As I reflect on the conclusion of my first full year serving as your superintendent, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride in what we have accomplished. In our winter edition, I shared our roadmap for the future—our 3-Year Strategic Plan, Excellence in Action. I promised that our shared commitment to professionalism, positivity, and progress would translate into meaningful movement. Today, looking back at the spring of 2026, I can confidently report that the state of Beechwood Independent Schools is stronger, more innovative, and more unified.
This year, The Beechwood Way wasn't just an aspirational philosophy; it was lived. Because our Board, faculty, staff, and community leaned heavily into our five strategic pillars, Beechwood has solidified its standing at the absolute pinnacle of education. We were once again named the #1 School District in Kentucky by Niche, and Beechwood High School was selected as a prestigious KDE Spotlight School. Furthermore, our community's commitment to innovation was broadcast nationwide, as the Aurora Institute featured Beechwood in a national case study highlighting our gamechanging EDGE program.
However, Excellence in Action is truly reflected in the achievements of our kids, and this spring, our students demonstrated that excellence in the academics, arts, and athletics.
On the academic front, our student growth on MAP assessments from Fall to Winter to Spring outpaced anything we have witnessed over the last decade. This foundational growth is what allows for incredible upper-level milestones: our students achieved a record-breaking 77.8% AP Exam pass rate, while over 81% of the senior class earned college credit through our expanding dual-credit program. Across grades 10–12, 168 unique students participated in dualcredit courses, passing a grand total of 837 credit hours— an achievement that saved our families an astonishing
$472,968 in future tuition costs. We proudly celebrated three National Merit Finalists—Simon Cullison, Everett Pohlgeers, and Julian Sandberg—alongside an exceptional Senior Academic Signing class featuring 41 seniors who earned massive scholarship packages. Furthermore, we established ourselves on the absolute cutting edge of modern instruction by launching an AI Innovation Team, deploying our own localized AI guidelines, and will host our 3rd annual AI summit on August 4th.
These rigorous classroom triumphs were beautifully matched by the talent and achievements in the arts. Our campus celebrated a major milestone as the final construction phases of our beautiful, newly upgraded Performing Arts Center were completed, allowing the space to come alive with our very first auditorium musical production, Shrek The Musical. Building on that creative momentum, our Band program captured the 2A State Championship, and both our Band and Choir ensembles brought home state-level KMEA Distinguished Ratings. The individual artistic excellence of our students shone brightly on the state level with 8 musicians earning All-State Band selections and 3 students selected to attend the elite Governor’s School for the Arts. This standard of excellence is directly shaped by our world-class faculty. This spring, Ms. Brittany Everage was named the KMEA District 6 Elementary School Teacher of the Year, and Ms. Savannah Starks was honored as the KMEA District 6 Middle School Teacher of the Year.
At the same time, championship banners multiplied across our athletic departments. Our student-athletes displayed relentless dedication, capturing the Volleyball All "A" State Championship, sweeping the Boys Indoor and Outdoor Track State Championships (with numerous individual and relay state titles), and securing the Baseball 9th Region Championship for the 5th time in 7 years. Additionally, both our Baseball and Softball teams claimed All "A" Region Championship titles, while Lily Parke furthered
our championship legacy by capturing 2 state titles at the State Track Meet. Individual elite honors highlighted the character of our program. This culture of athletic supremacy was reinforced by our stellar leadership staff, with Mr. Matt Long was recognized as the Region 9 Volleyball Coach of the Year and Ms. Eileen Dowd was honored as the Region 9 Girls Soccer Coach of the Year.
This goes to show in every discipline, our Tigers are demonstrating Excellence in Action.
While these accomplishments make headlines, the secret of success is hidden in our foundational culture. We made a commitment in our strategic plan to keep communication transparent and reciprocal and our end-of-year 25-26 Staff Culture Survey revealed that 95% of our staff believe district culture has actively improved, while 98% reported visible leaps forward in district communication AND transparency. We have streamlined our internal operations, restructured our finance and hiring frameworks, and broken ground on structural upgrades—from press boxes to tennis court lighting—to ensure our facilities match the world-class caliber of our instruction.
Whether you listened to an episode of our newly minted Tiger Nation Podcast, stepped onto our campus, or cheered on our students under the Friday night lights, we hope you felt a true school community. That is what makes Beechwood special.
We are incredibly proud of where we stand at the conclusion of Year 1, but we are even more eager for where we are headed next. Thank you, Board, alumni and partners, for keeping our rich legacy alive and for your unwavering belief in our mission. Together, we will continue to live The Beechwood Way, ensuring every single one of our kiddos is known, challenged, and uniquely prepared to lead the future.
Go Tigers!
Justin Kaiser ‘98 Superintendent Beechwood Independent Schools
HIGH SCHOOL administrators TIGER retirees
Welcome Principal Jessica Pass and Assistant Principal Ashley Ritchie to Beechwood High School. Ms. Pass has previously served as principal at Erpenbeck Elementary and assistant principal at Ryle High School and Camp Ernst Middle School. She has also worked at the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services. She and her husband Gary have three children - Brynley, Gunnar and Lyndonplus Bear, a Bernese Mountain dog. She is no stranger to Beechwood as she has several family members who graduated from Beechwood including her mother Kelly Beers Cantrall '76 and grandparents Jim ‘53 and Sherrill ‘56 Beers.
Beechwood is honoring 3 retirees this spring. First is Alan Yanke who has served as the high school principal for the past three years. He is retiring after 33 years in education. Second is Dawn Norris who is retiring after 26 years of teaching at Beechwood. She will be missed by everyone in the high school for all of the various jobs she does besides teaching her classes. The final retiree is Susie Keam who has served as the administrative assistant in the high school. She is retiring after 27 years at Beechwood - 17 as an instructional aide and 10 in the high school office.
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION awards
The Northern Kentucky Education Council annually recognizes outstanding individuals in education in the Northern Kentucky area. This year Beechwood had several honorees - Amie Taphouse who received the Golden Apple for excellence as an educator, Solomon Pangallo who received the Career and Technical All-Star Award and Emeline Apke, Catherine Bromley, Sophie Nordman and Nora Wilke who received scholarships from the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Foundation.
Ms. Ritchie is definitely not a stranger to Beechwood. She served as an elementary teacher for 10 years and gifted and talented coordinator for three years before being selected as high school assistant principal. Ms. Ritchie and her husband have four daughters - Eleanor, Hazel and twins Sylvie and Collins.
BEECHWOOD educational FOUNDATION
Four members of the Beechwood staff were recognized from nominations of their peers by the Beechwood Educational Foundation. Those honored included two faculty membersMaria Ahlers ‘94 and Dawn Norris - and two staff members - Jay Hubbard and Emily Richey. Besides receiving a certificate, they each received a $2,000 award.
SUPERINTENDENT awards
Each month, a faculty or staff member is recognized at a meeting of the Board of Education with the Superintendent’s Award for exhibiting the qualities of positive, professional, or progressive. These honorees are nominated by the fellow teachers or staff members. Recognized in 2026 were Mike Murphy, Rachel Smith, Hannah Burns ‘16, Amie Taphouse and Erin Goetz.
ATHLETIC boosters
COUNSELOR recognition
Beechwood High School counselor Megan Minton was recognized by Gateway Community and Technical College with the KCTCS Pathfinder Award. This award recognizes strong partners and advocates for student success in career and technical education.
TEACHER acheivement AWARD
English teacher and forensics coach Molly Seifert was named one of the nine educators in Kentucky as a Teacher Achievement Award Winner. There are three high school teachers, three middle school teachers and three elementary school teachers given this recognition. In September one of these nine educators will be recognized as the 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year.
Hello Tigers!
Welcome to summer. The hallways are eerily quiet as everyone is enjoying their summer break. And here I am having completed my 10th year at Beechwood. It’s been so fun to be “back home.” The culture of Beechwood is amazing - great students, amazing faculty and staff and the support of the best community ever. Students of all levels are working with people from the community on many different types of challenges that expand their knowledge and gives them great experiential education. As you look through the magazine you see students who worked with a local shopClementine, developed a program for an alumni owned cookie company - Triple R and seniors who have had amazing internships with various companies in Northern Kentucky.
Justin Kaiser ‘98 took over the leadership of our school and it’s been smooth sailing. All faculty and staff have completed an awesome year and are enjoying a little relaxation before we gear up again in August.
It’s been an amazing spring on Beechwood Road.
Shrek the Musical was the performance for the annual musical and it was held in the Performing Arts Center for the first time.
Rising senior Bella Slone won the Beechwood Poetry Out Loud contest and went on to win the Kentucky Poetry Out Loud contest and was able to compete at the national competition finishing in the top 10.
All four of the Singing Tigers choirs received distinguished ratings from the KMEA.
Then there was the spring sports. Three Tigers made it to state tennis - Neel Reedy, Andrew Dunaway and Emma Ahlers. Neel was named to the all state team. Baseball and softball both won regionals for the All “A” tournaments qualifying them to go to the state tournament. The baseball team finished up runner-up in the tournament. Baseball went on to beat CovCath twice in regular season, win the regional championship and win their first round of the sweet sixteen tournament before losing to nationally ranked and state champion Louisville Trinity. The individual accolades
for this team were amazing.
Next was track. The boys won the regional championship at Bishop Brossart and the girls finished second. On a cold, nonstop rainy day in Lexington the boys finished first and the girls finished second. Again many state champs led by Lily Parke (featured on the cover) who finished her Beechwood running career with 13 state championships!
All the fun spring activities happened this year without all the rain that we had last year.
The juniors won Clash of the Classes while the senior girls won the Powderpuff Football Game. The elementary students had a great time with Field Day and also enjoyed a Wellness Day outside.
The only thing to get rained out was graduation. For the first time ever, graduation was not on the Beechwood campus. Our friends at Thomas More University shared their space with us so we could stay dry during the graduation - even though it was weird having a blue background for pictures!
The Red and White Gala was a great success raising money to help everything at Beechwood including 4 $2500 scholarships to graduating seniors. This fall the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame will honor Beechwood graduates. If you know someone you think is worthy, please nominate them. Info can be found at beechwood.kyschools.us/alumni Nominations are due by August 7 and the celebration will be October 15.
We are always looking for volunteers and good alumni Board members. If you are interested, please reach out. Also if you have friends who aren’t getting mailings or emails from alumni, please send me their correct contact information - carol.beirne@ beechwood.kyschools.us
Have a great summer!
Carol Stenken Beirne ‘63 Director of Alumni Relations and Legacy Magazine Editor
upcoming DATES
August 21 - Tiger Pigskin Pigroast
October 15 - Distinguished Alumni Dinner
October 16 - Homecoming Football Game
November 14 - Night at the Races
April 9 - Red and White Gala
May 15 - Tiger Alumni Golf Outing
2026 HOMECOMING
2026 Homecoming will be the week of October 12 with the Homecoming Parade on Wednesday, October 14, the Outstanding Alumni Dinner on Thursday, October 15, and the alumni pregame tailgate and football game on Friday October 16.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI information
This year during homecoming week the Beechwood Alumni Association will recognize outstanding Tiger alumni. There are three categories that will be recognized - outstanding alumni, outstanding young alumni (graduates of the past 20 years) and the Tiger Award to a person who has contributed to the success of Beechwood - alumni or friend. Application and information can be found at beechwood.kyschools.us/alumni
Applications are due by August 7. Contact Carol Beirne at carol. beirne@beechwood.kyschools.us if you have any questions.
TIGER tidbits
Randy Cochran ’62 passed away on May 17.
Jill Thomas Rettig ’63 passed away on her 81st birthday, April 26. She was preceded in death by her husband Tom Rettig ’61.
Mike Davis ’69 passed away on March 5.
Brandon Berger ’93 and Chris Curley ’06 were among the initial members of the 9th Regional Baseball Hall of Fame.
Jody ’06 and Johnny ’06 Kenning welcomed their son John Michael.
Dr. Trevor Webb ’12 will be joining the staff at Ryle High School as the Assistant Director of Bands. He most recently received his Doctor of Music Arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Jake Etler ’15 and his wife Rachel and son welcomed their daughter Georgia Kate into their family.
Claire Joswick Smith ’15 and her family welcomed their second girl in March.
Austin ’15 and Olivia Smith were married in June 2026.
Jamie Schilling ’17 married Noah Wilmink in May.
Canaan Harrison ’17 and wife Ireland welcomed their daughter Freye.
Max ’17 and Jessica ’17 Brummer welcomed a baby boy Lincoln in April.
Matthew Duncan ’18 and his wife Kari welcomed boy/girl twins Cooper and Ella in November.
Sydney Shepherd Roberts ’18 has started her medical residency with St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Family Medicine.
Duncan Baugh ’19 graduated from Salmon P. Chase College of Law in May 2026.
GOLF OUTING winners
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Tiger Alumni Golf Outing - Ty Eviston ‘22, Will Stamm ‘22, Ben Epplen ‘22 and Aden Walls. They won by a scorecard play off after tying the Linder foursome. Next year’s outing will be Saturday, May 15, at Devou.
SCHOLARSHIP winners
The Beechwood Alumni Association was proud to present four $2500 scholarships to four outstanding graduating seniors. Those receiving the scholarships were Malia Driskell, Ruby Fries, Kendale Lair and Ella Schneider.
2026 REUNIONS
Class of 1959 - Dave Hill at colhill 1941@gmail.com
Class of 1960 - Lauren Hill at lauren-hill@comcast.net
Class of 1961 - Katherine Terwort at katherineterwort@gmail.com
Class of 1962 - Liz Ellis at elizell@aol.com
Class of 1963 - Carol Beirne at carol.beirne@beechwood. kyschools.us
Class of 1971 - Debbie Linneman at dzlinne@gmail.com
Class of 1976 - Cindy Hood at cindyhood3@gmail.com
Class of 1991 - Jake Stewart at jstew178@gmail.com
Class of 2001 - Brady Grimme at brady.grimme@gmail.com
Class of 2006 - Jessica Enzweiller at jessica.enzweiller@ beechwood.kyschools.us
Class of 2016 - Bailey Halpin at bailey_halpin@yahoo.com
If your class is planning a reunion please contact Carol Beirne at carol.beirne@beechwood.kyschools.us
Brandon Berger ’93 and Chris Curley ’06
changemakers
Northern Kentucky Changemakers filled the stage this spring, inspiring our Beechwood 2nd graders. Hannah Burns ‘16 invited the local leaders, who represented a wide variety of industries and backgrounds, to talk about the pathways they took to create meaningful change in their communities. From students to staff, the entire auditorium was motivated by their stories!
KENTUCKY HORSE history
Beechwood 5th graders combined history, science, math, and art for an amazing EDGE Challenge in partnership with popular Fort Mitchell boutique, Clementine. Students first visited the Kentucky Derby Museum and researched horse racing history. They then designed unique coaster sets, complete with infographics to show what they learned. No surprise, the designs sold out at Clementine!
TRIPLE R cookie JAR
For a few weeks, our 2nd graders became “mini employees” for Triple R Cookie Jar! They did the marketing, learned about business aspects, and tracked money earned for Beechwood cookie sales in which a portion was donated to All Abilities NKY. One item they sold was “The Tiger” cookie and this EDGE partnership is incredibly special since Heather Ruth ‘10 is a Beechwood alumna!
building BIKES
Jennifer Gasser and Amie Taphouse were awarded a grant for all equipment to build 20 bikes from scratch! Our 6th and 7th grade students were able to go through the entire process of building and testing these bikes through a wonderful hands-on learning experience. The bikes were then donated to our students at Guardian Angel (DCCH). Board member Brad Hood ‘75 generously donated the helmets to go along with the bikes.
BIOMES
This spring, our third graders explored the world’s biomes through a collaborative EDGE challenge that focused on researching ecosystems around the world. Students worked in groups to study climate, landforms, plants, animals, and human impact. Our students then created digital magazines in Book Creator to share with their kindergarten reading buddies. They also designed biome-themed coloring pages in Canva and completed at-home projects that were featured in a well-attended Biome Showcase in our new atrium.
spring at Beechwood Elementary is always filled with fun activities, sports, and celebrations.
POLAR plunge
We are also proud of the elementary and high school students who took the plunge this past spring to raise money for Special Olympics Kentucky. Not only did they raise funds to support Special Olympics Kentucky athletes, but a portion of the proceeds also benefited Tigers for Diversity. It was truly a win win for both organizations and a wonderful example of our students making a positive impact in the community through service, leadership, and generosity.
2ND GRADE musical
One of the spring highlights was the 2nd grade musical, which was held in the Performing Arts Center for the first time. As always, the students put on an amazing performance that never disappoints. Their hard work, enthusiasm, and talent made for a memorable evening for families and staff alike.
Girls on the Run
Pioneer Day
Governor's Cup Winners
special EVENTS
Throughout the year, Beechwood Elementary students enjoyed many educational and memorable activities that helped make learning exciting. From creating Earth Day planters to all students participating in Field Day and many other special events, students had countless opportunities to build friendships, show their creativity, and create lasting memories.
KINDERGARTEN & SIXTH GRADE promotions
As the school year came to a close, Beechwood Elementary had the opportunity to celebrate two special promotion ceremonies honoring our kindergarten and sixth grade students. These milestones marked important achievements for our youngest learners as they prepare for first grade and for our sixth graders as they begin their transition to high school. It was a wonderful way to recognize their hard work and celebrate the exciting journeys that lie ahead.
Earth Day Planters
Field Day
Noetic Math Winners
Field Day
Sixth Grade
Kindergarten Citizenship
Preschool
high school students stay
busy with many activities, competitions & the pursuit of excellence
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Six entrepreneurship students won awards at the regional Future Business Leaders of America competition. They included first place by Annabel Arlinghaus and Elise Conrad, Claire Powers, and Cono Presti; second place by Reagan Schings and third place by Maddie Staley.
ODYSSEY of the MIND
Beechwood is honored to have six rising seniors attending the Governor’s Scholars Program this summer.
Maggie Dawson and George Wilson were crowned Prom queen and king at this year’s prom which was held at the Newport Aquarium.
The annual powder puff football game did not disappoint this year. This event between junior and senior girls is always a highlight of the spring. In a close contest is was the seniors who won this year’s contest.
This 8th grade Odyssey of the Mind team won the Kentucky competition and qualified to go to World competition. At the competition they placed in the top 25 from international teams. The team members included Alyssa Day, Parker Gentry, Max Macke, Graham Hildebrant, Noah Day, Nolan Ford and Connor Hall.
POETRY out LOUD
Bella Slone gave an outstanding performance in this year’s Poetry Out Loud Contest. She won the Kentucky contest and represented Beechwood and the commonwealth of Kentucky at the national competition in Washington, D.C.
middle & high FORENSICS TECH purge COACH of the YEAR
The Middle School Forensics Team won the Regional Championship and placed 6th at State Tournament. Emmy Auciello, Avery Orocio, Olivia Davis and Cameron Johnson all advanced to the state finals in their individual events.
The High School Forensics Team was Regional Runner-up and placed 9th overall at state with team captain Coen Yap advancing to the final round winning 6th place.
Coach Molly Seifert was named Kentucky High School Speech League High School Coach of the Year.
EVANS scholar
Bella Conrad was named a recipient of the prestigious Evans Scholarship, a full scholarship valued at approximately $125,000 to attend The Ohio State University.
To be considered, applicants must work as caddies, carrying golfers' bags for 18-hole rounds on weekends—sometimes completing two rounds in a single day. Bella has caddied approximately 150 rounds (known as "loops") at Kenwood Country Club, which qualified her for consideration. Selection is based not only on caddie experience but also on academic achievement, character, and an interview before a panel of approximately 100 golfers. As an Evans Scholar, Bella will be responsible for only about $3,000 per year for four years.
Tech Purge has become an annual tradition at Beechwood High School. Junior students surrender their phones and tablets and experience a week without digital communication or social media. They have planned activities during the week and by the end they have enjoyed their time together - getting to know each other. This year’s tech purge was even featured by two news stations!
EDUCATORS rising
Senior Maggie Dawson and junior Lola Sullivan won the state championship at the Educators Rising Kentucky State Conference in Varsity division of Lesson Planning and DeliveryProfessional Development. Anna Hatridge also won a state championship in the Administrator category. Their futures are bright.
SENIOR
LANGUAGE learners
The senior English Language Learners were celebrated with a great ceremony at the end of the school year in the Performing Arts Center.
UNIVERSITY-LEVEL research
One of the most impressive new initiatives at Beechwood this year is the addition of undergraduate-level research as an EDGE capstone option. We had a phenomenal group of students this year conduct research in a passion area, write a full research paper, and design a presentation. You can view the research poster presentations in our alumni atrium!
CLASS collaboration
Need an honest opinion? Just ask a second grader! Mr. Weyer’s computer science students created their own video games, then asked the Beechwood 2nd grade students to test them out. The game creators were judged on difficulty, fun, and kindness to the young gamers. Safe to say this was a win-win for both elementary and high school students!
broadcasting
Beechwood News Network made its debut, showcasing the talents of Beechwood Broadcasting students, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Video production pro, Zach Wells, shared his wealth of knowledge in the broadcasting business, training our Tigers to be camera-ready.
TEACHING others
Our Introduction to Education dual credit students, led by C.J. Fryer, get an incredible amount of time in P-12 classrooms at Beechwood, but it is always great for them to have experiences in other districts! Our students planned and taught lessons to students at Grandview Elementary and Tichenor Middle School for their final EDGE Challenge of the year. They were also able to have an insightful panel discussion with teachers and administrators from both districts.
EDGE Partners from across the region arrived at Beechwood to network with the Class of 2027! More than 60 professionals representing dozens of industries met our students, reviewed their resumes, and provided helpful interview tips as students prepared for senior internships and future careers. We are grateful for the many ways our partners show up to support Beechwood students!
CHOIR accolades
All four choirs received Distinguished ratings from KMEA including the Treble Choir and the Chamber Choir.
The annual musical was back at Beechwood this year in the new Performing Arts Center. The selection chosen was Shrek the Musical. A great cast of Beechwood talent performed at each performance. But the highlight of each performance was a surprise visit from a Beechwood faculty member including Amanda Raybuck, Zach Young, C.J. Fryer, Conner Campbell and Mike Murphy.
Beechwood is proud to recognize Finley Curless, Isaac McGlasson and Alejandra Villalva who will be attending Governor’s School for the Arts this summer.
BAND performs AT DISNEY
Beechwood’s Marching Band had a fun-filled trip to Orlando during spring break. They marched at Epcot Center as well as enjoying Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios.
MIDDLE
SCHOOL track
Twenty-two members of the Middle School Track Team qualified for the state meet. Cash Richards finished 5th in the 100 hurdles and Amaya Rudd finished 6th in the 200M Dash. Both boys and girls teams finished in second place at the Regional Meet.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL basketball
The Beechwood Elementary Basketball program had an outstanding season filled with growth and teamwork. Several of our teams capped off their hard work by winning league championships. We are incredibly proud of all of our athletes and can’t wait to see our basketball stars back in action next year!
BASKETBALL
Boys basketball finished with a record of 21-9, the fifth highest win total in school history. The Tiger defense allowed the 10th fewest points per game in the state. Sophomore Dylan Topmiller led the team with 20.9 ppg while setting a new school record with 91 made 3 point shots. Kingston Brockett was named DII Defensive Player of the Year and Dylan Topmiller, Owen McCormack and Kingston Brockett were elected to the DII All-Conference Team.
Girls basketball was presented the Sportsmanship Award from the 9th Region Basketball Officials Association sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame. The Tigers were young this year and promise to bring much excitement to the court next winter.
Archery still continues to represent the Tigers in statewide competition sponsored by the National Archery in Schools Program.
SWIMMING
Beechwood sent 5 swimmers to the state swim meet. This is one of the athletic competitions that is not divided by classes.
The Tigers were represented by Cono Presti, Gabrielle Lee, Maddie Staley, McKynlee Townsend, and Sylvia Crabtree. The girls team finished 14th overall but was the highest ranked Class A swim team.
indoor TRACK
This year the Tigers won their first boys state indoor track championship. The meet was held in Louisville.
The state champions included: 55M Dash - Hudson Edwards, 200M Dash and 400M Dash - Tyler Fryman, 1600M Run - Gannon Parke, 4x200M Relay - Nathan Pabst, Brody Aylor, Hudson Edwards and Tyler Fryman, 4x800M Relay - Will Mooney, Elijah Muck, Gannon Parke, Charlie Skeen and Sloan Pangallo.
The girls team finished in 4th place at the indoor state championship with the lone championship being by Caroline Nordman in the 400M Dash.
National Meet
This year Beechwood had 6 runners who qualified and competed in the National Indoor Track Meet. They included Lily Parke, Caroline Nordman, Brody Aylor, Nathan Pabst, Hudson Edwards, and Tyler Fryman.
spring sports
TENNIS
Three tennis players reached the state level in tennis this year. Sophomore Emma Ahlers qualified for singles from regionals for the state tournament. Neel Reedy and Andrew Dunaway qualified for doubles at State and Neel and Andrew lost in the semi-finals of the taste tournament. Neel was also chosen to the All State Team.
LILY PARKE: A CHAMPION for the AGES
Lily Parke (featured on the cover), a recent graduate of Beechwood, began her storied career in running with her first state championship as a member of the 4 x 400M relay her freshman year. The following year she won four state championships - 1500M indoor championship, 800M and 1600M individual races and as a member of the 4 x 800M relay in outdoor track. Lily’s junior year she added a state championship in cross country and indoor state championships in the 800M and 1600M as well as the 800M and 1600M in outdoor track.
Her senior year she again won cross country as well as the 800M and 1600M in outdoor track. If you’re keeping “track” that’s 13 state championships during her high school career. But probably her most prestigious championship was the Dream Mile. The top 16 girls and boys distance runners are invited to this event and Lily was the winner here her senior year. She will continue her education and running career at the University of Kentucky. Lily was honored by the Cincinnati Enquirer as Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year for the second year.
TRACK
The boys and girls track teams followed up a great indoor season with a stellar outdoor season. The boys team won convincingly at both regionals and state meets while the girls were runners-up to Bishop Brossart at regional and runners-up to Lexington Christian Academy at state. Individually, Brody Aylor won the 200M dash, Caroline Nordman won the 100M and 400M dash, and Lily Parke won the 800M and 1600M run.
The relays that won state championships were the boys 4X100 with Nathan Pabst, Cole Hoskins, Chase McDaniel and Brody Aylor, the boys 4X800 with Sloan Pangallo, Elijah Muck, Gannon Parke and Charlie Skeen. These state champions along with the boys 4X200 with Nathan Pabst, Chase McDaniel, Westin Wyant and Brody Aylor and the girls 4X400 relay with Sammy Grubish, Lily Parke, Caroline Nordman and Ella Schneider also won first team all-state recognition.
TRIPLE threat
Forty-one athletes received the Triple Threat certificate from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. This is awarded to athletes who participated in three varsity sports during the school year.
BASEBALL'S banner SEASON
Baseball had a banner season this year - finishing with a record of 33 wins and 10 losses. Through the season they defeated Cov Cath twice, they won the 9th Region All “A” Championship and the 9th Region Championship. At All “A” State they lost in the championship game. At state in Lexington they won their first round and lost to nationally ranked Trinity in the quarter finals. Throughout the season there were many individual accolades - a team with many talented young men.
Three Tiger baseball players were recognized with All-State honors - Tyler Fryman received many honors including Cincinnati Enquirer Athlete of the Year and Baseball Player of the Year and KHSAA 1st Team All-State. Caleb Arrasmith also received all state honors on 2nd Team and Brooks Becker received 3rd Team All State honors.
new COACHES
Beechwood is welcoming two new head coaches and welcoming another back to lead the Tigers. First is Ian Johnson who will be the new cross country. He lives in Fort Mitchell and his children go to Beechwood. The second new coach is Beechwood grad Casey Schneider ‘06. He also works as the teaching pro at Tin Cup Driving Range. The third new coach is no stranger to Beechwood as Noel Rash returns to head up the Tiger football program. He is happy to be back at Beechwood.
SOFTBALL
This year’s softball team traveled to Nashville to play games during spring break. Before heading south the Tigers beat St. Henry 17-0 to win the 9th Region All “A” Championship. Later in the season they traveled to Owensboro to participate in the State All “A” Championship.
ATHLETIC signings
Ten Tiger athletes participated in Athletic Signing Day. They included Cono Presti (swimming at ND), Sawyer Carlisle (baseball at MIT), Austen Stephenson (football at Hanover), Brody Aylor (football at Centre), Hudson Edwards (baseball at Transylvania), Colson Lair (football at Dayton), Lily Parke (track and cross country at UK), Brooks Becker (baseball at Morehead) and Brant Stiles (baseball at Thomas More). Carson Eshelman (football at Carson Newman) was not available.
senior week
The last week of school for the graduating class is always filled with fun activities for the graduates. These began on Monday, May 18 with the annual walk of seniors and kindergartners in their caps and gowns through the school culminating with a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo. Following activities included a Tuesday lunch on the B&B Riverboat, a gorgeous day at Kings Island and a day of community service followed by a cookout at Fort Mitchell Park. These seniors even had a breakfast tailgate cookout. The week culminated in a graduation a little different than usual. Rain cancelled the plans for the traditional graduation at the football stadium and it was held on Saturday, May 23 at Thomas More University. Still a perfect graduation with caps flying!
ACADEMIC signings
Each year graduates who are receiving at least half tuition scholarship or were admitted to a school with less than a 10% acceptance rate are recognized at the academic signing. This year 41 Tigers were honored. This year’s class had 122 graduates. These Tigers were offered $15,492,717 in scholarship money and accepted $5,542,001.
GRADUATION speakers
Annually, student speakers present the addresses at the graduation ceremony. This year the two co-presidents Maggie Dawson and Zach True addressed the graduates about their memories made at Beechwood, new traditions started, and what the future may hold for each of them. Neel Reedy was selected from those who achieved summa cum laude status. He spoke about his Beechwood journey.
Board of Education Members
Jeanne Berger
Kyle Burns ‘03
Brad Hood ‘75
Amy Sleet ‘90, Chairperson
Laura Wooten, Vice Chairperson
Administration // Justin Kaiser '98 // Superintendent
Dr. Sarah Schobel // Assistant Superintendent
Lauren Steltenkamp // Director of Exceptional Services
Kristi Ward // Director of Finance
Tim Lillard // Director of Technology
Ryan Booth // Director of Athletics and Pupil Personnel
Stephanie Layton // Business and University Liaison
Jessica Pass // High School Principal
Ashley Ritchie // High School Assistant Principal
Zach Ashley // Elementary School Principal
Alicia Wittmer // Elementary School Assistant Principal
Brad Bentley '02 // Guardian Angel Administrator
Carol Stenken Beirne ’63 // Director of Alumni Relations & Development, Editor
Photos provided by: Shaun Birindelli, Sarah Schobel, Dawn Norris, Beechwood staff and parents
Lead Writer: Deborah Kohl Kremer
Lead Publication Designer: Nikole Friend
Beechwood Independent Schools 54 Beechwood Road Fort Mitchell, KY 41017
