isiah Faurote was the individual champion at 11:34, followed by runner-up Benson Yoder, Cameron Rager and Even Coblentz all in a row. Jared Pritchard was seventh to round out Wawasee’s victory.

The reserve girls from Wawasee were runner-up to Indian Springs. Autumn Yoder and Genevieve Cierpilowski were eighth and ninth to lead Wawasee.

The Wawasee middle school boys JV cross country team won the team title at the NELMSC cross country championships. From left to right are coach Gene Yoder, Jared Pritchard, Benson Yoder, Cameron Rager, Isiah Faurote, Evan Coblentz and coach Jay Smith.

After originally being released in October, then put on hold because of questions on the accuracy of data for a few schools, Indiana Department of Education finally released A-F accountability report card information for the 2013-14 school year Nov. 5. The data was released publicly after approval by the Indiana State Board of Education.

Wawasee showed improvement as a corporation compared to 2012-13 and also within three schools, while two schools were given lower grades compared to the previous year.

Wawasee Middle School, given an F in 2012-13 and placed in school improvement status by the state, showed significant improvement and was granted a B grade for 2013-14. Several improvement steps taken by the school including focusing more on reading skills among other things paid dividends.

Milford School improved from a D to a B and Syracuse Elementary improved from D to C. The Wawasee corporation’s grade improved from C to B.

Wawasee High School, an A school the last two years, was given a B for 2013-14 but narrowly missed qualifying for an A. Summary data for the high school’s report card shows up as an A (3.60 points) and math shows a 4.5 because of a .5 bonus for end of course assessment improvements from 10th grade to graduation. But the bonus was not added to the summary data on the final report card and apparently a school cannot score any higher than a 4.0 in a given subject, so therefore the school was not given the .5 bonus that would have been enough to qualify for an A.

North Webster Elementary was given a B in 2012-13, but dropped to a C in 2013-14.

Wawasee administrators are pleased to see improvement in letter grades, but have for some time questioned the fairness and accuracy of letter grades issued by IDOE. They say the grades have bounced around too much from year to year with a lack of consistency.

Glenda Ritz, Indiana superintendent of public instruction, has promised changes to the accountability report cards and indicated as such when she visited North Webster Elementary in September.

This Wawasee Middle School eighth-grade robotics team consisting of, in front from left, Cory Dunivan, Nicholas Murphy and Ethan Hays and in the back row Clay Kelsheimer, Joe Kelsheimer and Garrett Smith qualified for the state competition in Fort Wayne Dec. 13.

Wawasee Middle School’s eighth-grade robotics team known as “Wawasee 8th” and made up of students Cory Dunivan, Nicholas Murphy, Ethan Hays, Clay and Joe Kelsheimer and Garrett Smith qualified for the state competition by placing first and earning the Champion Award at the district competition Sunday at Grace College. The third annual FIRST Lego League tournament was held at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.

State competition will be Saturday, Dec. 13, at Indiana University-Purdue University in Fort Wayne.

Though the team placed third in the game portion of the competition, their coach, Ryan Edgar, noted they did well enough on their project presentation and embracing the core values to place first overall. Edgar also noted the team’s name will be changed to “Wawasee Minecraft Men” for the state competition.

WMS had two other teams competing Sunday. Seventh-graders included Braxton Studabaker, Michael Hammer, Jack Collins and Carson Hunter. Sixth-graders competing were Wesley Hays, Bode Grimes, Austin Vetor, Noah Beckner and Nathan Smith. Neither team placed high enough to qualify for the state competition.

Milford Middle School had a team made up of students from grades six through eight and coached by Mary Brower. Team members included Isabella Umanzor, Alex Troutman, Max Hurst, Aarron McKinney, Ryan Scott and Blake Roose.

Judging and robotics make up the competition. Judges score teams on core values, innovative solution and robot design. The annual event is sponsored by Grace College and 3M.

From left Steffanie Stookey, Shauna Young and Kristen Firestone of the Wawasee Middle School PTO are busy preparing for the annual craft bazaar at the school. They are shown with a few typical items to be found at the bazaar.

Unique handcrafted items making good Christmas gifts will be in abundance as always at the annual Wawasee Middle School Christmas Craft Bazaar. This year’s bazaar, the 25th edition, will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the school located on SR 13 just south of the intersection with CR 1000N, south of Syracuse.

There will be approximately 180 vendors offering numerous items for sale including handcrafted items, Christmas items, ceramics, ornaments, jewelry, specialty foods and much more.

Parking is free and admission is free. Lunch will be available. The bazaar is a fundraiser for WMS.

For more information, call WMS at (574) 457-8839.

Wawasee High School’s Instrumental Music Department will present its annual holiday concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, in the high school auditorium.

The string orchestra, under the direction of Joyce Dubach and Manchester University student teacher Katie Huddleston, will present a variety of holiday selections ranging from Vivaldi’s “Winter” to a “Jingle Bell Hoedown” to “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen.”

The band portion of the concert will feature the high school concert band and will be joined by the middle school bands from Wawasee Middle School and Milford Middle School to present a musical holiday extravaganza.

Directors of the bands are Hope Bechtel and Sara Skow. The concert is free and open to the public.

Steffanie Stookey, Shauna Young and Kristen Firestone of Wawasee Middle School PTO prepare for the annual craft bazaar Saturday. (Photo by Tim Ashley)

Unique handcrafted items making good Christmas gifts will be in abundance as always at the annual Wawasee Middle School Christmas Craft Bazaar.

This year’s bazaar, the 25th edition, will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the school located on SR 13 just south of the intersection with CR 1000N, south of Syracuse.

There will be approximately 180 vendors offering numerous items for sale including handcrafted items, Christmas items, ceramics, ornaments, jewelry, specialty foods and much more.

Parking is free and admission is free. Lunch will be available. The bazaar is a fundraiser for WMS.

For more information, call WMS at (574) 457-8839

From 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, area Wawasee businesses will be battling it out for title of Dodge Ball Champions in the first ever Put The Hammer Down Dodgeball Tournament!

16 teams will join Wawasee High School’s Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy project supporting Kosciusko County Habitat for humanity to raise funds for a North Webster Habitat home build.

The tournament will be held a the Wawasee Middle School gym.

Admission is $1 and there will be concessions available. All proceeds will go toward the project.

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Lawrence Charles Filion

Lawrence Charles Filion, 33, 9380 E. Wizard of Oz Way, Cromwell, was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail late last week on a charge of possession of a firearm on school property. The incident occurred on Nov. 1 at Wawasee Middle School.

The probable cause affidavit filed with the court shows on Nov. 1 a parent told a coach of one of the teams playing football that Filion was carrying a handgun in his back pocket. The game was at Wawasee Middle School.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Bucher responded and advised Filion he was not to possess on his person a handgun on school property. Filion stated he had just come from the gun range and forgot to take the handgun out of his pocket.

He admitted he did know the gun was in his pocket and he was carrying it to protect his children and himself. He removed the 9 mm Sig semi-automatic with seven cartridges in the clip and gave it to Bucher. He also provided a lifetime handgun carry permit. The officer unloaded the gun and took possession of the firearm. The unloaded gun was returned to Filion following the game.

Filion did not have the permission or consent from the Wawasee Community School Corp., School Board to have the gun on school property.

His bond was set at $1,000 surety.

The 2015 Miss Kosciusko Pageant is almost here and girls from all over Indiana ranging in age from 6 to 21 years of age are preparing their various routines for judges.

The contest will be at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at Wawasee Middle School, SR 13S, Syracuse. There is a $10 entry fee per person.

The event is sponsored by the Miss Kosciusko County Scholarship Organization, part of the Miss Indiana/Miss America Scholarship Program, the leading scholarship provider for women in the country.

There are three age divisions the girls will be competing in: The Princess division, with participants ranging in age from 6 to 12 years old, the Outstanding Teen division, with 15 and 16 year old participants, and the Miss Kosciusko division, with participants ranging from 17 to 21 years of age.

Entry fees help provide scholarships for all of the organization’s scholarship programs. Last year’s pageant gave out more than $1,600 in awards and scholarships to the winning contestants.

This years Miss Kosciusko gets $750 and $250 towards a state level dress at Ashley Rene’s. The first runner-up gets $400 and the second runner-up gets $200. The people’s choice winner gets $50 cash at the show.

The teen division winner gets $75 and $100 towards a state level dress at Ashley Rene’s. The first runner-up gets $50 and the people’s choice winner gets $50 cash. The princess division winner gets $50 and the division’s people’s choice winner gets $25.

Contestants will have a brief interview with the event judges, answer a few questions on stage, take a modeling walk across the stage in their chosen dress, perform a talent demonstration and participate in a production number.

The following are the contestants in each of the three categories, as well as their age and hometown.

Princesses division:

• Laney Neuenschwander, 10, Syracuse
• Allison Velie, 12, Elkhart
• Cierra Weisser, 10, Syracuse
• Karlee Clevenger, 6, Syracuse (withdrawn)

Outstanding Teen division:

• Haley Begay, 16, Pittsboro
• Megan Butler, 15, Kendallville
• Ariel DeMotte, 15, Washington
• Emma Tarkington, 15, Granger

Miss Kosciusko division:

• Carrie Shank, 21, Elkhart
• Taylor Busse, 17, Syracuse
• Mary Jane Mix, 21, Garrett
• Karlee Mawhorter, 21, Columbia City
• Elizabeth Dowell, 20, North Webster

Rebecca Linnemeier, left, will be the Wawasee school board president in 2015 and Rob Fisher will be the vice president. Not pictured is Mike Wilson, secretary.

Christmas can be a festive, fun and memorable time for some as they gather with family or friends. But for others, it can be a discouraging, depressing and even painful time.

During Tuesday evening’s regular monthly meeting of the Wawasee school board in Syracuse, the first meeting of 2015, the board heard reports about what each of the schools in the corporation did to make the Christmas season brighter for many families in need.

Each school showed ample evidence the Christmas spirit was still alive in some way. Syracuse Elementary School was able to help 41 families and impact more than 100 children. In addition, students and their families chose items from a giving tree in the school lobby, purchased the items and then brought them to school to be given to others.

At Wawasee High School, the Key Club raised more than $2,000 through a school wide penny pitch project and the money went to local families in need. Student facilitators adopted families in need and provided them with clothing, blankets, pillows and other items. And the Warrior Leadership Committee completed projects such as a Toys for Tots drive and adopted families in need.

Milford School had a food drive and donated the food to the Milford Food Pantry. The student council sponsored a penny pitch and donated funds to Riley Children’s Hospital and had a Santa hat day where hats could be worn for a $1 donation and the funds were also given to Riley. Students in the fifth and sixth grades participated in Operation Christmas Child and made 28 shoeboxes, while fourth grade students made snack bags and sold them for $1 and donated the funds to Heifer International.

Wawasee Middle School students pitched in to help families in need and Susan Mishler, principal, noted she wants to focus on the emotional needs of students this time of the year. North Webster Elementary participated in a food drive with the North Webster Church of God and the church also hosted a giving tree. Fourth grade students raised more than $900 to support the North Webster Food Pantry and local families and Christie Holst, student services coordinator for the school, said a total of 256 kids were able to have Christmas.

Each school was assisted by individuals, churches and businesses.

For the first time, school bus drivers for the Wawasee corporation organized a child caring tree placed at the North Webster American Legion. Tags were placed on the tree that were numbered and labeled with gender and grade level of a child in the Wawasee district. The tree was decorated with the Wawasee colors of green and gold and within 17 days, all 82 tags were gone.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, it was the annual board reorganization. Officers for 2015 will be Rebecca Linnemeier, president, Rob Fisher, vice president, and Mike Wilson, secretary. Tabatha Reber is the recording secretary and James Flecker the board attorney. Meetings will continue to be held at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month in the Warrior Room at the high school with the exception of April, when the meeting will be the third Tuesday.

Board members will get paid $2,000 per year, $55 per meeting with a cap of no more than $4,000 yearly.

SYRACUSE – The Wawasee Kiwanis is sponsoring its annual Hot Shot basketball contests.

The Hot Shot will take place Saturday, Jan. 24, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Wawasee Middle School Gymnasium. The contest is open to boys and girls in grades 1-8. Registration begins at noon the same day in conjunction with the Knights of Columbus free throw shoot-out.

The contests are open to any student in the Wawasee School Corporation.

The Hot Shot competition will have competitors taking shots from various parts of the basketball court in a 60-second timed event. First, second and third-place awards will be given to each grade level.