Former Teacher Takes Final Vows

National Merit Finalists Recognized

Four Rockhurst High School seniors were announced as National Merit Semifinalists in September 2021. They are: Akhil Dasika, Jacob Metzner, Isaiah Moncrieffe, and Sam Nissen.

More than 1.5 million students entered the 2022 competition last year by taking the 2020 PSAT, which serves as the initial screen for program entrants. Around 50,000 earned the highest index score to qualify for National Merit Scholarship Program recognition. Of those top students, approximately one-third, or about 16,000, are named as Semifinalists, and around 15,000 Semifinalists are then selected to Finalist standing. All four Rockhurst seniors were notified in February 2022 that they had earned Finalist status.

Each scholar spoke to his National Merit Finalist selection:

Isaiah Moncrieffe “The selection is a great honor, as it shows that my hard work over the last few years has paid off. It means a lot to me and I’m very grateful to have received the scholarship.”

Sam Nissen “Being a National Merit Finalist is a huge deal to me. I’m thankful that Rockhurst has set me up for success so that I can have this achievement. Being a student of Rockhurst has been one of the most formative and special experiences of my life.”

Jacob Metzner “To me, being selected as a National Merit Finalist shows that asking for help is one of the greatest tools you can have. I had a lot of help along the way and am very grateful for all the love and support.”

Akhil Dasika “This is a recognition of hard work. I had to practice and learn how to approach the test. I am thrilled to have received the honor of being a National Merit Finalist, and I will continue to achieve more.” The school looks forward to what these students will do in college and beyond.

“The four young men named Finalists in the 2022 National Merit Competition are exceptionally talented students who have demonstrated throughout their high school years that they are motivated in their learning and the pursuit of academic excellence. They will do great things,” said Fola Okediji, Rockhurst’s Director of College Counseling.

Starting this fall, Moncrieffe will attend the University of Chicago, Nissen will attend the Air Force Academy, Metzner will attend the University of Alabama, and Dasika will attend Purdue University.

Four seniors were selected as National Merit Finalists. Pictured between David Laughlin and Rev. Vincent Giacabazi, SJ: Isaiah Moncrieffe ’22, Sam Nissen ’22, Jacob Metzner ’22, and Akhil Dasika ’22.

HAWKLETS EXCEL IN CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Rockhurst High School offers more than 45 co-curricular activities and clubs, with every student expected to be involved with at least one. During the current school year, students’ dedication has led to successes in many activities that involve competition.

Three instrumental musicians were selected to All-State groups in December. Sam Nissen '22 earned a spot in the All-State Orchestra as a violinist, Zach Gamble '22 earned a spot in the All-State Jazz Band as a guitarist, and Ian Kennedy '25 earned a spot in the All-State Band as an alto saxophonist. Gamble also received a full-ride scholarship to Pepperdine University based on his academic and music performance skills.

Forty-seven instrumental musicians then competed in the District Music Content in early-April. Eleven students earned Satisfactory 3 ratings, 19 earned Outstanding 2 ratings, and 10 students, along with the eight-person Percussion Ensemble, earned Exemplary 1 ratings. Those 18 musicians qualified to perform at the Missouri State Music Contest on April 28.

The choir program at Rockhurst continues to thrive as the largest co-curricular activity, with more than 225 students enrolled in one of the four choirs. Twelve of the top singers competed in the District competition on April 1, with nine earning Outstanding 2 ratings and three earning Exemplary 1 ratings. Those three singers will perform at the State Festival in April.

Rockhurst’s Robotics Team, the JesuBots, won the Central Missouri Regional competition and qualified for the World Championships in Houston in late April. This was the first time in program history that the JesuBots qualified for Worlds by being a member of a winning alliance, the highest honor in ways to reach this level of competition. This year’s team consists of 16 students, led by teachers Andy Wilcox and Tim Nendick '08.

The Mock Trial Team, consisting of seven students, performed strongly enough at Districts and Regionals to earn one of 18 spots for the Missouri State Championship in St. Louis. Rockhurst defeated St. Louis University High School before falling to the eventual State Champions from Kirkwood.

Four members of Rockhurst’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) earned medals at the District competition. Three placed 2nd in the category of Sports & Entertainment Management, and Collin Murphy '22 won the Business Law category and advanced to the Missouri State Competition. Moncrieffe went on to win the State Championship in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, McConnell placed 3rd in Prose Reading, and Radosevic placed 4th in Radio Speaking.

The Coding Team took 1st place in the Beginners Division of the Kansas State University Programming Contest, and the newly-reactivated Scholar Bowl Team of eight juniors and freshmen placed 4th out of 18 schools at the William Chrisman competition.

Students on the Model UN Team had the opportunity to travel to compete in the Arkansas Model UN Conference, and Rockhurst won Outstanding Delegation and also received Best Position Paper. Each of the six team members were recognized individually as wither Outstanding Delegates or Honorable Mentions.

Six members of Rockhurst’s Speech & Debate Team earned top-3 finishes at the District competition and qualified for the State Tournament.

Levi McConnell '22, Isaiah Moncrieffe '22, Maddux Radosevic '23, Caleb Dawson '24, and Aidan

O’Donnell '24 were all individual District Champions, and the team also won the Debate Sweepstakes. Moncrieffe went on to win the State Championship in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, McConnell placed 3rd in Prose Reading, and Radosevic placed 4th in Radio Speaking.

Phil Helt '08 has coached Rockhurst’s Speech & Debate Team since 2014 and in 2022 was named the Missouri Show-Me District Coach of the Year. The recognition is made by nomination among fellow coaches in Rockhurst’s 21-team district and voted upon by a committee of peers representing Missouri. Coach Helt also earned National Coach of the Year consideration.