SanTan Sun News: Youth - Feb. 6, 2016

Simon Youth Foundation seeks applicants for $1 million in scholarships

Living near Arizona Mills in Tempe and Phoenix Premium Outlets in Chandler could help a graduating senior pay for college. Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, has begun looking for a graduating senior who lives within fifty miles of Arizona Mills and Phoenix Premium Outlets.

Each year, Simon Youth Community Scholarships are awarded in every community across the country that is home to Simon, Mills or Premium Outlets malls. The application period has begun and ends on March 1. Students can apply online by visiting syf.org/scholarships.

Any student who will be graduating in the class of 2016 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property is eligible. Recipients will receive up to $1,500 to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

SYF will award 25 scholarships to students graduating in the class of 2016 who live within 50 miles of any Premium Outlets mall nationwide. No more than one scholarship will be awarded per property. Recipients will receive up to $1,500 to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

In addition, an “Award of

Excellence” will be given to the top candidate from among the scholarship applicants that represent the nationwide Premium Outlets locations. That student will receive a $10,000 award ($2,500 for up to four years).

In 2015, the Simon Youth Foundation awarded $1.2 million to 300 students nationwide.

“The cost of college continues to rise, and SYF is proud to partner with Arizona Mills and Phoenix Premium Outlets to award scholarships that will remove some of the financial obstacles that could otherwise prevent a student from achieving the dream of a college education,” said Michael Durnil, SYF president and CEO.

The 2016 SYF Community Scholarship recipients will be selected by International Scholarship and Tuition Services Inc. (ISTS), a thirdparty administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills and participation in school and community activities. Those students who are the first in their family to pursue a postsecondary education will also be given close consideration.

Recipients will be notified in Ma y.

Chandler to face highly ranked Centennial this football season

BY NICOLE CHOKSI

Chandler High School Football will not be taking it easy at the start of the 2016 season.

The Wolves are set to play Centennial High School, Corona California, in the second game of the season.

“In the past three years we have played national powerhouses, two of those years they have been No. 1 in the country, so I think it gets them ready for our region play and our playoffs,” said Wolves head coach Shaun Aguano.

Chandler finished with an 11-2 record in the 2015 season and is ranked 51st in the nation, while Centennial finished 14-1 and is ranked second.

“The word is getting out that Chandler is a good school to bring in and we always compete and give teams a tough time every time,” said Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Jim Culver.

The game will be held at a neutral location that has not been announced. It may be televised nationally as well.

“It shows the character we have, that we have good athletes in this state and it showcases what are kids are about,” Culver

said. “Plus if it’s nationally broadcast they do talk about the school a little bit and they talk about the district and some of the benefits of Chandler Unified.”

There is still time before the start of the 2016 season, but Aguano is preparing his team mentally for not only the game against Centennial, but the season as a whole.

“Every year I am going to look for a national powerhouse to play,” Aguano said. “I know that we are talented enough, we need to make sure that we come together as a team and have a good team chemistry and get our captains ready to be leaders, and work hard the next six months.”

Nonprofit seeks local host families for exchange students

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE) is looking for local families to host boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 18 from a variety of countries including Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Japan. ASSE students are enthusiastic and excited to experience American culture while they practice their English. They also love to share their own culture and language with their host families. Host families welcome these students into their family, not as a guest, but as a family member, giving everyone involved a rich cultural experience.

The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance. ASSE students are selected based on academics and personality, and host families can choose their student from a wide variety of backgrounds, countries and personal interests.

To become an ASSE Host Family or to find out how to become involved with ASSE in your community, call the ASSE Western Regional Office at 1-800-733-2773 or go to www.host.asse.com to begin your host family application.

Wee Blessings opening fall registration

Wee Blessings Preschool and Academy will open its fall registration on Thursday, Feb. 11, at the school, 1751 E. Queen Creek Rd., Chandler.

Tickets will be distributed at 8 a.m., with registration for preschool threes and prekindergarten fours and fives at 9:05 a.m.

Last year, parents were lined up at 4:30 a.m. to register for Chandler’s No. 1 academic and Bible-based preschool. For more information, call (480) 6344788 or visit www.weeblessingspreschool. com.

Hiding plastics earns innovation award nomination for RoboCreepers

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

An average family brings home about 1,500 plastic grocery bags a year, most of which end up in landfills.

In Chandler, plastic bags clog up the recycling machinery and hold up the process.

The malleable substance is a boon to humankind but a bane to the environment.

It’s impossible to remove the substance from our day-to-day use, but can at least some of it be removed from the environment?

These concerns occupied the minds of RoboCreepers, a neighborhood group of Chandler students, recently, when they participated in the First LEGO League competition.

Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, First LEGO League is part of First, a not-forprofit designed to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.

For their efforts, the students won the Global Innovation Award nomination, a segment of the competition.

The Chandler team, comprising Bianca Rivera, Christine Cao, Logan Thomas, Connor Niles, Sebastian Quintanilla, DeeLan Kareem, Porter O’Doherty and Xander Ballew, took on the Trash Trek challenge along with more than 233,000 children ages 9 to 16 from 80 countries.

After hours of research that included talking to recycling professionals, the students realized that plastic bags clog cities’ recycling machinery and are a menace. It stops the recycling process at least twice each day, they found out.

“Only 3 percent of those bags are

appropriately recycled; the rest ends up in the wrong place,” said Corey Niles, a parent who oversees the group.

The students’ Project HTP (Hide the Plastic) consisted of stuffing plastic bottles with plastic bags, and repurposing them to build seating structures with concrete and redwood planks.

Architect Alonso Quintanilla helped the students to turn the “bottle bricks” into a bench. Each brick contained three plastic bottles, and each bottle was stuffed with 25 plastic bags.

In all, 122 bottles were stuffed with 3,050 plastic bags—unable to harm and out of sight of the environment.

The bench was named Cookie’s Bench in memory of Cookie, the pet dog of 13-year-old team member Connor Niles. It is located in the backyard of the Niles’ Chandler home.

The innovation award nomination enables the RoboCreepers to be in the running to receive one of the final awards. These will be chosen in April from 20 semifinalists who will attend a gathering in Washington, D.C., in June.

Even more than possibly winning an award, the students would like to spread awareness of their project in the hopes that others would follow them.

“The thing that I like most about Project HTP is that it is only limited to your imagination,” said Connor Niles, who attends Anderson Junior High. “With Project HTP, you can use the bottles in any concrete form or structure in a more sustainable way that will have a great impact on the environment.”

The RoboCreepers spent $250 to make

the bench. Niles said that a similar product would cost about $1,000 when purchased online.

The group shared its idea with a few schools in the Chandler Unified School District. Already, Anderson Junior High School is planning to build a similar sitting area with five benches and to use at least 1,800 plastic bags.

“Not only does the concept involve the students in community action creating awareness of the problem of excess plastic in our environment, but it gives students a creative and imaginative outlet to do something with the trash,” said art teacher

Laurie Reber.

The RoboCreepers are to participate in the First LEGO League’s postseason Champions Tournament from May 19-22 at the University of Arkansas. The Razorback Invitational will host 72 champion teams from around the world.

The team is fundraising for the trip that is estimated to cost $10,000. Here’s how you can help:

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme. com/mk4yrxtp PayPal: http://csnorky.wix.com/ robocreepers

From Dr. Chamberlain’s Desktop

One of my favorite pastimes is hiking. And the hikes I love the most are usually the most grueling. Hiking to the top of Lone Peak in Utah Valley or up Nevada and Vernal Falls in Yosemite is thrilling. Although my legs burn and my lungs feel like they may burst, I absolutely love the thrill of the view and feeling of accomplishment that accompanies a summit hike. Hiking relates so similarly to how we can approach our dreams and visions for our life. Sometime we feel some pain while along the way. We may need to rest and catch our breath every once in awhile and in so doing assess how far we have come. It’s usually exhilarating to look back at how far we’ve come. But other times it can be disheartening to look up and see how much further we have yet to travel.

Dr. Thomas Chamberlain

Nevertheless, we pick ourselves up and, step after step, we inch our way up to our goal because we know, in the end, it will be worth it.

For me, the vision for Chamberlain Orthodontics began many years ago. I had a vision to make our practice the best orthodontic office in which to work and to receive care in the East Valley. We have had a wonderful journey in accomplishing this goal. Recruiting and training the best staff possible. Implementing ideas that patients would love and that would create a memorable experience for them. Having hours of operation that would accommodate patients on their schedule and placing the best technology and learning the most advanced techniques for efficiency and comfort.

Have we reached the summit? Being the best that you can be is a constantly moving

horizon (or summit). But, in looking back at all that we try to do for our patients and all the intention and effort we put into creating not only beautiful smiles but an amazing experience, I know we are up high on the mountain and continually moving upward.

I invite you to visit us. If you are looking to improve your smile, or you have may wonder if you snore or have sleep apnea. Perhaps you have a history of migraine headaches or a history of painful canker sores. We can help. Come see how we can improve your life and check out what I believe is the best, most comprehensive orthodontic care in the East Valley.

Hamilton student to participate in Washington Week

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Lydia Chew, a student at Hamilton High School, has been chosen for a trip to Washington, D.C., in March.

Lydia’s trip is special because she will be going as a delegate to the 54th annual United States Senate Youth Program and will participate in the program’s Washington Week.

The Chandler resident demonstrated active civic interest when she was president of Model United Nations, a school program in which students learn about diplomacy, international relations and other topics.

administrator Alexis Burkhart.

Each year, 104 of the most outstanding high school students, two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity, make the cut. Ryley Goulet, a senior at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, is the other student from Arizona.

She continues to expand her knowledge of United States government through “We the People,” the Citizen and the Constitution program that promotes civic competence and responsibility among the nation’s upper elementary and secondary students.

Lydia also serves on the Chandler Mayor’s Youth Commission, and as president of Spanish Honor Society and Key Club.

In addition to her outstanding extracurricular participation, she encourages voter registration and is a strong proponent of civic education and political activism, according to a release issued by the education department.

The merit-based program is extremely competitive, according to Arizona’s selection

The participants are brought to Washington, D.C., for a weeklong, intensive study of the federal government and the people who lead it.

“The overall mission of the program is to help instill within each class of USSYP student delegates more profound knowledge of the American political process and a lifelong commitment to public service,” Burkhart stated in the release.

In addition to the trip, the students receive a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship from The Hearst Foundations which are national philanthropic resources for organizations and institutions working in the fields of education, health, culture and social service.

The foundations also provide transportation and all expenses for Washington Week and no government funds are used.

Students receive encouragement to continue coursework in government, history and public affairs.

• Gender at 15 Weeks!

CHANDLER UNIFIED SCHOOL

DISTRICT NEWS

Feb. 10 to Feb. 11: Elementary parent/ teacher conferences Feb. 15: Presidents Day—no school

CTA INDEPENDENCE

STUCO Convention

CTA Independence’s Student Council will travel to the Chandler Center for the Arts on Feb. 19 to participate in Chandler Unified School District’s annual leadership convention. School officials and students are excited to showcase and improve their leadership ability as they participate in leadership skill-building activities and listen to this year’s motivational speaker. This year’s theme is “Leaders, Game On.”

Triple A Awards Night

The Triple A Awards Night is set for 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Come and see who has been nominated from the school.

Running club meet

The last running club meet will be Tuesday, Feb. 16, at Snedigar Park. —Jana Thrash

HALEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Fieldtrip

Third-grade Tigers visited Kartchner Caverns on Jan. 12 and Jan 13 to wrap up their unit on Earth Science, learning about rocks, erosion, landforms, the constantly changing crust layer, scientists, and scientific discoveries. In addition, they created

• Weekend appointments available

• Registered ARDMS Sonographer trusted by Physicians with 10 years of OB experience!

• Relaxing spa-like atmosphere!

• Bring your friends and family!

exploding volcanoes as their projects.

Elementary Choir Festival

The Haley Drama Club joined singers from around the school district for the annual Elementary Choir Festival at Chandler Center for the Arts on Feb. 1. This event is a chance to inspire and recruit young singers into the junior high and high school choir programs, and features clinicians, rehearsals and performances. The day will culminate with a concert of more than 800 students singing together.

PTO meeting

The next PTO meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the school’s media center.

Spring conferences

Spring conferences will be held Wednesday, Feb. 10, and Thursday, Feb. 11. Volunteer Spot sign-up link was sent out Jan. 28. Be sure to secure your time to meet with your child’s teacher.

Jumping

rope for a good cause

K-6 students will take part in Jump Rope for Heart on Feb. 12. Students raise money for heart disease.

Daddy/Daughter Dance

Haley’s first Daddy/Daughter Dance will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. Tickets are $10; $5 for each additional child. There will be a DJ, photo booth, arts and crafts, and refreshments.

—Stephanie Palomarez

www.jackandjillfetalphotos.com Happy Valentine’s Day! Present this coupon and receive

CCA Youth Advisory Council program prepares the next generation of arts advocates with interview and marketing skills

BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON

By the time most youth reach junior high and high school, arts education is often minimized or almost nonexistent. In contrast, the Chandler Center for the Arts (CCA) Youth Advisory Council program uses the arts as a way to teach teens significant life lessons such as the importance of community service and leadership skills.

The Youth Advisory Council is a program in which local youth ages 13-18 participate in more than a dozen threehour educational sessions from October through March.

According to the CCA, the program provides participants with experiential learning opportunities and leadership situations—especially when it comes to the ins and outs of a performing arts center.

The goal is for students to leave the program with knowledge in a variety of skills, including: financial responsibility, career readiness, leadership skills, group dynamics, marketing and public relations, and more, according to the CCA.

The program does this with biweekly sessions that focus on everything from celebrating the arts, how nonprofits are managed, resume writing and interview skills, money management, legal issues, leadership styles and more.

Nicholas Iwanski, a junior at Chandler Preparatory Academy, is a participant in

this year’s Youth Advisory Council. He said he applied for the program last fall because he plans to be an entrepreneur and thought the program would be a good fit.

“I’ve learned a lot from being in the council,” Nicholas said. “We’ve learned stuff such as etiquette, interview skills, resume writing, money management, marketing, staying safe, setting goals, the parts of a theater, and what art is.”

At the end of the program—which is free to participants—students have completed a service-learning project and are awarded a certificate of completion at a graduation ceremony.

Nicholas and other council participants point to Debbie Rubenstrunk, a development consultant for the CCA, as an integral part of the program.

“A lot of what we have learned is owed to her [Rubenstrunk] for leading us but also to all the guest speakers we have been lucky enough to listen to,” Nicholas explained. “Debbie often refers to the council as the ‘build a board member program.’ The main focus of the council is for us teens to grow up, sit on boards of directors, and become leaders in our communities.”

This year, the council’s project is to host a fundraiser at one of the CCA’s concerts. The group is responsible for the project from start to finish. This is the program’s fifth class and experiences

Chandler Center for the Arts

their certificates of completion. Each class has a max of 15 students who participate in the teen leadership program. Submitted photo

have included guest speakers on a variety of topics. For example, in one session the Chandler Police Department gave legal advice that all teens should know; and in another, First Credit Union shared financial tips. Mixed in are tours of the CCA and Vision Gallery.

“My favorite session so far was the one where we all got dressed up and had a nice dinner at the Ocotillo Golf Resort,”

Nicholas said. “While there, we discussed proper etiquette, interview skills, and resume writing.”

The 2015-2016 Youth Advisory Council graduates on March 2. Applications for next year’s class (2016-2017) will be available in the fall for local youth ages 13-18 who are enrolled in school.

To learn more, visit www. chandlercenter.org.

CHANDLER SIGNING DAY

Chandler High’s Harry, Lucas sign with ASU

BY JOSHUA CLARK

N’keal Harry and Chase Lucas

headlined Chandler High School signing day Feb. 3, as both signed on to play football at ASU.

Harry and Lucas, ranked as the No. 1 and No. 4 high school prospects in Arizona by ESPN, both chose ASU over a list of other schools including Texas, UCLA and Oregon.

“I just picked ASU because family is really important to me.” Harry said. Harry, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall and 210 pounds, created mismatches all year on his way to racking up over 800 yards and seven receiving TDs on 48 receptions despite missing two games. He helped lead the Wolves to an 11-2 record and a ranking as the second best team in the state, according to maxpreps.com.

Lucas, who is a longtime friend of N’keal, said he chose ASU to show is appreciation for the Grand Canyon State.

“I feel like Arizona as a state has done a lot for me and him,” Lucas said. “I feel like going to Arizona State would should some of that love back.”

Lucas showed his ability as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield over the course of his three-season career at Chandler. He amassed more than 3,400 all-purpose yards along with eight TDs.

Lucas and Harry will be joining former teammate Bryce Perkins.

“As soon as me and him [Harry] get in there we are to going to make an immediate impact,” Lucas said. “We are just very, very excited.”

Mason Moran, the standout dualthreat QB, who is ranked as the seventh best high school prospect in the state, signed with Oregon State. Moran has been verbally committed to play for the Beavers since June, and although his main goal is to be the starting QB, he is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team.

Moran’s ability as a dual-threat QB will go a long way toward accomplishing his goal of one day starting.

He threw for 2,882 yards and 22 TDs, and was the team’s second-highest rusher adding another 872 yards and 11 TDs on the ground.

Moran will also be joined at Oregon State by Hamilcar Rashed Jr., who led the Wolves in sacks on the defensive side of the ball.

Academics was also a key factor when it came time for defensive backs Kyree Woods and Isiah Swann to choose where to attend college.

Woods said the business program, along with strong relationships between him and the coaching staff is what determined his decision to play football and further his education at San Diego State University.

Isiah Swann, who will be attending Dartmouth, said that although he

received offers from schools such as Harvard, Cornell and Brown, he believed Dartmouth gave him the best chance at happiness later in life.

“I like the family vibe there, I felt more at home there than I did at any other place,” Swann said. “Academics are extremely important to me.”

Dustin Woodward and Thomas Chisholm also signed with colleges Feb. 3, with six other players from Chandler High’s football team still undecided. Woodward will be attending Memphis, and Chisholm will continue on to Northern State University.

distinctive services: • Comprehensive Pediatric care from Birth to 18 Years

• In-house Lactation (Breastfeeding) consultation

• In-house consultation in Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics

• Medical home for children with Special Health Care Needs

• Complimentary Meet the Doctor visit for expecting parents

• Evening hours Monday-Thursday until 8pm by appt only

• Saturday hours from 8am-12pm by appointment only

• Bilingual office staff and providers

CHANDLER SIGNING DAY

16 Basha student-athletes commit to play collegiate sports

BY MATT LAYMAN

Basha High School’s signing day ceremony Feb. 3 was a crowded one, as 16 athletes committed to play their respective sports at colleges around the country.

Family and friends watched as the student-athletes all signed letters of intent together. The group of athletes was comprised of eight football players, three baseball players, four girls’ soccer players and a wrestler.

“I think today’s a special day because it gives the families an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishment,” said Basha athletic director Brent Rincon. “It was great to see so many parents and grandparents and youth coaches and everybody who’s had an impact on those athletes’ lives.”

Basha’s signing day event put emphasis on the student-athletes’ families, and head football coach Gerald Todd called the importance of family “huge.”

“They’ve put them in camps, they’ve put them in youth football leagues, they’ve been supportive in traveling all across the country with these young men,” Todd said. “I think that family support is something that each kid looks forward to, and having mom and dad up in the stands is so, so important.”

Colton Dunkle, a football signee who committed to Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, said his family was

excited—and so is he.

“I’m feeling pretty good, it’s pretty exciting,” he said. “I liked [Washburn] a lot. I liked how it was a smaller town, a smaller school but it still felt big.”

Not all of the players are leaving home—nine of the 16 student-athletes at Basha’s signing day committed to inschool states.

Among those staying in-state was football safety and cornerback Seth Doumbia, who committed to Mesa Community College. Doumbia’s seven interceptions last season were tied for eighth-most in the state. He’s also in the Basha hall of fame.

To get into the Basha hall of fame, one must either be voted to first or second team All-State, or be a state champion or runner-up in an individual sport. Basha’s Devyn Nall, a soccer player who signed with Regis University Feb. 3, met that requirement with Doumbia.

“It’s crazy, I didn’t think that it would happen but it did,” Nall said of hall of fame honor.

Nall also recognized her family’s role in getting her to the college level athletically.

“They were a big part of it,” she said. “They helped me with everything throughout my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

Other student-athletes committing to colleges were football players Kaleb

of

Lewis (Arizona Christian University), Nick Silvestro (Scottsdale Community College), Nick Ogden (Adams State), Caleb McCray (Pima Community College), MJ Harris (Westfield State) and Maison Ardans (NAU); baseball players Skylar Dorn (South Mountain Country Club), Michael Goodrich (Trinity University) and Ryan Tierney (South Mountain Country Club); wrestler Kody Bowman (University of the Ozarks); and women’s soccer players Delaney West (Chandler-Gilbert Community College), Hannah Householder (NAU) and Ashley Grant (Scottsdale Community College).

CHANDLER SIGNING DAY

Perry Pumas commit to collegiate programs

BY MATT LAYMAN

From Perry High School, three women’s soccer players, two football players, five baseball players and a golfer signed letters of intent to play at colleges Feb. 3.

One of them decided his collegiate fate just one night earlier.

Perry quarterback Gabe Tomaszewski committed to Western New Mexico University after visiting the school over the weekend.

“I really liked everything about it and I think I’m going to have good

opportunities there to play early,” he said. “I sat down with my family, we talked about it, weighed everything out, and we really just decided last night.”

Tomaszewski explained that because he was being recruited by D-III schools, which are on a different recruiting timeline than D-II Western New Mexico, he committed to the only school he visited.

“I liked (the campus),” he said. “It’s a lot smaller than I was expecting. It’s a real small town; it’s in Silver City, New Mexico. It’s probably about the size of Perry.”

It also happens that Tomaszewski was born in New Mexico, and has family about three hours away.

Tomaszewski’s teammate, linebacker Case Hatch, committed to Southern Utah University. Head football coach Preston Jones said Hatch will serve a two-year mission for

his church before starting college.

“It was a long recruiting process for Case Hatch because he’s choosing to serve his mission,” Jones said. “It’s hard to find schools that are interested these days in those kids, because they don’t want to wait around.”

Perry High athletic director Jennifer Burks said on signing day that she’s known Hatch for some time, explaining that her son played with Hatch since they were 9 years old.

“Watching (Hatch) play as a 9- or 10-year-old, us moms would sit in the stands and say, ‘That kid is a football player.’ You just knew it. You could just tell,” she said. “I’m really excited for him.”

Three women’s soccer players also committed from Perry: Gina Bracamonte to the University at Albany–State University of New York, Lauren Hawley committed to Western State Colorado University, and Kambree Meskill will attend NAU. Perry’s girls’ soccer team is ranked fifth in Arizona by MaxPreps.

“They’ve been amazing,” Burks said. “If you ask people about Perry and what the top programs are, girls’

soccer will always just rise to the top. It kind of started with these girls.”

As of signing day, Meskill had 25 goals and 17 assists in her high school career. She’s one of four captains for the Pumas. She said she’s excited to play soccer for Div. I NAU.

“I thought it was very beautiful and I liked how small it was,” she said. Meskill also said she liked the soccer stadium at NAU, and that she’d still be close to home. Her family likes that, too.

“They love it. Especially because I’m close to home and they can come visit me, and my sister-in-law went there. They all had their NAU stuff, decked out today.”

Perry baseball players Beau Brieske, Daniel Abiles and Wacy Crenshaw all committed to Glendale Community College. Their teammates Bryson Wheatley and Ryan Hildreth committed to Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Paradise Valley Community College, respectively, and golfer Brady Hatten committed to South Mountain Community College.

CHANDLER SIGNING DAY

Hamilton boasts recruits to Stanford, Wisconsin on signing day

BY MATT LAYMAN

The Hamilton Huskies had nine student-athletes commit to schools on college signing day Feb. 3, eight of whom signed letters of intent to play football, while one inked to play soccer.

Among those committing to colleges were Garrett Rand and Travis Lockhart; two football players who earned significant playing time in their high school careers. Rand, a defensive tackle who started for the varsity football team since his freshman year, committed to Wisconsin.

“I’ve worked four hard years for this moment,” he said. “I’m glad it’s over but I’m also going to miss it. But I’m looking forward to my future.”

In his senior year, Rand played 10 games, being credited with 31 solo tackles and 10.5 tackles-for-loss.

HANCOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Kindergarten registration

Rand said his family was glad he chose Wisconsin.

“They’re stoked,” he said. “My mom’s from Wisconsin, I got a few grandparents and aunts that are from Wisconsin so they’re all jacked up right now.”

Rand said he plans to major in kinesiology.

Lockhart, who regularly started at quarterback for the Huskies last fall, committed to the Colorado School of Mines. He intends to study chemical engineering.

“I’m pumped,” he said. “I know I have a chance to play four years in college and I’ll come out with a degree. It’s going to make me a lot of money and set me up for the rest of my life.”

Lockhart said his dad’s company is headquartered in Denver. The Colorado School of Mines is located in Golden,

Kindergarten registration is in progress for the 2016-2017 school year. Children who turn 5 years old by Aug. 31 are eligible to enroll in kindergarten. Bring proof of residence, birth certificate and up-to-date immunization records at time of registration. School officials are giving away a fun-filled Hancock goodie bag to the next 25 students who register. Safety Patrol

about 15 miles from Colorado’s capital.

“It’s a beautiful campus. It’s almost like vacation,” he said. “There’s everything there. It snows. It’s hot in the summer. You get all four seasons there. You can do anything outdoors. It’s a great place to be.”

Lockhart threw 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions this past season for the Huskies, who were ranked third in the state for varsity football. His 2,832 yards were 12th best among Arizona quarterbacks.

Head coach Steve Belles said he was happy for his players who are moving on to college.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “(It’s) well-deserved. They’re not only really good football players but really good student athletes. Probably the smartest group I’ve ever had since I’ve been

wonderful volunteer safety patrol members. They are out every morning and afternoon keeping the flow of traffic moving while assisting students arrive at and leave school safely. A big thank you to Mrs. Gee for leading the patrol.

Open enrollment

You have a choice! Check out the open enrollment site www. cusd80.com /openenrollment for

coaching. Just GPA-wise, they’re off the charts.”

The signing day ceremony, which was held in the Hamilton gym for family and friends to attend, also recognized Kaleb Pitts (Columbia), Emmanuel Byarm (Colorado State Pueblo), Rashad Williams (Mesa Community College), Tyler Kennedy (Hastings), JJ Parson (Stanford), Ian Anderson (South Dakota School of Mines) and Sean Holland (St. Mary’s CA).

Parson committed to Stanford, which won the 2016 Rose Bowl and boasts Christian McCaffrey, the 2015 AP College Football Player of the Year and 2015 Heisman Trophy runner-up.

Holland, the lone soccer player of the group, committed to St. Mary’s College of California.

an application and information on attending Hancock if the school is out of the neighborhood boundary.

Calendar Feb. 8 to Feb. 12: Hancock Book Fair Feb. 10 and Feb. 11: Spring Conferences; early release at 11:40 a.m. Feb. 12: President’s Day picnic —Amy Fricke