Awards and Accolades-5701

Published May 21, 2014

Below is a list of recent accomplishments by Williamson County students and staff in the areas of academics, athletics and the arts. They are listed in alphabetical order according to school.

Allendale Elementary Teacher Earns Prestigious Honor

Janie Bengard, Allendale Elementary School's Pre-K teacher, was recently honored for having one of the highest-performing Hatch iStartSmart programs in the country. She was chosen for her strong commitment to ensure her students acquire the strongest possible school readiness foundation.

 

Bethesda Elementary Student Compete in 4-H Speech Contest

A group of Bethesda Elementary fourth grade students represented Williamson County in the District 4H competition held in Murfreesboro May 12. All of these students placed first or second in this competition. They are (from left to right) Steven Chunn, Olivia Bellini, Sarah Benchea, Abby Blount and McKinley Johnston. Several counties were represented in this District 4-H competition.

 

Brentwood High Students Earn Recognition at Youth in Government Competition

Several Brentwood High School students won awards at this year's Youth in Government competition. Avery Aarons and Sophia Tiratto were named Best Statesman in Red House. Chris Perriot, Payson Clark and Adhiraj Bhat won for Best Bill in Blue House.

BHS Teacher Named National President of Honor Society

Brentwood High School Math Teacher Betty Hood has been named President-elect of National President of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society.

 

Centennial High Student Receives the President's Volunteer Service Award

Congratulations to Centennial High School student Andrew Wash for receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award. The award was given to Andrew for his participation in a work based learning program at Williamson Medical Center where he worked with nutrition/cafeteria employees.

"From his work experience, Andrew gained job skills but also the social skills necessary to be successful in work environments," said Andrew's Teacher Jan Lincoln. "I can attest that everyone who knows Andrew has been busy sewing their buttons back on because they popped them all with pride about the award.”

In addition to a certificate, each Volunteer Service Award winner receives a letter from President Obama thanking them for their service.

 

Centennial Athlete Signs with Middle Tennessee State University

Congratulations to Centennial High School senior Nick Patton for signing to wrestle with the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University next year.

 

Franklin Soccer Wins Region Title

The Franklin High School soccer team defeated Overton by a score of 3-0 May 15 to capture the 2014 Region 6-AAA Men's Soccer Championship. They are coached by Mike Burgoyne.

 

Franklin High Senior Named to University of Alabama Cheerleading Squad

Franklin High School senior and cheerleading captain Hallee Hurt will be cheering on the sidelines at the University of Alabama this fall. Hallee was selected from 120 girls from across the country to become a University of Alabama cheerleader. She will receive a partial athletic scholarship toward tuition.

 

Franklin High Musician Receives Thor Johnson Scholarship

Franklin High School freshman Sarah Besand was recently named the recipient of a $600 Thor Johnson Scholarship. Middle Tennessee music students in grades 5-12 are eligible to apply for the scholarship each year.

Named for the Nashville Symphony's music director from 1967-1975 and presented by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra League, the scholarship was developed to support and motivate young musicians through cash rewards that can be used to further their music education. Awards are presented in two divisions: pre-college (for high school seniors) and grades 5-11.

Auditions for pre-college participants took place March 8 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, while students in grades 5-11 submitted their auditions via compact disc. All submissions and auditions were judged by a host of Nashville Symphony musicians. Sarah received first place in the Winds/Brass division for grades 9-11.

 

Franklin High Athlete Named Gatorade Player of the Year

Congratulations to Franklin High School student Brad Ross for being named the Tennessee Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year. His coach is Mike Burgoyne.

 

Franklin High Athlete to Play Collegiate Volleyball

Franklin High School senior Amanda Turley will play volleyball with Pasco-Hernando State College in Florida. Amanda is a three-year varsity volleyball player. She started her career off as a middle hitter and switched to outside hitter her senior season. In three years of varsity play, Amanda has accumulated 179 total blocks, 537 kills, 392 digs, 35 serving aces and 17 setting assists. She recorded the team's most kills during the 2013 season and was named to the All-District Regular Season Honorable Mention Team. Her coach is Kim Miller.

 

Page High Student Earns Recognition at Youth In Government Competition

Page High School student Nathan Weinberg was named an Outstanding Statesman at the annual Youth in Government competition.

 

Ravenwood Students Receive Musical Theater Awards

Six Ravenwood High School students were honored during the first annual Nashville High School Musical Theater Awards featuring Chuck Wagner. Ashling Jackson was named Best Tech Student. Ashling was also named an All Star Crew Member, along with Jack Dahms.

Ross Birdsong and Tiana Castillo were named All Star Cast Members. In addition, Ross was a top five nominee for Best Dramatic Actor, and Tiana was a top five nominee for Best Comedic Actress. Ellie Marquardt was a top five nominee for Best Featured Female Dancer, and Alyssa Miller was a top five nominee for Best Standout Ensemble Actress.

Kelly Duyn is the Ravenwood theater director; Brian Kauffman is the assistant director; and Lauren Ramey is the musical director.

 

Ravenwood Educator Receives Distinguished Teacher Award

Ravenwood High School teacher Kristi Neuroth has been named a 2014 recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award from the National Council for Geographic Education. This award honors those who have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and learning of geography in the classroom.

The award will be presented during the National Conference on Geography Education on August 2 at the Peabody Memphis Hotel in Memphis.

 

Spring Station Middle Teams Win District Titles

Congratulations to the Spring Station Middle School baseball and softball teams. The boys baseball team defeated Brentwood Middle 13-3 to win their second consecutive WMAA title. Not to be outdone, the Lady Mustangs softball team beat Page by a score of 6-4 to win their second straight district championship. The boys baseball team is coached by Darnell Spann; the softball team is coached by Jenny Stevenson and Kristen Kluka.

Summit High Students Compete in DECA Nationals

Four Summit High School DECA students recently traveled to the National Competition in Atlanta after qualifying at the district and state levels. Miyah Woodgett competed in the Hospitality and Tourism Professional Sales Event, placing in the top 10 in the nation in the written exam for her event.

Matthew Murray competed in the Entrepreneurship Innovation event, while Jake Leach and Peyton Shechter represented Summit in the School Based Enterprise division. Summit's school store, The Coliseum, received Gold Certification through DECA in only its second year of operation. Leach and Shechter received a plaque on the school's behalf for this achievement.

 

Summit High Fishing Team Hosts Middle Tennessee Tournament

In April, the Summit fishing team hosted the Middle Tennessee High School Tournament on Old Hickory Lake. The two teams of Noah Boyett/Brendan Roach and Hunter Deselle/Alec Long competed with students from other high schools across the mid-state. Their coach, Ben White, says they gained valuable experience from the event.

"The competitors on this team continue to hone their skills and it's just a matter of time before we win one of these events," said White. "Competition bass fishing involves the science of weather, lures, lake structure, water clarity and equipment to be successful."

Summit High Shooting Team Wins Second Place at Tournament

Congratulations to the Summit High School junior varsity shooting team. In their first competition, they brought home a second place trophy and a couple of silver medals from the Big Spring Trap Match in Murfreesboro. Team members include Blake Butler, Chase Breeding, Caleb Brinks, Ryan Search and Tucker Glenn. They shot 433/500.

 

Summit Senior Receives Prestigious Scholarship

Summit High School senior Victoria Hawkins has been named a recipient of the 2014-15 Ned McWherter Scholarship. This program, which is named after former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter, was created to encourage academically superior Tennessee high school graduates to attend college in Tennessee. Victoria will receive a total of $6,000 per academic year. Only 51 seniors in the state of Tennessee received this award.

 

Woodland Middle Student Takes Top Honors at Math Contest

Congratulations to Woodland Middle School student Stewart Moore for placing first in the Statewide Middle Grades Math Contest. Stewart is a sixth grader at Woodland Middle. His math teacher is Susan Blunt