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At a Glance

Tarter

English teacher, Prep News

Advisor, and substitute teacher Sam Tarter bids farewell to SLUH after an incredible year of making SLUH a much brighter and better place.

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news Curdt

Sophomore English teacher and assistant band director Thomas Curdt will be leaving SLUH to pursue his greatest love, coffee! Young Curdt, expresses how SLUH has shaped the person he has become.

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news Band

Band and Orchestra springs into their final concert, filling the theater with a magnificent melody.

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sports AOTW

Who’s that cheerful sophomore? It’s this week’s athlete of the week Porter Bottomley, an unstoppable shooter on the Lax pitch. Page 10

sports 26in26

They’re back?! Fitz and Shorley have returned to analyze the spring seasons of athletes which they have spent so much time with in the 26IN26 series. Page 10

sports Lacross

Jr. Bills bounce back: Lax triumphs over Vianney, Blue Valley SW and Ladue to launch into MSLA playoffs

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It’s Senior Follies! Seniors jazz walk, trash talk on stage

Gallery show features art students, special solo show

BY Tyler Roach Core Staff

The second floor J-Wing art gallery and the library opened their doors Tuesday night for the spring student art show. Students and parents traveled between the two galleries between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. looking at the displays; the JWing gallery held pieces from various art classes, and the library featured a solo show of works by senior Leo Hahn from his spring independent study.

The gallery was meant to be a culmination of visual art work from throughout the school year, and it serves as the most important event of the year for the Visual Art Department. Plans for the gallery took

shape on the very first days of the semester, allowing art students and teachers to cultivate a meaningful collection.

“This was our last big event of the school year, so I was definitely thinking about it as I was working with my classes near the end of January,” said art teacher Sarah Rebholz. “I have this idea in the back of my mind constantly like ‘this would look good in the show’ but we really don’t start planning until a couple weeks beforehand.”

Planning the exhibit involved more than just picking what art pieces belonged in the gallery — the art staff had to clean and lay out the exhibit to make it appealing for people to come and visit. Upon arrival,

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BY Logan LaVear and Owen Williams Core Staff

Senior Follies — a St. Louis U.

High senior tradition — graced the stage of the Schulte Theater last Sunday night to signal the last week for the Class of 2026. Performed by a group of 24 seniors, Senior Follies was directed by Director of Campus Ministry Brian Gilmore and mathematics teacher Daniel Becvar; choreographed by Fine Arts Department Chair Simonie Anzalone; assisted musically by Principal Fr. Matt Stewart, SJ; and supported technically by Director of Theater Operations Eddie Teshara and AP Psychology teacher Sam Herbig.

Senior Follies — meaning senior foolishness — is an annual assortment of skits put together by Becvar and Gilmore, though seniors contribute heavily to the writing of each of the sketches. Follies is unique in that it brings in many seniors who haven’t engaged with SLUH’s theater department before.

“I think watching kids who would have never done theater before kind of flourish and get into the role that they had picked was re-

ally cool,” said senior Titus Ziegler. “It was really awesome to see them somewhat uncomfortable at first, but then they kind of grow into the acting and grow into the persona of those who they were acting out.” Apart from the sketches themselves, the students had to learn new choreography and music for the opening and closing scenes. The night began with the traditional “It’s Senior Follies” number. Composed and written by retired Choir Director Joe Koestner and supported by Anzalone and Stewart, the group of students performed through dance and song, all while dressed in white dress shirts, pants, and a blue cumberbund.

Inside SLUH

For the first skit, the seniors poked fun at the seventh grade visits to SLUH. Senior Max Marnatti played Admissions Coordinator Kara Mauzy and led prospective “students,” including a 6-foot-4 seventh grader played by senior Jake Fitzpatrick, and their parents on a tour through the school. Along the way, they encountered “C” students in

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An invitation to discernment

BY Jake Fitzpatrick Sports Editor

On August 5, I will be packing up a duffel bag (or two) and driving to South Bend, Indiana, where I will step into the undergraduate seminary for the Congregation of Holy Cross. However, there was no angel that magically appeared in my bedroom to deliver the news. No burning bush, no booming voice from the clouds. It was through a process that so many young people in our day and age tend to forego: discernment. The purpose of this piece isn’t to tell you how to live your life or make decisions, but rather to extend an invitation. An invitation to take a step back, slow down

at certain points and truly discern how you are called to live as a son of Christ. Not just the big decisions, but the mundane, everyday choices that quietly shape who we become. Discernment, for a SLUH student in 2026, is a refusal to drift. It is an active, courageous choice to live deliberately rather than reactively. Whether you are weighing a call to religious life, deciding which college roommate you are rooming with, or simply deciding how to spend your Friday night with friends, the invitation is the same. Don’t blindly choose. Lean on those who have walked the road before you. Lean on prayer, on honest conversation, on the interior compass that St. Ignatius spent his life teaching us to trust. And for so many of you reading this article,

I believe it is a choice to trust.

Discernment and decision making are commonly confused. To me, decision making is the end of the road, the finish line. Discernment is the winding journey through hills and valleys to get there. Think about the process that I and my fellow seniors have gone through in choosing where to spend the next four years of our lives. Atmosphere, academic programs, campus culture, distance from home, sports and a plethora of other variables were weighed in this process. After carefully working through all of those considerations, we arrived at a decision. That journey of careful, prayerful, honest weighing of options is discernment.

In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ig-

natius of Loyola described discernment not merely as a tool for major life choices, but as a daily posture of the soul to best be able to “direct all my intentions, actions and operations … purely to the praise and service of the Divine Majesty” (Spiritual Exercise, 46). Ignatius urged his followers to pay attention to interior movements and ask: what brings genuine consolation and what brings desolation? These serve as a compass for navigating both the monumental and the mundane. I would like to offer you something that may shock you. I truly believe that every young Catholic man, especially one with the great privilege of a Jesuit education at St. Louis U. High, ought to genuinely ponder the

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Tarter ’21 departs SLUH as he prepares to become a teacher of tomorrow

BY Jack Williamson and Timmy Barrett Core Staff, reporter

As the academic year comes to a close, St. Louis U. High recognizes that several faculty members will be missing from the halls when classes begin in the fall. Among those departing from the school community will be Alumni Service Corps volunteer and sophomore English teacher Sam Tarter ’21.

Tarter began his time as a student at SLUH in the fall of 2017, and the initial experiences he had here were ultimately what led him to pursue the idea of a career in education.

“My two biggest inspirations in becoming part of the ASC were Mr. (Steve) Missey and Mr. (Brian) Gilmore,” said Tarter. “They taught me about the program, and when I was discerning if teaching was something I could possibly want to do with my life, the ASC program felt like a goal for me to aspire to.”

After finishing up his undergraduate degree, Tarter made the decision to look into the ASC program and return to the same halls he had walked half a decade ago, only this time as a part of the faculty.

“I vividly remember almost a year ago sitting and eating breakfast in the college dining hall and asking, ‘What am I doing with my life?’ when I got a call from Father (Matt) Stewart,” said Tarter. “And he said, ‘Hey, we would like it if you were one of the first new SLUH ASC teachers; we think that you’d be great!’ And the second that he gave me that offer I immediately was like, ‘Absolutely yes! This is everything I’ve wanted for six years!’”

From the moment he stepped back through the doors of 4970 Oakland Avenue, Tarter was once again at home in the school’s community and was aided by his fellow sophomore English teachers.

“I actually gave Mr. Tarter his tour of SLUH when he came here as a student,” said English teacher

Adam Cruz. “But then we got reacquainted this summer when he was getting ready to teach ASC. And he was very passionate and very excited; somebody who was ready to put in the work and was excited to be in front of the guys.”

“I first met Mr. Tarter at the English Department’s end-ofschool-year party in 2025 when he made a very mean mac and cheese, much to the delight of my threeyear-old son,” said English teacher Terry Quinn. “And after that, I became his mentor.”

Additionally, Tarter found himself supported by members of the faculty across departments, many of whom he had never met before.

“I knew that I was going to be loved and supported by teachers and faculty that I already knew, but what was incredible was that there were so many faculty members here who did not have me as a student and did not know who I was, and they were like, ‘How can I help you?’ or offering me words of wisdom,” said Tarter. “Dr. (An drea) Scarpino gave me tons of guidance and support. Ms. (Kate) Essig, even though she was also a new teacher, gave me so much insight and wisdom. Guys like Mr. (Tim) O’Neil and Mr. (Sean) Ferguson — who didn’t really know me — were there to support me, and that was amazing.”

a conversation with and not feel awkward about it,” said sophomore Charlie Hugo. “He lives a sort of double life as a teacher, where he can be telling you the roots of Macbeth one minute and the next be chatting with you about your plans for the summer.”

In his year at the school, Tarter was an active supporter of Campus Ministry, and not only did he help others grow in faith, but he was also able to himself.

“To be honest, I had been struggling with my faith life for the last four years. It had been pretty passive,” said Tarter. “I did a ton of community service, though, and I knew that I wanted to recon-

It was, in many ways, the epitome of my desire to give back to SLUH.”

“I remember in our first pastoral meeting with him, the dynamic felt like I was just talking to another friend at the lunch table,” said sophomore pastoral team member Ryan Safar. “He was always an active listener and really cared about what you were dealing with. I can see why so many people love Mr. Tarter, and SLUH will truly miss him!”

As he closes out his time at SLUH, the next steps for Tarter are coming into focus. He has secured a job in education for next year and is looking forward to taking the things he learned in the last year with him.

photo | Courtesy of Yearbook

Although he was a new member of the community, Tarter made an impact on the students he taught and interacted with, inspiring them with his lessons and personality.

“Mr. Tarter is the kind of teacher that you can rely on as a good teacher that can make class fun, but also as a guy you can have

nect with my faith life, so I am so grateful to the Campus Ministry team for giving me the chance to reconnect with my faith, and also to lead others in service. I am also so grateful to have had the chance to do freshman service so many times. It just gave me a chance to meet incredible freshmen, to show them why the service is beautiful, and to experience some nostalgia.

“I will be teaching 6th and 7th grade ELA at Holy Redeemer in Webster next year,” said Tarter. “I had envisioned being a teacher for so long, and I’m not perfect — nowhere close — but I feel like I gave it my all and I did my best. I’m just going to keep on improving. I definitely want to keep on carrying with me the Jesuit ideals. Loving and caring for the whole person and supporting them to be the best version of themselves is not only something that I experience personally, but something that I want to also put out back in the world.”

Though Tarter is leaving the school community, he will be remembered by both students and co-workers for his joy in teaching and the wisdom he gave.

“The biggest lesson I have learned from Mr. Tarter this year is that you don’t always have to be the best if you’re trying your hardest,” said Hugo. “It’s impacted me in my writing, especially my English essays, as before I would often

write to get a good grade, not to tell a story or write from my heart.”

“You could just tell that he really liked his job,” said sophomore Ross Collins. “I was applying for a summer college camp, and when he found out, he offered to write a personal letter of recommendation for me. Then, he followed me throughout the whole process and helped me write my application letter, despite not being obligated to at all.

I feel like it’s just stuff like that which makes him such a great person.”

“I remember Mr. Tarter not for the big splashy stuff, but for all the little things,” said Quinn. “It’s the way he’s constantly checking in to see if there’s something else that he could do to be helpful and these other things that seem so small, but they make such a big difference. He is a man with immense generosity and a deep care about individual students. He really sweats the details of wanting to serve them in the best possible way, and he manages to do all of that in a way that is fun.”

“This year at SLUH was an opportunity to give back to a place that made me who I am and that really defined the success in my life,” said Tarter. “It was the perfect opportunity to not only determine my career, but also to learn from and grow alongside a lot of these people who made me who I am and helped determine the way I learned and the way that I now view the world. Mr. O’Keefe and I were actually just discussing this, and I’ve truly realized that when you teach, you’re not just providing information or guidance to develop a skill, you’re also guiding them through the process of what they need for life. In so much of life, there’s a challenge and you’re kind of just thrown into the deep water and have to figure it out. So I think so much of what great teachers do is making it easier to float, but then they give you the tools, resources, and confidence to be able to swim.”

Assistant Band Director and English teacher Thomas Curdt ’18 leaves SLUH

BY Henry Hassenstab and Conor Schilling Core Staff, reporter

F

r. Matt Stewart, SJ said on Tuesday that when one individual is absent from our St. Louis U. High community, their absence is felt by the whole community. This could not be more true for English and band teacher Thomas Curdt, who has made the decision to leave SLUH at the end of the year to pursue content creation for the thing he loves most: coffee.

Curdt, like many other teachers at SLUH, has been involved at SLUH since a very young age.

“I first came to SLUH before I can remember,” said Curdt. “I would come a couple times a month while dad was grading things.”

Curdt started his high school journey at SLUH in 2014, and was first drawn to the idea of teaching his junior year, when was hired as a learning coach for Upward Bound 7 in 2018.

After graduating from SLUH, Curdt attended DePauw University where he graduated with a degree in music and English lit -

erature. Curdt also continued working at Upward Bound over the summer, giving him a unique glimpse into the world of teaching at college.

After college, Curdt began his teaching saga with a one year stint at Regis High School in Denver, where he served in the Alumni Service Corps. Wanting to pursue teaching, Curdt came right back to 4970 Oakland as a teacher. He began teaching sophomore English, lab band, symphonic band, jazz band, and combos, combining his two loves for the English language and the language of sound, as well as continuing to work at Upward Bound, which he has been a part of for the past nine years. His impact was immediate and profound, as so keenly stated by his students.

“Mr. Curdt’s approach to teaching jazz band was excellent,” said junior Charlie LaBarge. “He made sure we covered the basics first, and then the basics took us to the next level and helped us learn more difficult songs.”

The most important part of a teacher’s impact is admittedly not the lessons that they’ve taught, or the learning that they’ve fostered,

but the impacts that they’ve made on their students.

“Mr Curdt really made class engaging every single day,” said junior David Young. “I’ve never had an English class that made me so excited to come to it.”

Curdt works to challenge the way his students think about their material and to make them feel comfortable about encountering new and exciting subjects. He has worked to spark his students’ curiosity for new and unfamiliar genres. He has worked his hardest to create an exciting routine for his students that allows them to have fun exploring the material while making sure that they are able to fully dig in and understand the material.

In his English classes, Curdt works to give his students as much space in their brains as they need to dive into and fully understand the literature being presented to them. When teaching band he pushes his students to open their ears to new musicians and genres, and to pursue as much one on one time as they need to ensure that they feel comfortable with their instruments and with the solo that

all students have to perform at their concert.

When Curdt first shared with his students that this would be his last year at SLUH, he was met with excitement about his new venture but also great sadness. Since hearing the news, his students have worked to create a greater connec -

tion with him and been curiously asking him questions about his new job.

“I will miss all the student connections,” Curdt said. “It’s a really great experience to walk around the hallway and feel like you’re a part of a lot of people’s lives, that’s a cool thing.”

How is God calling you to discern in the big and small ways of everyday life?

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priesthood at some point in his life. Even if the thought has never once crossed your mind, it deserves a moment of honest consideration. I have talked about this with Fr. Eric Ramirez, S.J, and he has reinforced this conviction time and time again.

The sacrifices of priestly life are real and worth naming. No biological family of your own, a vow of obedience to a bishop or superior, chastity, lack of money, and yes, oftentimes, a true sense of loneliness. These are not small things. But an exercise in my Prayer and Spirituality class just the other day reframed the entire question for how I can explain discernment.

Imagine someone in your life that you admire without any reservation or fear. A parent, a coach, a teacher, a mentor. If that person called you to follow them into battle for anything, would you hesitate? Would you drop everything and boldly say yes? Now imagine that same call coming from Jesus. Perched atop a hill, wearing nothing but ragged sandals and a worn tunic, looking directly into your eyes.

This is the Ignatian Contem-

plation of the Call of the King from the Spiritual Exercises, and when I sat with it, the question that followed was unavoidable: If so many of us would follow an earthly leader without a second thought, why would I hesitate to follow a heavenly king?

Formation to the priesthood is not dropping everything overnight. It is a long, careful, prayerful journey — one taken with the guidance of a spiritual director, a community, and years of formation. Over my four years at SLUH, I have been molded the most by members of religious life. Whether it was the confessional as I poured my heart out during Kairos or a late-night conversation after a meeting when I didn’t know where else to turn, people like Fr. Matthew Stewart, S.J or Mr. Justin Kelley, S.J, have consistently shown up for me. However, I know for a fact that they have also shown up for the rest of their flock. For you. They bear their own scars, as all of us do, but they carry them in service of something greater than themselves. For the Greater Glory of God.

But what is the practical step of discerning beyond prayer? I

guarantee you that if you reach out to any priest that you know or trust, they will put you in contact with a vocations director who will orient you towards a “Come and See” visit at a seminary or retreat where you will be surrounded by young men who have the same drive as you. Exuberant young men like senior Joe Murphy, who is filling out an application for Kenrick Glennon Seminary.

This isn’t to say that the only good call from God is a call to the priesthood or religious life. Some of the most impactful people in my life are mothers and fathers who have so beautifully followed a call to start a family or live out their job. Just think of all of the teachers at SLUH who care for a family of their own and also nurture an environment of grace in their classrooms. If some of these teachers had forced themselves into religious life, they would be doing a disservice to the rest of society and the communities which they impact. Choosing between religious life and another vocation isn’t choosing between a good and a bad. They are two goods which we must meticulously ponder for what comes next in our life.

Seniors don tutus in last hurrah

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physics and English teacher and football coach Adam Cruz, played by McCoy Amann, who ferociously inspected Fitzpatrick to scout for the future of the SLUH football team.

Gmail Poetry

Next, a new group of seniors took to the stage to perform a skit mocking all-school emails, in the form of a Poetry Out Loud competition led by English teacher Chuck Hussung, played by Colton Eikermann. One of the most prominent jokes was about Brock Kesterson’s all school emails that are only one sentence long and end with ‘sent from my iPhone’. The skit prompted Kesterson to end his all school email the next day with ‘NOT sent from my iPhone.’

“It was an honor to play the legendary Mr. Hussung,” said Eikermann. “I drew a lot of my inspiration from an old Senior Follies YouTube video I watched … It was a very fun experience, getting to go out there with my friends, acting out these different characters.”

Faculty Feud

Following the poetry, James “Bubba” Barry as Bob O’Connell hobbled onto the stage to introduce the Science Department and

the Math Department, who were competing in Faculty Feud, a Family Feud spinoff. After some introductions mimicking the teacher’s habits, the competition started.

One of the questions was about the many jobs AP US History teacher

Sean Ferguson has had, including a bar bouncer. Another included what groups at SLUH are allotted the highest budget: Rob Chura’s Global Ed budget took the number one spot followed closely behind by Cruz’s phone bill.

Madame Lulu’s Tent

Another skit peformed was structured around Madame Lulu, a fortune teller that was at the final centennial celebration. Lulu gazed 100 years into the future and saw that SLUH football will have many players drafted into the NFL, but will not beat CBC. Amongst other visions, she also saw that the Theology Department of the future would only consist of the Wehner lineage.

Audition Season

One of the last skits was structured as auditions for the annual Nation Honor Society (NHS) faculty karaoke, which is held at the end of the first semester. Head judge Stewart was played by senior Wilson Scher and two other students were the

However, discernment extends far beyond the compounds of a vocation in life. It lives in the ordinary, the mundane, the daily that all build up to our vocation. For example, so many of us boldly proclaim our faith outwardly. We put bible verses and crosses in our Instagram bios. We point to the sky after a big play on the field, all good things. But would we be able to sacrifice something real for the man who gave his life for us?

It’s a question worth sitting with, not out of guilt, but out of genuine curiosity about what we believe. In terms of how we engage with politics, with friendships, with the way we treat the person who serves us at a restaurant, discernment applies there too. It asks us to pause before reacting. To weigh not just what we want at the moment, but what kind of person we are trying to become. If a politician says something that irks you, how will you respond to that?

These are not small questions, but they are certainly the exact type of questions that Ignatius wanted his followers to ask every single day.

For the seniors who will walk out the doors of 4970 Oakland one

last time this afternoon, how will your faith life continue to blossom in college and not just show our faith in a time when 70 to 80 percent of Catholic college students stop practicing their faith. Will you have the courage to go against the stream of the rest of college and show your faith by going to socials, masses and adoration at the Newman Center or parish near your college?

For the members of the Class of 2026, think of your brightest moments from this year. Chances are, many of those snapshots come from times when you gave generously, when you pushed past comfort and acted with intention. That spirit of Acta Non Verba, deeds not words, is not easy. But it is a spirit that, if we discern, produces something real, something worth having.

I won’t pretend to have it all figured out. I am not even 18 years old, packing my bags and driving toward a place and lifestyle that I don’t even know if I’m ready for. But I have discerned. And I can tell you from experience that the journey which is honest, uncomfortable, and beautiful, is worth every step.

Letter to the Editors

judges. They judged several teachers though the winner in the end was the man himself, Stewart. Scher put on Stewart’s sparkly suit and sang Frank Sinatra to end the skit.

Follies Ballet

After the audition sketch, the stage curtains came to a close in order for the seniors to get dressed in their tights and tutus. As the stage was unveiled, lines of seniors began parading onto the stage to Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty Waltz.” When the fast moving combination of ballet moves ended, the group of 24 posed in a triangle-shaped composition, leading us to the last moments of the show.

Voicemail Fail

In the next sketch, Gilmore arranged a series of recordings to mock the recent all-school PA where after the announcement a dragged-out automated voicemail voice rang through the halls. The skit began with a short announcement from Dan Schulte, which was followed by Schulte’s voicemail box. Amongst other messages, there was a message from SLUH counselor Chris Burke that a student came to Burke complaining about how Schulte’s announcements at lunch were too loud and negatively affected his mental health.

To end the night off the seniors sang another Follie’s classic, a song called “Hold Us Together” by Matt Maher. In the background, a slideshow ran with pictures of all the seniors that had participated in this year’s Follies and their past four years at SLUH.

“It’s always great to see some guys on stage for the first time and think, ‘Wow, where have you guys been? We wish you could have been involved in SLUH theater all four years,’” said Becvar. “They are really some incredibly talented guys.”

Careers in the world of AI?

To the Editors: A SLUH student asked me recently what the safest career choice is in a world changing due to artificial intelligence. His question came after reading Matt Shumer’s Something Big is Happening — one of many recent popular “AI doomer” articles that predict dire consequences of AI in the economy — which included this doozy of a quote: “If your job happens on a screen (if the core of what you do is reading, writing, analyzing, deciding, communicating through a keyboard) then AI is coming for significant parts of it.”

As someone who works in the heart of AI in my job as a Distinguished Engineer at IBM, I see a lot of truth in these articles. AI’s capabilities have only accelerated. In the last three months I feel AI has made a notable leap — one that leaves me astonished nearly every day. I’ve seen the core of my career — software engineering — change drastically from “creating to supervising” as a software blogger put it recently.

But some caveats. As your English teachers would surely note, these article authors are masters in persuasive writing, including Shumer’s emotional comparison of AI today to the early days of Covid. They also vastly overestimate how quickly these new AI capabilities will affect change in society. Professor Ethan Mollick of The Wharton School said back in November 2023 (the early days of generative AI) “even if there is no development beyond the current level of AI, we have at least a decade of absorbing the effects of ChatGPT on our lives.”

For you, SLUH students, though, whether AI upends the labor market in 2 years or 10 means little as you plan your careers. And the truth is I don’t know which fields are safe or not. All other technological revolutions resulted in a net creation of jobs, but at the expense of certain categories of jobs. Some believe

Jevons Paradox applies to AI: for example, AI might make software development so easy, that it might actually drive the demand for drastically more software and thus more software engineers! To future-proof yourselves from AI’s changes, let me be so bold as to offer some advice: Embrace your Jesuit education. Knowing how to think critically and deeply will be the key to adapting to whatever changes lie ahead.

Don’t use AI. As your teachers probably say, you’re only cheating yourself by using AI for schoolwork. Research shows that you weaken those skills that you outsource to AI. If you don’t strengthen that base of a liberally educated mind now, you’ll be the one left behind as these changes occur.

But do use AI. The irony is when you step into the labor market you’ll be expected to use AI. As a digitally native generation, you can understand these new tools quickly and find creative ways to use them. So pick a personal passion and use AI to brainstorm and build. Push the boundaries of AI and yourself. (A more succinct version of these last two contradictory points courtesy of Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic magazine, when he spoke recently at WashU: “Use the tools all the time. Remember they are brilliant. And also that they are fools. And that they will make you into mush.”)

Finally, hold on to your humanity. Drastic societal change can expose people’s moral foundation. Foster the foundation that you’re building at SLUH. If you are called upon to determine how AI is used, act ethically and in service of others.

Jason Hunt SLUH parent

Band, Orchestra perform at Spring Concert to close the year

BY Timmy Barrett and Andrew Yoffie reporters

The St. Louis U. High Band and Orchestra program had its year-end concert this past Tuesday, led by Band Director Jeff Pottinger, to celebrate a year of hard work and dedication.

The night started off with a performance by the Fundamentals of Band class, intended for beginners who want to try out or learn a new instrument. Conducted by Pottinger, they performed four songs: William Owens’ “Synergy,” Timothy Loest’s “Court of the Trumpeteers,” Jack Bullock’s arrangement of John Williams’ “Raider’s March,” and Michael Sweeney’s arrangement of “Celtic Air and Dance No.2.”

Following Fun Band’s performance was the first of three solos. Senior euphonium player Simon Apprill-Sokol performed Joseph Barat’s “Andante et Allegro.”

After the solo, the Concert Band took to the stage. The Concert Band played Johnnie Vinson’s “New Forest March,” Michael Sweeney’s “Rock, River, Tree,” and Jay Bocook’s “North Face, Portrait of a Mountain.” Sweeney’s compo -

sition is based on Maya Angelou’s poem “On the pulse of Morning,” a poem that urges humanity to find peace in the world by describing nature witnessing countless generations of humanity.

The second solo was from All-State trombone player Edmund Reske, who played Launy Grøndal’s “Trombone Concerto.”

This piece was accompanied by piano, creating an incredible showcase of Reske’s musical prowess and display of emotion.

“I just want to share emotions with my audience through the music,” says Reske. “If I can do that, then I’ve succeeded.”

Continuing the performances was the Chamber Orchestra’s performance of Carrie Lane Gruselle’s arrangement of Joseph Haydn’s “Finale from Symphony No. 12m,” Brian Balmages’ “The Gift of Giving,” and “The Power of a Wish.”

Balmages’ composition was dedicated to Melody Jackson, a 16-year-old high school band student who was tragically diagnosed with terminal cancer. Melody used her Make-A-Wish to give her high school marching band brand new uniforms. Balmage’s piece reflects this period in

Melody and her family’s life, beginning with the grief of learning about her diagnosis, then moving to the granting of her wish and concludes with saying goodbye to Melody. Balmages wishes that Melody’s act of giving will not simply end, but spread throughout the globe.

The full Orchestra took the stage after Chamber Orchestra finished, playing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Warrior Legacy.” The creation of this song was commissioned by the Acushnet Classic Ensemble of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The piece draws inspiration from the area’s history, including the 1670 Plymouth Colony and countless battles on the area’s soil.

The night’s final solo was performed by All-District percussionist Mac O’Connell. Playing the marimbas, O’Connell delivered a beautiful rendition of Matthias Schmitt’s “Ghanaía.”

Next the String Trio, composed of seniors Klaus Jostlein, Maddie Fisher, and sophomore Joon Bautista performed “Bagatelles” by Antonín Dvořák. Even though it was shorter, this piece showcased the trio’s mastery of their respective string instru -

ments, captivating the audience for the duration of their performance.

The Percussion Ensemble took the stage next, playing Frederick Smith’s “Suite No.1,” a challenging piece that was performed with incredible skill, keeping the song interesting without a standard melody besides the mallet percussion.

Symphonic Band performed for the first time of the night after Percussion Ensemble, playing Tim Walters’ “Fortress Variations,” Percy Grainger’s “Irish Tune from County Derry,” and ending their first session on stage with Randall Standridge’s “Rev.”

The Symphonic Band stayed on stage and the Chamber Orchestra then joined them, playing Matt Riley’s beautiful arrangement of “Amazing Grace.”

Jostlein led the performance on the violin, with professional harpist Hannah Vanhooser and sophomore Nate Jackson on the piano supporting Jostlein’s performance. The rest of the Symphonic Band and Chamber Orchestra played along with Jostlein, Vanhooser, and Jackson.

To conclude the night, the Combined Ensembles performed

a rendition of Mike Kamuf’s arrangement of Laufey and Stephen Stewart’s “From the Start,” a jazz-pop combination featured in Laufey’s Grammy Award winning album, Bewitched.

Assistant Band Director Thomas Curdt ’18 conducted “From the Start,” the final song of the Spring Concert, ending his final concert and time at SLUH in a bittersweet manner.

“It just felt like a celebration,” said Curdt. “I was feeling really proud of the work we had done.”

The concert’s conclusion was picked by the students themselves, who after being offered a couple of choices, nearly unanimously agreed on playing Laufey’s “From the Start,” which was Curdt’s suggestion.

“He’s just really in tune with all the kids,” said Pottinger. “He’s got a gift, all the kids just love being around him.”

Pottinger, Curdt, and all the members of SLUH Band and Orchestra worked incredibly hard to put together an amazing concert. Even in the days leading up to the Spring concert, the band was rehearsing and putting the final touches on their solos or ensemble parts.

Spring art exhibits display larger-than-life sculptures, flying cows

from page 4)

visitors were treated with drinks and a charcuterie board.

First year art teacher Kevin Wilson believes that shows like this one are important.

“Art is like conveying your worldview: your image that you have in your mind and to share that with other people,” said art teacher Kevin Wilson. “It’s similar to reading a novel — that’s someone’s worldview, their specific way of communicating their observations that they feel are important to share. I think if we get students to make that next step of being capable of rendering things in a believable fashion they can go on to do something creative and share that vision with other people.”

The exhibit featured everything from landscapes to ceramic bugs and even some ice cream cone sculptures.

“It was just quite amazing to see how everything in the exhibit was made by different students who have these unique talents,” said junior Dejuan Strickland. “The fact that SLUH is choosing to highlight all these abilities is just amazing to me.”

On the other side of the building, Hahn opened his solo exhibit in the library, which he described as his “love letter to SLUH.” The first thing most students would notice are the cows and bulls, which are subjects in four of his pieces. Hahn was intrigued by the symbolic nature of the bull and how it represents power and strength, but also servitude in providing milk. This complex nature created a whirlwind for him to capture.

“There’s this piece called ‘Cyclone’ where I wanted to capture the masculine energy of the bull in this kind of unexpected way,” said Hahn.

However, “Cyclone” contrasts two of his other pieces involving the cow: painting it as helpless or dejected. In his two drawings, he used an inflatable cow he had lying around as the subject.

“There’s ‘Pinched’ and ‘Deflated’ which were these chalk pastel drawings of this inflatable cow we had lying around in the Prep News office,” said Hahn. “It was interesting to see how I could take this object and manipulate it in order to get an emotional kind of response out of it.”

What’s most important to Hahn though is that he has the ability to give back to the SLUH community.

“From the start I wanted this exhibit to be a sort of love letter to SLUH and what SLUH has meant for me,” said Hahn. “I’m really grateful to be able to share my gift to the community in a way that I thought was meaningful to people.”

Class of 2026 College Plans

listed by student

Abbott, Joshua: Marquette University

Adrian, James: Saint Louis University

Aguayo, Isaac: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Ahlheim, Nicholas: Marquette University

Albert, George: Rhodes College

Alfred, Kollan: Dominican University

Allen, Tyler: The University of Texas at Austin Allen, Zachary: Lindenwood University

Amann, McCoy: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Angeli, Andrew: Marquette University

Apprill-Sokol, Simon: Gonzaga University

Auer, Jack: University of Missouri-Columbia

Azar, Joseph: Marquette University

Balsamo, Wesley: Loyola University Chicago

Barr, Noah: University of Missouri-Columbia

Barry, James: University of Missouri-Columbia

Baudendistel, James: Milwaukee School of Engineering Bean, Ryan: Indiana University-Bloomington

Bennett, Jaxon: University of Memphis

Besmer, Benjamin: Rockhurst University

Binder, Uriah: University of Missouri-Columbia

Blase, Patrick: Truman State University

Blaskie, Jackson: University of Florida

Boevingloh, Joseph: University of Missouri-Columbia

Brawer, John: Auburn University

Brockland, Noah: University of Missouri-Columbia

Brost, Nolan: Auburn University

Brower-Toland, Jesse: Saint Louis University

Bundschuh, Benjamin: University of Missouri-Columbia

Burghart, Caleb: University of Mississippi

Busch, Thomas: University of Missouri-Columbia

Bussmann, Brayden: Creighton University

Cancila, Michael: University of Missouri-Columbia

Caplin, William: University of Missouri-Columbia

Carapella, Carlo: University of Missouri-Columbia

Carroll, Jamaun: University of Missouri-Columbia

Carson, Christopher: Syracuse University

Chakvetadze, David: Washington University in St Louis

Chalmers, Andrew: Indiana University-Bloomington

Chambers, Maddox: Saint Louis University

Chier, Jack: University of Missouri-Columbia

Coovert, Joseph: The University of Tennessee Cox, Robert: Indiana University-Bloomington

Culleton, Thomas: University of Missouri-Columbia

Curtis, Clayton: Hampton University

Deakin, Grant: Iowa State University

Dean, Anthony: Illinois Wesleyan University

Del Pietro, Marcello: Texas Christian University

Detweiler, Nicholas: Iowa State University

Dickinson, Colin: University of Missouri-Columbia

Diehr, Francis: University of Michigan

Dino, William: Bentley University

Dorsey, Samuel: Santa Clara University

Drebes, Benjamin: The University of Tampa

Duffe, Dermot: Loyola University New Orleans

Dunker, Connor: United States Air Force Academy

Eash, Preston: Saint Louis University

Edgell, Simon: University of San Francisco

Eikermann, Colton: University of Notre Dame

Eleby, Kyren: William Woods University

Elgin, Jaden: University of Missouri-Columbia

Emert, Aiden: University of Missouri-Columbia

Espe, Anderson: University of Florida

Fahim, George: Saint Louis University

Faris, Benjamin: Western Kentucky University Ferrara, Giovanino: American College of the Mediterranean

Finan, Conor: University of Missouri-Columbia

Fisher, Maddie: University of Toronto

Fitzgerald, Tully: Indiana University-Bloomington

Fitzgerald, William: Indiana University-Bloomington Fitzpatrick, Jacob: Holy Cross College

Fleming, Evan: Saint Louis University

Fox, Charles: Kansas State University

Frantz, Jerome: Bradley University

Friedman, Luke: Saint Louis University

Friedman, Jackson: University of Missouri-Columbia

Frost, Holden: University of Missouri-Columbia

Fyvie, Hendrix: Marquette University

Galli, Jude: Iowa State University

Garozzo, Clayton: Iowa State University

Geiser, Ryan: Purdue University

Giljum, Aidan: University of Missouri-Columbia

Girsch, Thomas: John Carroll University

Govero, Tyler: Indiana University-Bloomington Grabowski, Griffin: Loyola University Chicago

Grace, KaLaun: Alabama A & M University

Grass, Adam: University of Dayton

Gross, Jack: Purdue University

Guntli, Thomas: Miami University-Oxford

Guthrie, Quinn: University of Missouri-Columbia

Hagan, Brendan: Texas Christian University

Hahn, Leo: Rhode Island School of Design

Hall, Carson: Indiana University-Bloomington

Harrigan, Brian: Indiana University-Bloomington

Harris, Keenan: University of Missouri-Columbia

Hartman, Chase: University of Missouri-Columbia

Hasek, Aiden: Auburn University

Hegger, Jackson: University of Arkansas

Heithaus, Xavier: University of Missouri-Columbia

Hill, Brady: Iowa State University

Hill, Ethan: Miami University-Oxford

Hipskind, Andrew: Boston College

HlawnCeu, Steven: Saint Louis University

Hoffman, William: University of Minnesota

Hogan, Brian: University of Missouri-Columbia

Holthaus, Parker: University of Missouri-Columbia

Hudson, Harrison: University of Missouri-Columbia

Jones, Aiden: University of Mississippi

Jostlein, Klaus: Oberlin College | Conservatory of Music

Juan, Alex: Washington University in St. Louis

Kalish, Max: University of Missouri-Columbia

Kane, Connor: Truman State University

Keiser, Nathaniel: St. Louis Community College

Kesterson, Brock: University of Missouri-Columbia

Kim, Kayden: Case Western Reserve University

Knox, Samuel: Bellarmine University

Koberlein, Jonathan: Miami University-Oxford

Kramer, Peter: Marquette University

Kuehl, Conor: University of Missouri-Columbia

Kuhlman, Charles: University of Missouri-Columbia

Kujawa, Tristan: Loyola University Chicago

Ladner, Brigham: Queens University - Ontario

Laffey, Patrick: University of Missouri-Columbia

Lawrence, Matthias: University of Arkansas

Leesman, Cade: University of Georgia

Lezieanya, Chinonso: Saint Louis University

Linhares, Liam: University of Mississippi

Loretta, Brian: Stevens Institute of Technology

Luchun, Kane: Iowa State University

Ly, Vincent: Washington University in St Louis

Manalang, Oliver: King’s College

Manion, Henry: Santa Clara University

Marnatti, Maxwell: University of Notre Dame

Mattingly, Samuel: Western Kentucky University

McCool, Brennan: University of Missouri-Columbia

McCormac, Cole: University of Dayton

McGuire, Harry: Washington University in St. Louis

McIntyre, Luke: University of Missouri-Columbia

McNutt, Kendall: Kent State University

Miller, Martin: University of Florida

Minor, Colin: Undecided

Moore, Nathan: Indiana University-Bloomington

Morris, Michael: The University of Tennessee

Mortland, Patrick: University of Missouri-Columbia

Murphy, Carter: Saint Louis University

Murphy, Joseph: Kenrick Glennon Seminary

Nacke, Charles: Louisiana State University

Neuner, Daniel: Georgetown University

Nguyen, Trung: University of Missouri-Columbia

Niles, Connor: Rockhurst University

Nolan, Brady: Quincy University

Nowak, Joseph: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Nwankwo, Chidube: Marquette University

O’Brien, Nathan: University of Kansas

O’Neill, Daniel: University of Missouri-Columbia

Ogier, Wyatt: Loyola University Chicago

Ogunrinde, Mosetoluwa: University of Denver

Onder, Thomas: University of Miami

Orlando, William: Indiana University-Bloomington

Orr, Mitchell: Case Western Reserve University

Ozbun, Patrick: Marquette University

Pelizzaro, Samuel: University of Missouri-Columbia

Pratl, Thomas: Indiana University-Bloomington

Probst, Adler: Purdue University

Raben, Nash: Iowa State University

Ragan, Whitaker: University of Oklahoma

Rammacher, Logan: Saint Louis University

Ranson, Landon: Southern Methodist University

Rechtin, Theodore: Indiana University-Bloomington

Reh, Nicholas: The University of Tennessee

Reinberg, Albert: Cornell University

Richars, Luke: University of Missouri-Columbia

Riggan, Samuel: Auburn University

Robert, Nicholas: University of Missouri-Columbia

Roessler, Maximus: University of Missouri-Columbia

Rogers, Gregory: University of Mississippi

Roth, Alexander: University of Missouri-Columbia

Roth, Andrew: Missouri State University-Springfield

Russell, Evan: Ohio State University

Ruyle, Jonah: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Sanders, Henry: Saint Louis University

Scher, Wilson: Truman State University

Schimweg, Logan: University of Arkansas

Schlidt, Thomas: Purdue University

Schmidt, Ryan: University of Iowa

Schmieder, Beckem: University of Missouri-Columbia

Schneider, Benjamin: Marquette University

Schoenekase, Alexander: University of Arkansas

Schroeder, Kaden: University of Missouri-Columbia

Schuchardt, Colin: University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign

Schuetz, Owen: University of Missouri-Columbia

Schulte, William: University of Missouri-Columbia

Seamands, Luke: Saint Louis University

Seitz, John: University of Missouri-Columbia

Shah, Reed: University of Texas - Austin

Sharamitaro, Andrew: Marquette University

Shaw, Nathaniel: Loyola University Chicago

Sheehan, Cillian: Rockhurst University

Shorley, Lincoln: Marquette University

Simon, Christopher: University of Notre Dame

Skornia, Grant: University of Miami

Smith, Aidan: Marquette University

Spencer, Reilly: University of Missouri-Columbia

Spinner, Andrew: University of Missouri-Columbia

Sreedharan, Vedaant: Washington University in St. Louis

Staed, Connor: University of Missouri-Columbia

Steffens, Elliott: University of Missouri-Columbia

Steurer, William: University of Missouri-Columbia

Stevens, Lucas: University of Missouri-Columbia

Stone, Parker: Miami University-Oxford

Strohschein, Nicklas: University of Missouri-Columbia

Strong, Michael: Case Western Reserve University

Studer, Logan: Brown University

Sullivan, Grant: The University of Alabama

Sullivan, Thomas: Marquette University

Tate, Sebastian: Indiana State University

Tatum, Steven: St. Thomas University

Taylor, Demetrius: Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale

Taylor, Gideon: University of Chicago

Taylor, Jordan: Lindenwood University

Termini, Tyler: Auburn University

Thieret, Jack: University of San Diego

Thoma, Connor: Iowa State University

Townsend, Reed: University of Arkansas

Trachsel, Adam: University of Dayton

Tracy, Brendan: Saint Louis University

Travers, Maxwell: Saint Louis University

Uhlenbrock, Matthew: University of Kansas

Unger, William: Indiana University-Bloomington

Urban, Barrett: Indiana University-Bloomington

Vander Pluym, Christian: Belmont University

Vehige, Andrew: Maryville University of Saint Louis

Vilela, Nicholas: Butler University

Villanueva, Moises: Saint Louis University

Voegtli, Connor: Saint Louis University

Vogel, Vincent: University of Kansas

Vogt, Brady: University of Notre Dame

Vu, Jonathan: Creighton University

Walsh, Miles: Purdue University

Wasson, August: University of Florida

Wedbush, Nolen: Saint Louis University

Wickersham, Theodore: Loyola University New Orleans

Wiggins, Mitchell: Loyola Marymount University

Williams, Michael: Elon University

Wilmsmeyer, Nathaniel: Southwestern Illinois College

Wilson, Hayden: University of Mississippi

Wingerter, Ryan: University of Missouri-Columbia

Withers, Devon: Truman State University

Wolf, Andrew: Quincy University

Wulf, Jude: Saint Louis University

Zardetto, Aidan: Savannah College of Art and Design

Zeigler, Titus: United States Air Force Academy

Zimmerman, Nicholas: Santa Clara University

Zipfel, Harrison: University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign

Zwiesler, Owen: University of Kentucky

COLLEGE MAP

By the numbers

87 4,699mi total colleges furthest distance (American College of the Mediterranean)

84 MO college students

61 Students to Catholic colleges

13 Jesuit colleges

COLLEGE MAP

numbers

1.94mi

closest distance Louis University) of 50 states represented 29

Cities

U. of Toronto (1)

Queens University - Ontario (1)

Bentley U. (1) (1)

U. of Wisconsin-Madison (1)

Iowa State U. (8)

Creighton (2)

Truman State U. (4)

Milwaukee School of Engineering (1)

Marquette (12)

The University of Iowa (1)

John Carroll U. (1)

U. of Michigan (1)

(See bottom of page 6 for colleges in Illinois and Indiana.)

William Woods U. (1)

Rockhurst (3)

Mizzou (46)

MO S & T (2)

MO State (1)

U. of Arkansas (5)

Oklahoma (1)

CWRU (3)

Oberlin College (1)

Miami U. (4)

Bellarmine U. (1)

Syracuse U. (1)

Cornell University (1)

King’s College (1)

Kent State U. (1)

Ohio State (1)

U. of Dayton (3)

U. of Kentucky (1)

U. of Louisville (1)

Western Kentucky U. (2)

Belmont U. (1)

Rhodes College (1)

U. of Memphis (1)

U. of Mississippi (5)

Christian U. (2)

Methodist U. (1)

U. of Tennessee (3)

Alabama A&M (1)

U. of Alabama (1)

Auburn U. (5)

Louisiana State U. (1)

Loyola U. New Orleans (2)

Austin (2)

College (1)

RI School of Design (1)

Stevens IT (1)

Georgetown U. (1)

Hampton U. (1)

Elon University (1)

U. of Georgia (1)

Savannah College of Art & Design (1)

U. (1)

U. of Florida (4)

U. of Tampa (1)

St. Thomas U. (1)

College At Location (# of Students)

2nd College At Same Location (# of Students)

U. of Miami (2)

This layout spread was created by Lincoln Shorley and Leo Hahn. The data was compiled by Lincoln Shorley, Leo Hahn, and the College Counseling Department. The spread was inspired by PN 78 and PN 79 members editor in chief emeritus Adam Thorp, ’14 and Sam Fentress, ’15; news editor emeritus Jack Kiehl, ’15; and staff artist emeritus Giuseppe Vitellaro, ’15.

Class of 2026 College Plans

Alabama A & M University (1): KaLaun Grace

American College of the Mediterranean (1): Giovanino Ferrara

Auburn University (5): John Brawer, Nolan Brost, Aiden Hasek, Samuel Riggan, Tyler Termini

Bellarmine University (1): Samuel Knox

Belmont University (1): Christian Vander Pluym

Bentley University (1): William Dino

Boston College (1): Andrew Hipskind

Bradley University (1): Jerome Frantz

Brown University (1): Logan Studer

Butler University (1): Nicholas Vilela

Case Western Reserve University (3): Kayden Kim, Mitchell Orr, Michael Strong

Cornell University (1): Albert Reinberg

Creighton University (2): Brayden Bussmann, Jonathan Vu

Dominican University (1): Kollan Alfred

Elon University (1): Michael Williams

Georgetown University (1): Daniel Neuner

Gonzaga University (1): Simon Apprill-Sokol

Hampton University (1): Clayton Curtis

Holy Cross College (1): Jacob Fitzpatrick

Illinois Wesleyan University (1): Anthony Dean

Indiana State University (1): Sebastian Tate

Indiana University-Bloomington (14): Ryan Bean, Andrew Chalmers, Robert Cox, Tully Fitzgerald, William Fitzgerald, Tyler Govero, Carson Hall, Brian Harrigan, Nathan Moore, William Orlando, Thomas Pratl, Theodore Rechtin, William Unger, Barrett Urban

Iowa State University (8): Grant Deakin, Nicholas Detweiler, Jude Galli, Clayton Garozzo, Kane Luchun, Nash Raben, Brady Hill, Connor Thoma

John Carroll University (1): Thomas Girsch

Kansas State University (1): Charles Fox

Kenrick Glennon Seminary (1): Joseph Murphy

Kent State University (1): Kendall McNutt

King’s College (1): Oliver Manalang

Lindenwood University (2): Zachary Allen, Jordan Taylor

Louisiana State University (1): Charles Nacke

Loyola Marymount University (1): Mitchell Wiggins

Loyola University Chicago (6): Wesley Balsamo, Griffin Grabowski, Tristan Kujawa, Colin Minor, Wyatt Ogier, Nathaniel Shaw

Loyola University New Orleans (2): Dermot Duffe, Theodore Wickersham

Marquette University (12): Joshua Abbott, Nicholas Ahlheim, Andrew Angeli, Joseph Azar,

Hendrix Fyvie, Peter Kramer, Chidube Nwankwo, Patrick Ozbun, Benjamin Schneider, Andrew Sharamitaro, Lincoln Shorley, Thomas Sullivan

Maryville University of Saint Louis (1): Andrew Vehige

Miami University-Oxford (4): Thomas Guntli, Ethan Hill, Jonathan Koberlein, Parker Stone

Milwaukee School of Engineering (1): James Baudendistel

Missouri State University-Springfield (1): Andrew Roth

Missouri University of Science and Technology (2): Isaac Aguayo, Jonah Ruyle

Oberlin College | Conservatory of Music (1): Klaus Jostlein

Ohio State University (1): Evan Russell

Purdue University (5): Ryan Geiser, Jack Gross, Adler Probst, Thomas Schlidt, Miles Walsh

Queens University - Ontario (1): Brigham Ladner

Quincy University (2): Brady Nolan, Andrew Wolf

Rhode Island School of Design (1): Leo Hahn

Rhodes College (1): George Albert

Rockhurst University (3): Benjamin Besmer, Connor Niles, Cillian Sheehan

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1): Joseph Nowak

Saint Louis University (16): James Adrian, Jesse Brower-Toland, Maddox Chambers, Preston Eash, George Fahim, Evan Fleming, Luke Friedman, Steven HlawnCeu, Chinonso Lezieanya, Carter Murphy, Logan Rammacher, Henry Sanders, Luke Seamands, Brendan Tracy, Maxwell Travers, Moises Villanueva, Connor Voegtli

Santa Clara University (3): Samuel Dorsey, Henry Manion, Nicholas Zimmerman

Savannah College of Art and Design (1): Aidan Zardetto

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (1): Demetrius Taylor

Southern Methodist University (1): Landon Ranson

St. Louis Community College (1): Nathaniel Keiser

St. Thomas University (1): Steven Tatum

Stevens Institute of Technology (1): Brian Loretta

Syracuse University (1): Christopher Carson

Texas Christian University (2): Marcello Del Pietro, Brendan Hagan

The University of Alabama (1): Grant Sullivan

The University of Tampa (1): Benjamin Drebes

The University of Tennessee (3): Joseph Coovert, Michael Morris, Nicholas Reh

Truman State University (4): Patrick Blase, Connor Kane, Wilson Scher, Devon Withers

United States Air Force Academy (2): Connor Dunker, Titus Zeigler

University of Arkansas (5): Jackson Hegger, Matthias Lawrence, Logan Schimweg, Alexander Schoenekase, Reed Townsend

University of Chicago (1): Gideon Taylor

University of Dayton (3): Adam Grass, Cole McCormac, Adam Trachsel

University of Denver (1): Mosetoluwa Ogunrinde

University of Florida (4): Jackson Blaskie, Anderson Espe, Martin Miller, August Wasson

University of Georgia (1): Cade Leesman

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2): Colin Schuchardt, Harrison Zipfel

University of Iowa (1): Ryan Schmidt

University of Kansas (3): Nathan O’Brien, Matthew Uhlenbrock, Vincent Vogel

University of Kentucky (1): Owen Zwiesler

University of Miami (2): Thomas Onder, Grant Skornia

University of Michigan (1): Francis Diehr

University of Minnesota (1): William Hoffman

University of Mississippi (5): Caleb Burghart, Aiden Jones, Liam Linhares, Gregory Rogers, Hayden Wilson

University of Missouri-Columbia (46): Jack Auer, Noah Barr, James Barry, Uriah Binder, Joseph Boevingloh, Noah Brockland, Benjamin Bundschuh, Thomas Busch, Michael Cancila, William Caplin, Carlo Carapella, Jamaun Carroll, Jack Chier, Thomas Culleton, Colin Dickinson, Jaden Elgin, Aiden Emert, Conor Finan, Jackson Friedman, Holden Frost, Aidan Giljum, Quinn Guthrie, Keenan Harris, Chase Hartman, Xavier Heithaus, Brian Hogan, Parker Holthaus, Harrison Hudson, Max Kalish, Brock Kesterson, Conor Kuehl, Charles Kuhlman, Patrick Laffey, Brennan McCool, Luke McIntyre, Patrick Mortland, Trung Nguyen, Daniel O’Neill, Samuel Pelizzaro, Luke Richars, Nicholas Robert, Maximus Roessler, Alexander Roth, Beckem Schmieder, Kaden Schroeder, Owen Schuetz, William Schulte, John Seitz, Reilly Spencer, Andrew Spinner, Connor Staed, Elliott Steffens, William Steurer, Lucas Stevens, Nicklas Strohschein, Ryan Wingerter

University of Notre Dame (4): Colton Eikermann, Maxwell Marnatti, Christopher Simon, Brady Vogt

University of Oklahoma (1): Whitaker Ragan

University of San Diego (1): Jack Thieret

University of San Francisco (1): Simon Edgell

University of Toronto (1): Matthew Fisher

University of Wisconsin-Madison (1): McCoy Amann

Washington University in St Louis (5): David Chakvetadze, Alex Juan, Vincent Ly, Harry McGuire, Vedaant Sreedharan

Western Kentucky University (2): Benjamin Faris, Samuel Mattingly

William Woods University (1): Kyren Eleby

SPORTS

One Last Run.

Lacrosse dominates in 3-game win streak to secure first round bye in state tournament

BY Drew Sharamitaro reporter

Following a tough 10-5 loss to the MICDS Rams, the St. Louis U. High lacrosse team has rebounded well with wins over the Ladue Rams, the Blue Valley Southwest (KS) Timberwolves, and the Vianney Griffins, outscoring opponents 48-12 over the span of three games as they gear up for the MSLA playoffs.

Ladue

In almost all of their best performances throughout the year, the Jr. Bills have come out hot, putting the opponent in a hole early and using the rowdiness of the self-proclaimed “Bench Mob” to solicit fear and defeat from opposing players. This game was no different. At the end of the first, SLUH was comfortably up 6-0, highlighted by an and-one finish from sophomore Porter Bottomley on the crease that drew a penalty for a late Ladue hit. Bottomley would snipe the top left corner on the ensuing man up.

In the second quarter, SLUH out scored Ladue 7-3, as the offense con tinued to find advantageous shoot

BY Jack Powers and Henry Hassenstab Core Staff

F

rom day one, sophomore Por ter Bottomley has been an im mediate game changer. As a fresh man on varsity lacrosse last year, he led the team in goals and points with 47 goals and 17 assists, and earned All-State honors and AllConference honors.

He has kept the same pace this year. He once again leads the team with 39 goals and 17 assists. He has had three goals or more in seven games this season and an impressive eight-point game com ing against Priory. He’s put togeth er another impressive season this year for SLUH as his team prepares for the playoffs, earning him this week’s athlete of the week honors.

Henry Hassenstab: How did you first get into playing lacrosse?

Porter Bottomley: My lacrosse journey began at Immaculata, where I went to grade school, so I started playing there. I’ve kind of just grown to love the game and started playing with my friends. And I started to want to join a club team. So I tried out for Lou Fusz and I made the team. Then even tually I moved to Project Missouri, which I currently play for now. But ever since then, I’ve always just been trying to do as much as

ing spots off of dodges and off-ball cuts. Senior James Barry got on the scoresheet with a classic SLUH man up goal where he cut up from the goal line to get a wide open feed from senior Carson Hall, who also netted two goals in the first half. Senior Cade Leesman and junior Owen Posnanski also found the top corners, firing up the bench.

In the second half, the offense continued to roll, as Hall joined the top corner party with a left handed rocket. Bottomley sent his defender back to Ladue with a great fake shot before stepping into the wide open space for a goal. Finally, freshman Colin Mauzy ripped a shot off the post and in for SLUH’s 17th and final goal of the night. The wealth was well spread, as Hall finished with four, Bottomley and Leesman with 3, and Grady Patterson with 2.

Blue Valley SW

Just two days later, the U. High offense was back, ready to take no prisoners.

wolves tied the game on the fast break, but it was all SLUH from there. Senior Barrett Urban and Hall scored twice in 30 seconds, Bottomley continued his man up scoring streak with a top left corner rip, and Mauzy scored his second in as many games to give SLUH a 5-2 lead after the first.

Following Blue Valley’s second tally, SLUH went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a phenomenal hitch goal from Hall and a fast break flamethrower from junior Charlie Steines that kicked off the third quarter. Blue Valley cut the lead back to single digits with a long bouncer in transition play, the only facet of the game where they really remained competitive with the Jr. Bills. Going into the fourth quarter, SLUH held a commanding 11-4 lead.

Posnanski started the party in the fourth by weaving through two Timberwolves defenders for an uncontested left handed shot. Blue Valley stayed in it, capitalizing on a few SLUH turnovers and mistakes and scoring three to make it a 15-7 game.

“It was an unreal feeling, and even cooler to be able to celebrate with the boys on the field right away. We’ve put in so much work together so it was nice to see that pay off,” said Kasman.

Vianney

For all of the marbles against the Vianney Griffins, the Jr. Bills had the chance to complete the undefeated regular season in games played on Oakland Ave. And boy did they show up. To lock up their 3-1 record and second place in MCC play, SLUH slaughtered the Griffins 14-1, with a running clock implemented before the end of the first quarter.

Before the game, the team celebrated Senior Night, where players ran through a tunnel of lacrosse players from SLUH’s middle school program. Each of the seniors was given a Class of ’26 penny with his name and number on it as a team gift as well.

The offense once again came out scorching. With Jackson Campbell toying Vianney’s FOGO, SLUH was the only team to complete a pass on their half of the field in the first seven minutes. The party starter this time was Leesman, who put four home in the first quarter alone. The Jr. Bills

Athlete of the Week: Porter Bottomley

to what they were talking about, tried to fit in before I ever even came. Lacrosse was definitely the pull factor for me for SLUH, great coaches, great teammates, great atmosphere, definitely just a great place to be.

Do you have a favorite game or just a moment from this season that you still come back to?

I would probably say the Marco Cup this year was a great, great moment. After the final buzzer, probably running out to our goalie Sam Dorsey and giving him a big hug in the rainy drizzle. Just having a great time with my buddies. Marco Cup’s always great with all the fans and the hype around the game.

Do you have a favorite college or professional lacrosse player, just someone that you model your game and your drive after?

took a 12-0 lead into the half. The offensive wealth was once again evenly distributed, with freshman Sam Figge, Kasman, junior Brady Gerstein, sophomore Charlie Popp, and many others finding the scoresheet.

In the second half, players from the JV Blue team who have been called up to varsity for the end of the season got substantial time to see the field and gain varsity experience. Also notably, senior Thomas Busch notched his first varsity goal, one of the two for SLUH in the second half.

“It felt great to finally get that goal. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and to see where it takes us,” said Busch.

Looking Ahead

The team wraps up its regular season tonight on the road against the Eureka Wildcats at 7:30. With a win, SLUH will secure the No. 3 seed, giving them a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They will then play host to the winner of the No. 6 vs. No. 11 seed game in the quarterfinals next week, with their sights set on winning two games and returning to the state championship game for the first time since 2024.

photo | Jack Auer

There’s an offensive for the PLL on the Redwoods. His name is Rodney Garnsey. He’s a great player. He went to Notre Dame. He’s super shifty, a great scorer, a great ball move and someone that I’ve always looked up to.

That’s awesome. Porter, you’re

kind of like a pretty notable player in the St. Louis area and you’ve got a decent amount of accolades. How do you focus more on the team aspect of the game and not put your own individual success and prioritize the team success?

PB: I would probably say my coaches, Coach Touissaint and Coach Casey, help me see the value of the team, and they always make sure that I’m doing what’s good for myself but also what’s good for the team. Whether it’s making the extra pass or getting up and running back after a big hit, the coaches make sure I prioritize the team while also playing my best.

HH: Would you be interested in continuing to play lacrosse after high school?

PB: Yes, I would love to play lacrosse in college. Really any level. Depends on the school. But I would love to take my talents out to college. It’s a blessing to be able to continue to play the sport you love.

JP: Do you have a dream school or list of schools you want to go to?

PB: I do. Playing for the Richmond Spiders would probably be at the top of my list.

HH: Perfect. Thanks for your time, Porter!

26IN26: Seniors solidify their spots through domination in various spring seasons

BY Jake Fitzpatrick and Lincoln Shorley Sports Editors

W

e know that this was missed. However, like a lawyer protecting a defendant with his life, we are here to back up our original rankings that were published at the start of the calendar year. When the entirety of this first annual series was published, one of the biggest complaints was that we, as the Sports Editors of the Prep News, weren’t able to predict the future. We weren’t able to see if the seniors who play spring sports will live up to the hype or fall victim to the spotlight. This bonus episode of the series is here to check in on those senior spring athletes who were on our list, and some who weren’t. Without further ado, let’s get back to the most hotly debated series of Prep News articles of the year … 26IN26.

Harrison Zipfel, Golf

“We’ve never seen him actually play golf. Is he that good?” Yes. He is.

Much speculation circulated the west halls of SLUH after senior Harrison Zipfel was named as the top athlete in the Class of 2026. This year, Zipfel has been absolutely stellar for the Jr. Bills on the links, putting up nearly unbelievable numbers, with his top 5 scores on the year being: 66-66-72-73-74. Also, to reemphasize what we shared earlier this year: Zipfel is ranked as the 18th golfer in the country in the class of 2026, a ranking that is based on American Junior Golf Association tournaments only, but is still a very impressive accomplishment in the world of golf. This ranking is the equivalent of a five star football recruit. However, this future University of Illinois golfer doesn’t just excel in the US. In many cases, he goes worldwide.

Zipfel has mustered a jawdropping plus-5.8 handicap, with a scoring average of 70.1 over his career. Zipfel hits greens in regulation 70.3 percent of the time, and

averages just 28.9 putts per round, golf metrics that recreational golfers around the world would dream of. On top of all his impressive statistics, Zipfel swings the club at a blazing 118 mph, a number higher than the average club speed of PGA golfers, 116.7 mph.

Over this year, Zipfel has continued to dominate any opponent he faces, and looks to run it back at the MSHSAA state tournament later this year.

Nick Zimmerman, Water Polo

One of the biggest question marks around this list, and quite frankly the top five, surrounded senior Nick Zimmerman. Originally ranked as the third best athlete in the class, would this future Santa Clara Bronco (ranked as the 20th best team in the country), live up to the hype? Despite only playing for half to three quarters of each game, Zimmerman is third on the team in goals with 31, has 19 assists and two game winning goals to bring SLUH’s record to 14-3, their only losses being to out of state teams.

Needless to say, if the SLUH water polo program valued personal glory and individual statistics over team glory and involvement of the whole team, Zimmerman’s stats would be more packed than a sardine can in a fish shop.

In addition to being a staple of the team’s chemistry as a captain, Zimmerman was awarded the Dunn-Martel award, given to the senior who “maintains the high level of scholarship as well as the discipline and commitment of athletic participation that earn for him selection as ‘Scholar-Athlete of St. Louis University High School.’”

To say the least, Zimmerman has lived up to the hype of the highly coveted spot of number three on our 26IN26 list — the bronze medalist.

Nick Ahlheim, Track

After an end to his Cross Country season that was plagued by sickness, senior Nick Ahlheim came

into his track season with a vengeance like no other. With an ubertalented distance squad around him, Ahlheim had no choice but to show up from early in the season, and he has shined. This former Athlete of the Week has been on a tear with a PR of 9:18 in the 3200 at Palatine Distance Night in Chicago and a blazing hot 1600 conversion time of 4:17 at the Kansas City relays.

In addition, this senior flew to an 800 personal record of 1:54 for first place at last week’s Ladue meet. To say the least, Ahlheim was counted out in the midst of the winter, but he has shown himself to be one of (if not the) best runners in the grade and in the state. Along with fellow senior Hendrix Fyvie (on the honorable mention for 26IN26), who has dominated in the 800, these track stars have proved that they are more than deserving of where they sit in 26IN26.

Logan Studer, Baseball Consistency. This one word describes senior Logan Studer to a tee and is the value that has upheld his spot (if not better) as the 15th best athlete in the Class of 2026. With the most loaded bullpen that the Basebills have seen in years, Studer has made these workhorses jobs easy with zero errors, 148 putouts on 151 total chances and seven men caught stealing.

On the flip side of the plate, Studer has been hitting .347 with a .484 on base percentage, 26 hits, 17 of which were RBI’s and two of which were homeruns. This future Brown baseball player has also proved himself to be one of the team’s loudest leaders, a vital ingredient to the recipe that is the checklist for 26IN26.

Barrett Urban, Lacrosse You may remember him from his signature “Money Manziel” celebration on the soccer pitch, but this year, Urban has used his size to his advantage on the lacrosse field, bringing home 11 goals on

25 shots and 11 assists in just his second year on varsity. Urban will continue to make an impact for the Jr. Bills lacrosse team down the stretch this year as he continues to be a senior leader and a captain, dish dimes to his fellow brothers, and put the ball in the back of the cage to put the Jr. Bills deep into the playoff race. With all of these attributes, Urban has definitely lived up to his No. 19 ranking on 26IN26.

James “Bubba” Barry, Lacrosse

After the glory of winning a state championship with the soccer team in both his junior and senior year, Barry was hungry for more. As a captain of the varsity Lacrosse team, Barry has been all over the attacking side of the ball, bringing home 25 goals and 27 assists, alongside 25 ground balls collected and 4 caused turnovers to put the Jr. Bills in the best position possible game in and game out. Whether he’s chewing the clock alongside Urban in late game moments, or effortlessly picking corners on opposing goalies, Barry has truly been a standout player for the Jr. Bills and has definitely lived up to his No. 9 ranking on our list.

Carson Hall, Lacrosse

This season, Hall has continued being a one-of-a-kind attackman, scoring 34 goals, bringing home 15 assists, and picking up 50 ground balls. Alongside his leadership on and off the field for the team, Hall’s level of importance in the lacrosse program this year has been unlike any other. His speed, agility, and accuracy is what sets him apart from nearly every other player on the field game in and game out, and he will continue using these attributes on the Jr. Bills’ push to an MSLA championship. Overall, Hall’s efforts this year almost make us wonder if he should have been higher than his No. 7 ranking.

Will Unger, Lacrosse

Although he sits behind the trio of forwards and middies on the field,

he is just as valuable. Senior Will Unger (ranked at 18 in 26IN26) has proved that defense truly does lead to championships. Starting in every single game, Unger has been a brick wall on a defense that has allowed only 105 goals and snagged 41 ground balls, alongside an assist against Lafayette earlier this year. With this wonderful year under his belt, Unger has proved that he earned an important spot on this list alongside his soccer career.

In Addition…

Two guys who we haven’t mentioned are seniors Josh Abbott and Will Orlando, both of whom earned the high honor of Prep News Athlete of the Week. Just six hours after the paper hit the hands of giddy SLUH students last Friday, Abbott broke his week-old javelin school record yet again, throwing the spear a whopping distance of 52.17 meters, solidifying his stronghold (if not better) at the 22nd spot in our list. Orlando has continued to lead his squad in assists and looks to bring yet another state championship home to 4970 Oakland Ave.

In addition, four guys who went unnamed are seniors James Baudendistel, Sam Dorsey, Jack Friedman and Matthias Lawrence. On the baseball squad, Baudendistel has been a workhouse with 11 games pitched and 39 strikeouts. Friedman has been a staple of the lineup with a .407 batting average, a .583 on base percentage, 24 hits and 22 RBIs. Moving to the gridiron, Dorsey has played 586 minutes with 138 saves. A senior who has started on varsity for three years, Dorsey has continued his dominance into his penultimate season. Lastly, Lawrence has mustered an impressive 20-8 record as the No. 1 seed on varsity, leading the team in serve percentage. All four of these seniors have catapulted themselves into the post-conversation of young men who more than deserved the nod for 26IN26 but didn’t have their senior spring season to prove it.

Short rosters lead to an unfortunate season ending for inline

BY Xavier Heithaus and Ryan Simon

Core Staff, reporter

one of the better offensive marks in the league. Their power play also was

Junior Ryan Hill was just as dangerous offensively, totaling 38 points in only 8 games while scoring

123

In goal, sophomore Xander Schoenholz carried much of the out the season. While SLUH gling defensively, Schoenholz continued battling in net and the season ended sooner than the Jr. Bills hoped with a first-round exit in the playoffs to CBC, the year

plenty of promise and foundation for next season.

Varsity 2

SLUH Varsity 2 inline hockey endured a very difficult season, finishing at the bottom of the standings while battling inconsistent appearances from the squad and limited roster depth throughout the year. A lack of players showing up regularly made it nearly impossible to build chemistry or sustain momentum against tougher opponents.

Despite the struggles in the standings, SLUH still showed potential, scoring 93 goals during the regular season and producing one of the league’s best power plays at 46 percent. Defensively, the Jr. Bills fought through the adversity and got an outstanding 44 percent penalty kill percentage, but often found themselves chasing the game late.

Sophomore Ryan Rickard was the team’s top contributor, finishing with 35 points in 11 games on 21 goals and 14 assists. Rickard consistently created offense and provided energy for SLUH throughout the season.

“It was a fun season, it’s sad that it ended short,” said senior Charlie Nacke. “It was a great group of guys and it’s been great playing hockey

throughout the whole year.”

Although the results were challenging, Varsity 2 gained valuable experience and good fun that the program hopes to build on moving forward.

JV

SLUH JV inline hockey put together the strongest season out of any team, finishing fourth in the regular season before making a great playoff run that ended with a third place finish. The Jr. Bills leaned heavily on offense the whole year, getting 118 goals while averaging 8.4 goals per game. Their power play became a major strength as well, converting 50 percent.

Sophomores Patrick Williams and Owen Montgomery led the team all season long. Williams finished with 59 points on 40 goals and 19 assists in 11 games, while Montgomery followed closely behind with 58 points, recording 29 goals and 29 assists in 11 games. The duo consistently helped lead the team to success, driving the Jr. Bills to compete for the league.

With several young contributors and a fantastically performed team, the future of JV hockey looks very promising after a fantastic season.

Ultimate frisbee falls short, looks ahead to promising next season

BY Harry Agniel and Jack Case reporter

After starting off strong in the pre-season jamboree hosted at St. Louis U. High, the Ultimate frisbee team went 6-2, beating some fine teams and losing some heartbreaking matches.This is the first time in more than 10 years that the Ultimate frisbee team ended the regular season with a winning record. They played and trained hard all season to be able to be where they are today.

“There’s a lot of chemistry this

we had from the state tournament last year.”

The Jr. Bills started off the season strong, beating Vianney, Priory, and CBC all in the first week. They then lost a heartbreaking game to De Smet on universe point, which meant that the next point wins, 10-9. They bounced back with a win over Kirkwood, which again went to universe point. The Jr. Bills then went into a double header weekend against Parkway’s varsity A and B teams. They lost the first game to Varsity A 13-0 due to not having

year,” said junior Luke Payton. “We have great coaches that taught us a lot of new plays to help us succeed.”

“We are a much older team than last year’s,” said varsity head coach Patrick Stephens. “The core of the team is upperclassmen and carried forward the momentum

half of their team and either of their coaches, but then beat their B team 9-5. For the final game of the season, they lost 13-5 against Edwardsville who is known to be a powerhouse in the region along with Parkway. They went into the state tournament being 6-2 and being the No. 4 seed out of 10,

Champions! Track claim 14th

BY Tristian Kujawa and Owen Williams reporter

The St. Louis U. High Track and Field program has made history once again, capturing its 14th straight MCC championship and winning the Ladue Invitational. From hitting more district standards to new school records, the program looks strong heading into the postseason.

Ladue

Despite holding out some athletes for the upcoming MCC meet, SLUH took first place among 25 scoring teams. On

MCC

The conference meet is one of the most important meets all year, comparable to state. Every team in the MCC puts their best into the field, starting blocks, and on the start line. There are no room for errors, as every point matters to hold the coveted glass MCC trophy.

The meet started as planned with a dominating performance. The 4x800 finished in 8:10, a time that was 30 seconds faster than the second place team, CBC.

In the three events after the 4x800, the sprints squad had themselves a day. Sophomore JP Blanner continued to

the distance side, three more district standards were set. In the 1600-meter race, sophomore Warnicke Beatty Jr. (4:17) outkicked senior Hendrix Fyvie running 4:17 (4:18) for the district standard.

Then, in the 800, senior Nick Ahlheim led from the gun to tape, winning in 1:54 and achieving the standard. The V2 4x800 squad ran 7:59, also an elite time and an impressive display of depth.

However, the most striking results of the day came from senior Josh Abbot, who threw the javelin 52.17 meters, setting a new school record for the third straight week.

which was not the original plan.

“We are always hoping that we win it all,” Payton said. “But we should at least make it to the semifinals. We know what we can do.”

“My hope for the state tournament and beyond is that the core of the team realizes the immensely high ceiling they have,” said Stephens. “Seniors Andrew Chalmers and Lucas Stevens have been very impactful in terms of setting the example of the attention to detail.”

The first day of State went according to plan. They started off with a rematch against Edwardsville. The Jr. Bills knew Edwardsville’s skill level and what they were capable of, so they tried their best, but didn’t have the highest hopes of winning. Similarly to the game at the end of the regular season, the Jr. Bills forced a lot of turnovers and got in their end zone multiple times, but weren’t able to finish their plays and lost 11-3.

The Jr. Bills then bounced back and beat Ladue 11-3. They played much better this game by running their plays correctly, executing the little things, and making all the correct throws. While it wasn’t the most impressive win, as they were the 10th seed, it brought some life back into the team.

To wrap up the day, the Bills faced off against Kirkwood once again. Kirkwood had played three tough games already that day and the Bills crushed them 11-1. While the team would’ve obviously wanted to beat Edwardsville, day one ended exactly how they expected it. All the boys in blue had to do was come back on Sunday and take

care of business against Priory. SLUH arrived back at the fields the next morning, hungry to continue their winning streak. As long as they beat Priory, they would have an automatic spot in the semifinals. Last year, SLUH beat Priory in this exact same position to make it to the semis, so they were ready to do it again.

The game started with both teams trading points, proving that it would be a hard fought game. When one team would go up a few, the other would fight back with short, meticulous tosses. The wind was very strong, throwing everybody off their game and causing many turnovers. Priory eventually took a lead in the beginning of the game and were able to keep it through the whole game to eventually win 11-9.

After this upsetting loss and being unable to break seed, SLUH played Vianney in a fight for fifth place. The Jr. Bills were thrown off by the loss and came out flat getting destroyed by Vianney 13-5 even though they were supposed to beat them. In the final game of the tournament, SLUH played Vianney’s Varsity B team and crushed them 7-0, ending the state tournament with a seventh place finish.

While this year was an underwhelming finish for SLUH, they return next year losing only four seniors and predicted to be better than they have been for a very long time. With a promising freshman class and a strong junior class full of experienced leaders, the team looks stronger and more competitive than ever.

open up in the second lap and held that for the entirety of the race.

Sadly, a series of errors would close the comfortable cushion SLUH had on CBC. A botched 4x100 handoff led to a salvaged third place performance after a “walk-down” by the lightning fast junior Spencer Williams. Then sophomores Beatty and Clarence Nowak couldn’t take down the talents form CBC as they placed fourth and fifth.

However, Blanner brought the momentum back as he placed second in the 300 hurdles, running 42.57. Behind him was junior Lucas Bonk, running 44.13 for third. Senior Hendrix Fyvie and freshman Leo Wildermuth added to the success going 1-2 in the 800. Wildermuth’s performance places him as one of the fastest freshman runners in state.

In the end, just like every year since 2011, SLUH held up the MCC trophy in celebration at the James Linhares Track. The scene stood as a testament to the hard work and grit the team has put in and the high hopes in the coming weeks ahead with districts and eventually state. As the Jr. Bills head into the postseason they remain confident in their ability to show up and show out.

“It was the first real test for and it becomes pretty difficult as they’re managing end of school year workloads and AP tests,” said head coach Joe Porter. “(I’m) just really proud of the guys and how they battled. We found ways to not screw up and focus on giving our best efforts on the day and competing, and we got rewarded for that.”

Congratulations to the following seniors on signing to their universities yesterday!

George Albert - Swimming - Rhodes College

James Baudendistel - Baseball - Milwaukee

School of Engineering

glide over hurdles in the 110-meter hurdles, running 17.27 for second place. Then in the 100, junior Harry Holmes was edged out by CBC to take second place with a time of 11.02, putting him ever closer to the elusive sub11. Finally, the 4x200 was executed perfectly, beating CBC to win in 1:29. These performances built the momentum that the conference win would be in the running.

Next up was the 1600, and the infamous duo of junior Jackson Miller and senior Nick Ahlheim decimated the rest of the competition. Miller ran 4:18 for the win and the district standard and close behind in second was Ahlheim in 4:23, who let a small gap

However, CBC came right back in the 200, going 1-2, and as the meet neared the end it looked very close. But the 3200 sealed the deal for the Jr. Bills. With an aggressive strategy, juniors Ben Yoffie and Michael Luna gapped the field with a 63-second first lap, and in the end, it was Luna taking home the crown in 9:35 with Yoffie in second at 9:47.

“I would say I just didn’t want to get out slow,” said Luna. “It can be hard to turn a race on a school day into a fast one, so the main goal was to break both CBC kids early so there was never a chance they could beat us.”

In the field, Abbott continued his winning streak, throwing 50.24 meters for the win and took third in discus with a throw of 32.75 meters. Beyond the throws, the jumps were quite impressive. Sophomore KC Lezieanya took home his first MCC victory in the long jump with a jump of 6.11 meters, another breakout performance from the improving sophomore.

AJ Dean - eSports - Illinois Wesleyan University

Wills Dino - Swimming - Bentley University

Kyren Eleby - Football - William Woods University

Sam Knox - Soccer - Bellarmine University

Ollie Manalang - Volleyball - King’s College

Connor Niles - Soccer - Rockhurst University

Henry Sanders - Soccer - Saint Louis University

Nick Vilela - Golf - Butler University

Andrew Wolf - Soccer - Quincy University

Nick Zimmerman - Water Polo - Santa Clara University

THANK YOU SENIORS Prep

PN CROSSWORD: Mental Crisis

|

ACROSS

1. Auction calls

5. Genesis setting 9. _____ of 2026 14. Partner of phys. 15. Longtime “Tonight” show host

“Wreck-It _____”

Now and then 19. Country estate

20. “... bombs busrsting _____ ...” 21. Metal deposits

Payment voucher

| criticisms, compliments, and ideas welcome at pbaudendistel@sluh.org

24. Aetna competitor 25. Namesake of this city

27. Suffix with absorb 28. Jeanne d’Arc, for one (abbr.)

29. Snow runner 31. Court for wills 33. _____ kebab

35. Closer to 100 percent 36. Stealing, e.g. 38. Stealing 41. Orch. section 42. Make lean 44. Upright

Corley wins faculty Sustainability Award

Since 2012, SLUH has annually recognized a faculty member who demonstrates discipleship by embracing integral ecology. Awardees “seek comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural systems themselves and with social systems.” They stand as a model for each of us, graciously listening to others and the world around them and speaking through their actions, oftentimes more than their words.

This year’s awardee is a defender of rhinos, native plant expert, Backer Garden Director, and physics teacher extraordinaire, Teresa Corley.

Paper towels return!

66. Catchall category

67. Active volcano in Sicily

68. Title woman of a 1970 Kinks hit

69. “The best is _____ come.”

70. Neighbor of Belg.

71. Crafts website

DOWN

1. ABCs 2. Privy to a joke 3. * 4. Oktoberfest mug

Manning

Month after diciembre

Takeoff orientation

Popular Honda model

Not of the cloth

Full of compassion

Military address

46. Allergy shot autoinjectors

49. Prefix like atmo50. Navy prefix 53. Green eggs advocate 54. “What are you _____?!”

56. A, to Aristotle 58. Quick haircut 60. Soph. subject 61.Generational name in MLB broadcasting 62. Throws a tantrum 64. Mental crisis ... and the clue for 12 answers in this puzzle

26. Absorb, with “up”

30. Soccer uniform (ask a soccer player)

34. See 40-Down 36. *

37. “Allow me ...” 39. *

40. With 34-Down, giggle 42. *

43. Red Sox legend Williams 45. *

47. Eggy drink

Seven, in German

Shoulder wraps

Vote “no”

Up from Mexico?

Soup scoop

Swimming competition

Sellout sign

Sigh of contentment

Last Week’s Answers

Prep News Credits

Volume 90, Issue 29

“Which senior will you miss the most?”

Editor in Chief

Leo “Pope Jake I” Hahn

News Editors

Max “myself” Marnatti

Daniel “Kane” Neuner

Sports Editors

Jacob “Lincoln” Fitzpatrick

Lincoln “Jake” Shorley

Features Editor

Kane “Mosetoluwa

Ogunrinde” Luchun

Core Staff

Henry “Triple T” Hassenstab

Xavier “Grant Skornia” Heithaus

Brendan “PN room green couch” Hunt

Logan “Andrea Scarpino” LaVear

Tyler “grandma Beba” Roach

Grant “Xavy” Skornia

Owen “sports Ed’s :(” Williams

Jack “my dictator King Leo” Williamson

Staff

Charlie “Fitzy” Hugo

Tristan “Mal Ware” Kujawa

Jack “Linc” Powers

Reporters

Andrew “Nih, Bake, and Hen” Yoffie

Timmy “ColTRON” Barrett

Conor “Ollie Manalang” Schilling

Drew “All of them” Sharamitaro

Jack “The o Wick” Case

Patrick “Tarter” Casciola

Ryan “Max” Simon

Photographers

Kathleen “Jack Auer” Chott

Andrew “Every rugby player” Hammond

Jack “my best friend” Auer

Preston “Kane” Eash

Advisor

Sam “Owen Yu” Tarter

Moderator

Steve “PN 90 seniors” Missey

Today, paper towels returned to the freshman and senior hallway bathrooms following conversations between the administration and the Student Roundtable.

The administration asks that students do not ruin this opportunity.