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St. Louis University High School | Friday, October 9, 2026
Volume XCI, Issue VII
SLUH pilgrims witness historic beatification of Archbishop Sheen
SPIRIT WEEK
BY Owen Williams and Jack Williamson Core Staff
StuCo hosts five lively days of celebration
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photo | Logan LaVear
Freshman Manuel Vigil soaring during the Billy Bash. BY Tommy Pitlyk and Conor Schilling Staff
many activities included a variety of themed dress down days, an act from a ventriloquist, SLUH’s first ever spelling bee, the Billy Bash with many new t St. Louis U. High this week, after activities, and the annual Pep Rally. a month of preparation, StuCo StuCo has added many new and kicked off Spirit Week. Some of the exciting activities this year that have
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rivaled the hype of previous years. “We’ve had a lot of time to kick around ideas, and I think we really had a lot of fun brainstorming,” said StuCo moderator Frank Corley. StuCo started the week off strong with
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t. Louis U. High sent over 60 faculty, students, and staff on a trip to The Dome at America’s Center on Thursday, September 24 to join an estimated 50,000 fellow pilgrims in witnessing a moment that will go down in the history of Catholicism: the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, and from a very young age he was deeply involved in the Catholic Church. At the age of 24, Sheen was ordained a priest before going to study at the Catholic University of America. He then earned a doctorate of philosophy, became the first American to win the Cardinal Mercier Prize for the best philosophical treatise, and attended the Pontificum Collegium Internationale Angelicum, a renowned pontifical university in Rome. Shortly after finishing his education there, his bishop decided to send him to teach at his alma mater, so he returned to
Catholic University of America as a faculty member, where he taught philosophy for 22 years. In 1950, Sheen became the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the U.S. and raised millions of dollars for missionary efforts across the globe during his 16-year tenure in the position. However, Sheen quickly ascended further in the Church hierarchy, being named an auxiliary bishop of New York in 1951 and later the bishop of Rochester, N.Y. In 1966. After he resigned from his bishopric in Rochester, he was given the prestigious appointment of archbishop of the titular see of Newport, Wales. Throughout his time in the Church, Sheen made meaningful attempts to find common ground with non-Catholic Christians, even celebrating the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and using Protestant commentaries on Scripture when preparing his sermons. His view of inclusivity across faiths was summed up in his words “every religion in the world has a
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AI and our future: Bob Conrads ’65 informs BAC Hispanic Heritage Month brings Latin food, music, and culture Tyler Roach, Lucas Nolan, For Conrads, understanding achieved revenues that have taken
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and Warner Cole News Editor, staff, reporter
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embers of the St. Louis U. High Business Administration Club, along with others, grabbed their seats in the Schulte Theater last Friday to listen to a presentation about the advance of artificial intelligence by founder of the Conrads Scholars, Bob Conrads ’65. Conrads spoke about how developments in AI are impacting the job market and foreign relations.
Conrads giving his speech.
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the rapid advance of artificial intelligence is becoming just as important as learning to write or speak. Whether SLUH students choose to go into business, art, or engineering, this speedily developing technology will shape their lives and future careers like no other technology has in the past. One of his main points was to discuss how potentially dangerous AI can be and regulations are needed to minimize that danger. “The leaders in this industry, like Anthropic and OpenAI, have
photo | Will Linhares
features Speakable AI language learning platform Speakable CEO visited SLUH to assist IT and modern language teachers. Page 3 features Schmitt-Arango summer project How far? Junior Sebastian SchmittArango traveled to Colombia this summer following two years of virtual work with Colombian school. Page 3
60 years for software companies to achieve, so there’s something radical going on here,” said Conrads during his presentation. “I’ve never seen the CEOs of major companies in an industry get together and ask for a regulatory framework.” Conrads’ advice for navigating the future reaches beyond technology; students must stay up to date on current events and to create their own opportunities. “The only thing I can say is you have to be continued on page 4
BY Lucas Nolan and Tommy Pitlyk Staff
The student crowd.
Latino Mood performing on Sept. 30.
photo | Will Linhares
NEWS
SLUH hosts fair SLUH recently hosted the Archdiocesan High School Admissions Fair. A wide variety of schools showed up, recruiting for potential students. Page 5 sports Cross country Jr. Bills dominated at the Nike XC Town Twilight under the lights, beating out nationally ranked teams. Page 8
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ispanic heritage and culture were brought to St. Louis U. High campus last week in a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. From student-led morning prayers to live music to food trucks, SLUH’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Week was the perfect way to im-
merse students in Hispanic culture and traditions. Hispanic Heritage Month officially stretches from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, scheduled in that way to honor the independence of a number of Latin American countries that gained their independence on Sept. 15, 1821. SLUH has celebrated the month during one week in late September for several years now, led by
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photo | Will Linhares
sports Swim It is a well known fact that Griffins are not adept in water. On the contrary, Jr. Billikens are rather aquatically inclined. Page 9
entertainment Color Crossword Look for patterns and clues up and down this week’s unique puzzle in color! Page 12
sports AOTW Sophomore Jacob Corbett reached No. 3 in the state for 100-yard breaststroke, and reflects on his seasons at SLUH, looking forward to his swim future. Page 11
INDEX 3, 4-5
News
6-7
Chapel Art
8-11
Sports
12
Entertainment
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NEWS
Prep News
October 9, 2026
Volume 91, Issue 7
AMDG
Annual Mother-Son Mass and brunch unites SLUH families BY Brendan Hunt and Everett Duffy News Editor, reporter
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hrough boyhood and through each high school year, the mothers of the Jr. Bills of St. Louis U. High have continually supported their sons. Two Sundays ago, the annual Mother-Son Mass and brunch, hosted by the Mother’s Club, celebrated the sacrifices these mothers have made. Before the Mass began, attendees had a chance to admire the artwork on the program, which was created by senior Gabe Khazen. The piece depicted a mother, wrapped in a shawl akin to the Virgin Mary, with her son in small glimpses of the son’s life. The son is a baby being swaddled, then is taught lessons by his mother, and finally he graduates in a cap and gown, bringing with his mother’s teachings into the larger world. “I wanted to do something that shows how our mothers are there for us through all our stages of life,” said Khazen. “From when we’re young babies growing up, to then leaving off for college.” To begin the event, students from all four grades gathered with their mothers in the Danis Field House for Mass. The celebrant that morning was President Matthew Stewart, SJ, and the room was packed. During the procession, the choir — a group of mothers and sons who volunteered — kicked off the Mass, led by Director of Campus Ministry Brian Gilmore on the keys. The cantors for the Responsorial Psalm and the Alleulia were mother and son
duo Sarah Pitlyk and freshman Jack Pitlyk, who sang harmonies. For the homily, Stewart spoke about the Gospel reading, the parable of the two sons, which reflects on how some sons will agree to do a task and not do it, while others will disagree to do the task, yet still do it. Stewart emphasized the importance of being the third son: the one who agrees to do the task given to him and still actually does it. Another important piece of the annual Mass is the handing out of roses. During the closing rites, seniors were called up to get roses to give to their moms, followed by a blessing back and forth between the seniors and their mothers. At the end of the Mass, with everyone still gathered in the Field House, the traditions of the mother-son Mass began with speeches from seniors about their mothers. “This year, we had Lucas Feldman and Ty Lige, and they both brought just an endearing charm and a depth of love to their speeches that was super beautiful,” said theology teacher Julie Lewis, who organized the Mass and helped pick the senior speakers. “Ty had a great speech before mine, so that really lightened the mood,” said Feldman. Feldman reflected on the blessing of having a mother who is willing to spend precious time with him. Further, he congratulated his mother, a teacher, for winning the 2026 Teacher of the Year award for the entire district of Gateway Science Academy, along with the St. Louis Educator Champion Award for Early Childhood Education.
“I talked a lot about how grateful I was to have someone there always that I could look up to,” said Feldman. “Just having a strong person in my corner — that’s something that I talked about. She has this saying that she lives by: ‘We can do hard things.’ That’s her thing, and she really does live by that.” After the Mass, everyone headed over to the Si Commons for brunch. In tables separated by grade level, mothers and sons ate pancakes, fruit, sausage, donuts, and more, socializing for the rest of the morning. One new aspect of the brunch this year was a slideshow presentation displayed on the screens in the commons, where photos were displayed of mothers and sons from across all grades. “We got a phenomenal response,” said Mother’s Club co-chair Peggy Ward. “We probably had three-fourths of the attendees send pictures. People were sending me pictures up until 9:30 the night before.” Ward planned and scheduled most of the event along with other mothers, along with taking on costs for the roses. The $29.50 fee for attendees simply covered food, meaning the event was not meant to raise funds for the Mother’s Club. Ultimately, the morning served as a time for students and mothers alike to step back from the stresses of daily life and spend quality time with each other and the school community. “It’s important for the moms to get to go into school, experience something with the son, not academic, just more faith based and community based,” said Ward, whose son is sophomore Jamie.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for all the for the boys to meet their classmate’s moms to get in there because there just moms and the moms to get to meet aren’t enough volunteer roles for every the boy’s classmates.” mom who might want to. So it’s great
art | Gabe Khazen
SLUH celebrates Spirit Week, enjoys competitive activities
(continued from page 1) the classic “SluhBer” and coffee on the circle drive combo, complete with costumed representatives waiting to greet each arriving student as he headed up to the school. The first of the new and exciting primary activities was the ventriloquist Doug Mickan, who took the Activity Period entertainment slot that had in previous years been occupied by the likes of Serengeti Steve.
Mickan performed a set that included a variety of puppets, from dogs and other animals all the way to a seemingly animated talking painting. “The ventriloquist in the Commons during Activity Period was a very unique way to start Spirit Week,” said sophomore Thomas Comerford. “The ventriloquist was really able to bring his dummy to life and made for a very fun atmosphere.”
The Switch Bar salesmen.
photo | Owen Williams
Venquilotrist Doug Mickan performing.
photo | Owen Williams
Starting off day two of Spirit Week, StuCo held, for the first time in SLUH history, a spelling bee in which teachers and students alike battled word after word until there was a victor. The winner of the brand new activity was Prep News’ very own senior Tommy Pitlyk. In a crunch for time at the end of Studium, each team selected one member to compete in a tiebreaker spell-off, so English teacher Stephen Fairbanks and Pitlyk went head-tohead. Refreshments including the perennial favorite Pretzel Boys were available in the Field House during the bee. “It was something different and intriguing to a lot of students,” said junior Will Schulte. “What also made it so special was that it allowed kids and teachers who maybe don’t feel as athletically inclined participate in the spirit of the week.” This day also brought with it another dress down theme called Toes Out Tuesday, where students wore sandals and beach attire to class. The Switch Bar, operated by StuCo staff, was also open at this time, and students could go and exchange their cash for food, including root beer floats, cookies, and other treats. On day three, during Activity Period in the Si Commons, Chris’ Cakes were tossed out. The traveling pancake enterprise has been a constant presence at SLUH events for years, and this year they were a hit, per usual, with a healthy line stretching across the Commons. The dress down theme for the day was holiday, and Jr. Bills dressed in everything from Christmas pajamas and stocking caps to full-on leprechaun costumes traipsed through the halls, filling the building with holiday spirit. Thursday brought with it the main event of Spirit Week: the much anticipated Billy Bash. After the second pe-
Senior Will Brasser climbing at the Billy Bash. riod on Thursday, the campus opened up for a full two and a half hours for students to participate in any of a number of activities set up throughout the circle drive and the school. On Belle Field, students attempted to scale the faces of a rock wall, leaping from the top once they had completed and gently drifting in their harnesses to the ground. “I enjoyed the inclusion of bouncy houses,” said sophomore Zachary Bahr. “The toxic meltdown was especially fun, seeing all of the people get sniped with the little pillar was a blast.” Inflatables were set up nearby, where students attempted to be the last one standing, or to flatten one another before being knocked off themselves. Further, food trucks were stationed around the circle drive, and students could purchase ice cream and a variety of lunch options at any time throughout the lunch advisory. The dress-down theme for the day
photo | Logan LaVear
was Y2K, so the students could be seen participating in these activities while clad in old basketball jerseys, backwards baseball caps, and shorts that reached well below the knees. The Friday dress-down theme is SLUH spirit, so the hallways will be filled with students decked out in all the merch they can wear. During Activity Period, StuCo and Blue Crew will host the annual Spirit Week pep rally to hype the boys up for the football game against Vianney. An after-school Fall Fest will complete Spirit Week with a DJ, grilled hot dogs, and a cornhole tournament. “I think it’s the entire tailgate and people making hot dogs, burgers,” said junior Ryan Safar. “It’s like a vibe, you always see people going to college, tailgates, having a good time. And guys still kind of get excited for that. And this is an opportunity for guys to have that kind of same experience in high school.”
FEATURES
October 9, 2026
Prep News Volume 91, Issue 7
AMDG
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Civil Engineer John C. Guenther addresses Speakable CEO Platt visits French classes to help troubleshoot the new Engineering Careers Club BY Sam Kappel STAFF
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the building. Alberici was created from an abandoned plant, where steel used to be produced (without the environment in mind). The empty, moldy, massive room was converted into a two-story, windand solar-powered office building, constructed with recycled steel. The building utilizes old concrete cylinders for its 38,000 gallon horizontal cistern that collects rainwater. Guenther’s work is not only sustainable, but also a massive financial success; Alberici headquarters has saved an estimated $2.75 million over 22 years. Guenther stressed the value of getting involved early. “In my senior year of high school I made the decision to become an engineer,” said Guenther. “The classes and clubs you have here at SLUH are really beautiful. Getting hands on experience and seeing what your future could look like is really important” At the end of his talk, many students were eager to ask questions. The questions were often about Alberici and its sustainability; the most interesting questions were about Guenther’s experience
ngineering: an enticing college major for the seniors of Saint Louis U. High, an elective class offered to all students, a flexible practice with many variations of careers, and now, a club. Junior Eli Bundschuh, an avid member of similar career-oriented clubs such as the Business Administration Club and DECA, worked with moderators Robyn Wellen and Craig Hinders to formally create a new club at SLUH: the Engineering Careers Club. “Last year, at a Conrads Scholars meeting, there was a speaker named Dan Wagner who worked for Boeing,” said Bundschuh. “I think it’s important for people to get the opportunities to hear stuff like that more often.” The Engineering Careers Club offers the opportunities mentioned at a much higher frequency. On Sept. 23, the Engineering Careers Club hosted their first guest. With an impressive resume of countless architectural accomplishments around St. Louis — such as designing Saint Louis University’s plaza, the SLUH baseball stadium, and Chaifetz Arena — John C. Guenther made the perfect first speaker to give interested students a glimpse into the career of civil engineering. Throughout the talk, Guenther focused on his most recent and most thoroughly sustainable project: the Alberici Headquarters. “It’s a project designed between 2000 and 2004,” said Guenther, beginning his presentation. “We wanted it to receive the LEED platinum award, the highest award in sustainable and environmental design. We did receive the LEED platinum award earning 60 out of 69 points, certified between 2004 and 2006.” Throughout the speech, students and teachers were astounded by the thoughtful design that went into creating the plans for Guenther presenting.
and the path that led him to where he is today. Guenther detailed his experiences, discussing where he learned the importance of sustainability and environmentalism. He presented many designs he has worked with as he explained solar heating designs with jagged edges and window coverings that use solar patterns during different seasons to naturally heat office spaces, homes, and buildings. In short, the Engineering Careers Club will continue to offer opportunities to hear from many different specialized engineers like Guenther. The Engineering Club most recently heard from an Aerospace Engineer working with Boeing only two days after Guenther’s presentation. Seeing and learning about different career paths within a broader field—such as engineering—is a basis to many clubs at SLUH. The club is off to an incredible start inspiring the students of SLUH into the creative, and necessary careers of engineering. “(SLUH students) have a balance between theory, practicality, mind, and hand,” said Guenther.
BY Charlie LaBarge and Simon Blanner STAFF, REPORTER
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peakable CEO Andrew Platt visited St. Louis U. High’s French class recently to work with students troubleshooting various issues. When SLUH first began its collaboration with Platt in 2023, its modern language courses were among of the first to utilize Speakable through all their language classes. Speakable is an AI language learning platform where students can practice writing, speaking, listening, and reading skills and receive immediate feedback. SLUH’s Modern and Classical Languages Department bases its curriculum on standards called ACTFL, and Speakable’s own grading system is based on those same standards, which focus on proficiency over perfection. “It really is like an assistant for the teacher because in a perfect world, I would be able to sit down and talk to every single one of my students and give them immediate feedback on anything they’ve done,” said French teacher Annie Hilmes. “It’s the key to learning in general, and so with this, the students can get individual feedback. Sometimes I’ll go over it with them. I, on my end as the teacher, can see everything they say and everything they answer.” For teachers like Hilmes who are a sole educator for their language, Speakable is a great tool to save time on grading, but the grading of the AI can’t be relied on, as sometimes there are problems. The visit from the CEO, however, helped the IT Department and the language teachers solve these issues. “He was able to see the issues that were happening on our side, and so it’s going to be much more streamlined and less glitchy,” said Hilmes. “And I think my French 2 kids really enjoyed him being there and seeing that, ‘Oh this is a real human behind all this.’ It’s not just this little purple lizard telling them photo | Courtesy of Craig Hinders how they did.”
Despite the challenges with the AI technology, students have had an extremely positive experience with the app. From practicing their pronunciation to writing sentences, Speakable is used for homework assignments, in class work, and independent practice. “It just makes learning the language so much easier. I’m not sure about the teacher’s end and making the assignments, but I know for the students, it’s so much easier and it’s also enjoyable,” said senior Jack Kilcullen. “It has its problems, but it’s very easy to just do a homework assignment and speak to it or type something up real quick and then you get the feedback. Especially the feedback part, that’s the big thing, and it even gives you tips to improve as well.” While Platt visited for the first time in 2026, SLUH has had a unique relationship with him and Speakable as a whole over the last three years. Because SLUH has been on the leading edge of using the platform, Platt has been in contact with both Spanish teacher Kate Toussaint and Hilmes about questions, new features, and even beta ideas to be tested. “We kind of became their goto school to ask them questions,” said Hilmes. “Then when I went to the ACTFL conference, they were there. They had a little kiosk, and so I got to meet them in person. And we just automatically hit it off and because we worked really well with them and gave them feedback, they helped us out.” The Speakable app has been growing across SLUH’s five modern languages, and is becoming more and more beneficial for students. Whether it is learning new words, or practicing for the seal of biliteracy, SLUH students have really enjoyed their experience with the Speakable app. “We’re always on the cutting edge of AI technology when it comes to learning language,” said Hilmes.
Schmitt-Arango ’28 creates lasting program with Colombian school BY Jack Case and Alex Pingleton STAFF, REPORTER
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wo thousand four hundred twenty-two miles. That’s how far St. Louis U. High junior Sebastian Schmitt-Arango traveled this summer to the Institución Educativa Juan María Céspedes in Medellin, Colombia. But his journey began before he went on his trip to Columbia. He originally created the program freshman year to connect more SLUH students to the students of Columbia in order to increase their English proficiency. Schmitt-Arango’s connection to Medellin began long before the program even started. With his love for global education and his family connection to Colombia through his dad, Sebastian set sail for success. He always enjoyed going there with his parents and wanted to give back to a place that he cares for tremendously. “With my dad being from Colombia, I’ve been to Colombia many times. That is one reason why I chose Colombia specifically, but also I wanted to create a program that was global in nature,”
said Schmitt-Arango. “I wanted my program to be something different, something I’m interested in. Ever since a very young age, I’ve been traveling to a lot of different places out of the country. I love global education and just learning about how to be a global citizen.” Freshman year, Schmitt-Arango began working with Director of Global Education Rob Chura and Assistant Director of Global Ed Maria Paz Erker on creating this special program. He first started having Zoom meetings with the students of the Institución, getting to know them and learning about other cultures. After some setup, he started the virtual program for SLUH students to connect with the Colombian students over a Zoom call each week. “I know the Colombian students at one point would show different foods they were eating. The goal was to enrich each other’s knowledge of the other’s culture. So in Colombia, many people don’t know much about … the Midwest, Missouri, and specifically St. Louis. So, the SLUH students were able to demonstrate a little and show a little bit of their culture through
these meetings,” said SchmittArango. To keep this program running and make it more official, SchmittArango had to connect with SLUH’s Global Ed program. It took him about a year or so to plan and create the goals that this program hoped to achieve. But eventually, Schmitt-Arango made it so that being a part of the program counts as a viable, inexpensive option for the GlobalEd graduation requirement. “He wanted to be more connected to global citizenship. His dad attended this school in Colombia. So he had that contact information already,” said Erker. “We did it in the language lab every Wednesday, and we started having meetings with the administrators involved in the city in Colombia.” Just like our very own Jr. Bills here at SLUH, the students at Juan María Céspedes were required to take an exam on their English speaking skills. Schmitt-Arango and the moderators measured the program’s efficiency by testing the Colombian students on their English, making sure that they were using the knowledge they acquired from the program.
Overall, Schmitt-Arango and the SLUH students helped the Colombia students become better English speakers. Schmitt-Arango began to coordinate plans early last year for a trip to Colombia to meet with the students he’s been talking to for the last two years; he made the trip about a week before this school year started to teach the students about English culture while learning some things of his own. “I’d go from classroom to classroom talking to students, giving mini presentations about the program and why I’m here, and making sure they know I’m glad they’re participating in my program,” said Schmitt-Arango. “We went to some museums, and they of course took me to some places to get food. I’m eternally grateful for their reception of me. I met with their principal every day, and he was extremely welcoming to me and made the school feel like home.” Schmitt-Arango went on this trip not only to learn more about the culture, but also to become a leader and a founder. He already knew about Colombia because of his dad and from his previous
trips, but he didn’t know how to be someone in charge of such a complex program. “I would say he’s a very impressive young man because he’s very mature for his age,” said Erker. “It was his idea, and I just kind of helped him. He did a great job making the Colombian students feel less uncomfortable. The first session was a really eye-opening experience for me to see how well he can run this. He has very innate leadership skills that he was able to develop even more, and he’s a global representative. So, I’m happy he has gone that leadership development route, because I saw those skills in this experience.” Schmitt-Arango hopes the program continues after he graduates. “The program has been going on for two years now,” said Schmitt-Arango. “One of my goals for this program is to have it be recurring and self-sufficient even after I graduate so that (SLUH) can maintain this relationship with this school and we can continue helping each other, and this trip to Colombia was just to further facilitate our two schools.”
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NEWS
Prep News
October 9, 2026
Volume 91, Issue 7
AMDG
Choir performs fall concert celebrating United States BY Finn Rose and Timmy Barrett Staff
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he St. Louis U. High choir program, led by director Brian Reeves and featuring over 100 students, held their annual fall concert last Sunday in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Through nine thoughtfully-selected pieces, the unified SLUH choir program — Varsity Chorus, Concert Chorus,
Colonel Mestemaucher directing.
and Concert Chorus Zero Hour — explored classic American music spanning inspirational revolutionary tunes to 20th century hits. To finish the evening, Colonel Robyn Mestemacher directed the SLUH singers in a musical medley honoring the U.S. Armed Forces. For the first concert of the year, Reeves takes special care to select music fit for the many new voices that contribute to the choir’s sound with the turn of each academic year,
especially in Concert and Zero Hour. “Part of what we try to do in preparation for performance is have different levels of music, so we have some pieces that are a little bit easier for them to learn, which allows us to focus on the more expressive elements, and some pieces that are more difficult to learn because there’s challenge in all of that,” said Reeves. This concert is the only time each year when the vocal music program at SLUH stands on its own, as it joins forces with the dance program or Cor Jesu’s choir for other concerts during the year. “I think this concert specifically is really fun because it shows just how our community operates versus being part of another whole,” said junior Will Schulte, who sings in Varsity Chorus. With the focus of the evening solely on SLUH’s choir, Reeves is offered additional flexibility in choosing music that best fits the voices of the students. “It’s a great opportunity for me to try to choose music that not only fits this theme, and music that I think they’re going to find interesting and the audience will find interesting, but also music that’s going to meet them where they are vocally. So that’s a real challenge, but it’s also fun, and the boys are really good sports,” said Reeves. The night’s program began with Reeves introducing the Varsity Chorus who sang “Kittery,” a song originally by William Billings, as a form photo | Alex Schneider of the Lord’s Prayer. After the 45-sec-
ond song was over, the Zero Hour Concert Chorus sang two songs, “Zion’s Walls” and “Southern Ships and Sailors.” The former was particularly demanding for the Zero Hour chorus, containing reaches that were not normal for high school students. The latter was reccommended to Reeves by President Matt Stewart, SJ; the song tells stories of pioneers settling the Western Hermisphere in a call and response style. After the two songs were finished, the Concert Chorus sang “Fly Me to the Moon,” which added a layer of jazz to the concert. To introduce the song, Reeves gave a brief history of music in America and described how this song has shaped the other genres of today. Following this performance, the Varsity Chorus returned to perform three songs continuing the theme of the previous. The first, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” started with getting a volunteer from the crowd, and the choir singing the ballad of love to her. The second song, “Nearer My God to Thee,” was sung by senior Sam Kappel, and was an eight-part harmony which challenged the choir in new ways. “I was excited to get this solo, and it was scary at first,” said Kappel. “But, I wouldn’t have been able to do it if the choir didn’t sound as good as they did.” The third song was “American Anthem,” which started with a solo by senior Eddie Doty. The song was written during the Civil Rights Era
in the mid-1960s. Nearing the end of the concert, all three choirs returned to perform the Star-Spangled Banner, with the audience singing along. The evening ended with “A Tribute to the Armed Services,” a medley consisting of musical references to the branches of the U.S. military; audience members were called to stand if they had served in the branch. It was directed by Mestemacher, a friend of Reeves’ and aunt to senior Grant Heidbrink. She recently relinquished her role as the commanding officer of the Marine Force Detachment at Fort Leonard Wood, and directed the choir to perform with the spirit of the branch they were representing. “For the Army, be a tank; for the Marines, be full of yourselves; for the Navy, be like a ship,” said junior Aidan Kessler, who sings on Zero Hour Chorus. “It’s this very powerful sound throughout.” Overall, the choristers were proud of their performance, and what it says about the program. “I think it’s almost like a guarantee that, we’ve got this, and the rest of the concerts are going to be exciting and fun,” said Kessler. “The work Mr. Reeves puts in to make the program what it is — I think it shows, because the program has grown so much over the last three years,” said Schulte. “If you look at everyone on those risers, it’s over a hundred people. No matter your skill level, he’ll meet you where you are. I think it’s just an awesome program.”
Jr. Bills travel downtown for momentous beatification Mass (continued from page 1)
segment of that truth.” Despite all of this, Sheen would likely have remained unknown to the world at large had it not been for his journey into mass media. His use of technology to spread the faith began in 1930, when he started hosting a weekly radio broadcast called The Catholic Hour, which, after 20 years, had gained a weekly audience of four million listeners. In 1952, Sheen began hosting the weekly television show for which he would become world famous, Life is Worth Living, which beat out other prime time candidates for the broadcasting slot, including the Frank Sinatra Show. That same year, Sheen won an Emmy for Most Outstanding Personality, and credited his success “to (his) four writers — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.” The show continued to run until 1957, watched by as many as 30 million people weekly, most of whom were not Catholics. In addition to TV and radio, Sheen wrote 73 books and myriad articles. “What stands out to me about (Fulton Sheen) is that he used tools at his disposal — radio and television — to reach as many people as possible to preach the Gospel,” said SLUH President Matt Stewart, S.J. “What an innovative, cool idea to use technology not just for doom scrolling, Amazon, Chatbots! What if we use these technologies to help spread the Good News? And so I think it’s this reminder to be creative with the stuff we have available to us to help do that.” As a testament to his extraordinary character, both Life and Time magazines ran feature stories on Sheen, and Time credited him with the conversion of many notable people, including the automaker tycoon Henry Ford II. When Pope John
Paul II came to the United States, he embraced Sheen and said, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church.” On December 9, 1979, Sheen was found dead in his private chapel, having ended his life in communion with God in Eucharistic Adoration, fulfilling the promise he made to God when he was first ordained to set aside a Holy Hour each day for the rest of his life. Following his death, the cause for his canonization (becoming recognized as a saint by the Church) began in 2002 when he was designated a “Servant of God.” In 2012, the Vatican declared Sheen to have lived a life of heroic virtue, and he was titled Venerable. Then, following the recognition by the Congregation for the Cause of Saints in 2019 of a miracle in which newborn child James Fulton Engstrom came back to life after 61 minutes without a heartbeat after his parents prayed to Sheen (the child’s namesake) for intercession, Sheen became eligible for the status of Blessed. This honor was conveyed upon him during the ceremony at The Dome. A little over three weeks prior to the beatification, Theology Department Chair Mike Lally sent out a form to the school community to sign up to travel to the event. “When I first heard a beatification mass was happening in St. Louis, I was definitely intrigued,” said junior Andrew Kappel. “What finally made me commit to going was the prospect of witnessing something truly historic.” The group began the pilgrimage immediately after first period. Following a quick prayer and blessing from Michael Caruso, S.J., everyone boarded two buses to head to The Dome, formerly the St. Louis Rams’
stadium, in downtown St. Louis. Upon arrival, the group explored the venue and all it had to offer. Amongst a variety of events, confession, adoration, and an exposition about the legacy of Sheen were all open for interaction. For the sacrament of Reconciliation, there were nearly 100 priests available to hear confessions. The temporary adoration chapel was arranged to hold thousands of people, and a spotlight was centered on the monstrance, making the Blessed Sacrament seem incredibly vibrant. Additionally, the exposition was bustling with activity and spanned the entirety of one the center’s massive ballrooms. It had displays on the life of Fulton Sheen but also offered everything from commemorative priestly vestments to Chick-Fil-A. Around 12:45, the SLUH students gathered for a group photo with Loyola Chicago, the other Jesuit high school in attendance. After the photo, many attractions began to close to encourage people to head to their seats. By 1:30, with everyone in their seats, the ceremony began. After a short vocal piece, the procession of priests started the celebration of the Mass. Estimated to be over three quarters of a mile long, the procession took over 40 minutes, and included around 1000 priests, 250 deacons, 850 seminarians, and nearly 90 bishops and cardinals, including His Eminence, Cardinal Tagle, who was in the running for pope just last year. Throughout the procession, a choir and orchestra combined to create a proper entrance for the multitude of clergymen. “I was floored at the reverence and solemnity of the Mass,” said Kappel. “The liturgical music was at times very traditional and refreshing, because I feel there’s substance in traditional music that we sim-
ply cannot replicate with modern means.” In addition to all the clergy present, there were representatives from many orders of nuns, monks, and friars. “One thing that stood out to me was getting to meet monks and nuns from all around the world,” said senior JP Wildermuth. “It was inspiring to see how the beatification brought so many Catholics together.” Once the procession had concluded, the Mass continued on similar to a typical Sunday Mass with a few modifications. It included the especially powerful moment of the procession of Sheen’s relic — his jawbone — by Engstrom, who is currently alive due to Sheen’s intercession. Furthermore, one reading was said in Spanish while the other was said in Portuguese, giving a nod to his role as the director of the Society for the Propagation of Faith and how his work extended far beyond our nation’s boundaries. When it came time for the Alleluia, the stadium was practically vibrating due to 50,000 people joining together to create one sound, a very strong image of the church coming together for Sheen’s beatification. “Sainthood is something that we all can and should aspire to,” said Stewart. “It’s this union with God and union with neighbor, and when you have someone whose example of a holy life and virtue stands out and the whole Church recognizes it. It’s a moment worth celebrating … (because people like Fulton Sheen) are examples of holy lives that give witness to God’s love in profound ways and then in small ways that are known only to God and the Communion of Saints.” Tagle’s homily focused on how Sheen was not being declared
blessed simply because he was famous, but rather because of his devotion to God and the way he lived as Jesus would. One example he gave was when Sheen was interacting with someone who had leprosy. At first, Sheen was afraid to touch him, but after thinking about how Jesus touched countless lepers, he changed his mind and decided to hold the person’s hand. Tagle also highlighted how Sheen didn’t take credit for conversions despite his wide outreach. “A beatification is cool because we are saying this human being is worth our attention, but he’s more than a hero; he’s on the way to becoming a saint,” said Fr. Eric Ramirez, S.J. “And so as Catholics, saints are our superheroes, but they’re really examples of people who have really lived the life of a Christian. And so we can see that people pull this off, and we are inspired by their actions, generosity, and virtue to emulate what they have done.” As Mass continued, the petitions were delivered in different languages from around the world. Once it became time to kneel, nearly everyone in the stadium knelt despite not having any kneelers, a testament to the dedication of the crowd. Communion lasted nearly an hour due to the vast number of people present. To end the Mass, all those who were in the first procession gracefully filed out. Beatifications in the U.S. are so rare that Sheen’s was only the fourth ever on U.S. soil. “The beatification reminds us that SLUH is not just about academics — it is also about faith and brotherhood,” said freshman Jordan Mark. “We stood next to our brothers watching Fulton Sheen on his way to sainthood.”
NEWS
October 9, 2026 AMDG
Prep News Volume 91, Issue 7
SLUH hosts Archdiocesan highschool admissions fair BY Tyler Roach and Ethan Heavey
NEWS EDITOR, REPORTER
T
he High School Admissions Fair on Sept. 23, presented by the Archdiocese in the Si Commons, provided an opportunity for prospective families and students to learn more about over 20 private, Catholic high schools in the St. Louis area. The age of prospective students ranged from 14 years old down to 7 or 8. Each high school was given one of the tables in the Commons to present their school. The addition of the fair had been a recent adjustment in the scheduling of the Archdiocese. Originally, schools like SLUH would host what was called high school night, where families would come to a host school and they would watch roughly three 20-minute presentations from different schools. However, this format was changed due to negative feedback from prospective families. “It was kind of like speed dat-
ing high schools,” said Assistant Director of Admissions Jennifer Thomas. “The feedback that families and schools gave the Archdiocese was that it wasn’t the most effective way to share information about our schools because by the time the families were done hearing about us, they couldn’t remember who told them what.” This happens to be the first year that high school fairs have been exclusively implemented by the Archdiocese, with three total taking place around the St. Louis area this fall, including the one hosted at SLUH. “It was resoundingly positive,” said Thomas. “We had at least five adults from SLUH and initially eight student ambassadors, and we ended up pulling in more ambassadors because we had so many families that wanted to spend time with us. It was consistent conversations from the moment the fair opened until the doors literally closed.” Distinguished Ambassadors and seniors Fernando Luna, Travis
Luth, Kaleb Clark, Henry Riggan, and Alex Reh represented St. Louis U. High. The table included bags full of information about SLUH that prospective families could take home. Each representative would approach a family and give their own pitch as to what makes SLUH great. “We would ask questions, see what the family’s interests were, and give an elevator pitch to these families to help them discern their high school decision,” said Luth. “I would base my pitch on the type of the kid. If he was really involved in STEM and robotics, I talked about the iLab or the Conrads Scholars Program. But if he was more involved in sports, I’d talk more about state soccer or football or about the Running of the Bills,” said Luna. Both Luth and Luna shared their experience and history with SLUH admissions and how they got into this event as a distinguished ambassador. To become an ambassador, it is recommended to have worked
with admissions as a shadow host or an Open House tour guide. The process also includes a training course leading up to the event itself. The experiences that the ambassadors took away were the connection and bond that they made with the younger prospective kids. “Building those connections early on and seeing them crack jokes or seeing them laugh and stuff just made those connections feel good,” said Luna. Some skills that both Luna and Luth developed were interpersonal speaking and conversation skills. The importance of first impressions and how the ambassadors reflected and represented SLUH were key takeaways that both Luth and Luna had. “One skill that I learned is definitely how much a first impression is really valuable,” said Luna. “For most of them, I was their first interaction they’ve had with SLUH and so just building a good first impression on the school was really valuable.”
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“I’m really just learning about how to better memorize the kids’ names and keep the relationship between you and the family that you’re talking to strong, just like speaking in these small groups, keeping a good pace,” said Luth. Being an admissions ambassador is challenging; guys who served at the event were often asked questions that would be difficult to answer for an untrained person. Despite this challenge, their performance met and exceeded standards multiple times over. “I couldn’t have been more proud of the guys,” said Thomas. “Not only at that event, but at the other events that they represented SLUH at, because they’re put in a lot of different circumstances where they have to be prepared for the unexpected conversations, and without exception, the feedback that I’ve gotten, as well as from my personal observations, is that the guys have done extraordinarily well.”
Conrads ’68 educates Jr. Bills on uses of AI in the workplace (continued from page 1)
on top of it and see how you can participate in it, take advantage of it, look for opportunities, and as I mentioned in my discussion, create options for yourselves,” said Conrads in an interview after his presentation. Above all, he advised SLUH students to hold true to the values ingrained at SLUH, like being a man for others, will be tested throughout the rest of their lives, whether they know it now or not. “Whether you’re on the football field or you’re dealing with your colleagues or other people in your life, you have to have a value proposition that you’re willing to defend, and that comes ahead of everything,” said Conrads. “It’s hard to imagine what that might mean until you’re presented with a situation where you have to do something that’s maybe disadvantageous to your own personal well-being, but protects the interests of other people that you have been given responsibility for. The thing that I realized about my education at SLUH is that you really don’t realize how these values are embedded in daily life. But it’s there without you even thinking
about it.” The invitation to speak came from Business Administration Club moderator Robert Hill, who said he reached out in April after learning Conrads would be in town. Conrads tries to visit the school annually through his support of the Conrads Scholars program. Hill initially asked him to discuss his career, then suggested adding his perspective on artificial intelligence. “I think a lot of Gen Zers have a little bit of dread and a little bit of optimism when it comes to AI,” said Hill. Conrads’ career has included work on fusion reactors, investment banking, and technology leadership. These experiences explain his view of the uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence. He recalled that earlier technological advances also raised fears about their effects on society. For students worried about future employment, Conrads expects entrylevel jobs to change, with greater emphasis on employees’ ability to use artificial intelligence effectively. He identified familiarity with different artificial intelligence models and knowing how to apply them properly
as qualities that could become valuable in the workplace. Conrads also sees opportunities for artificial intelligence to help businesses grow and create new demand for work. He encouraged SLUH students to stay informed and look for ways to participate in those changes. Hill shared that optimism while acknowledging that the effects would vary across industries. “We know jobs are going to probably get created, but we’ve got to figure out what that is,” Hill said. “Some industries are going to get hurt. Some will be better.” Beyond the job market, many young people have jaded views of the future of humanity if artificial intelligence continues to advance at the current rate it is without regulations. However, Conrads shared his own more hopeful perspective on the future of artificial intelligence and humanity, even with what is currently being said by those in positions of power. “President Trump is very cognizant of his personal image in the marketplace, and he wants to appear to be in control of everything,” said Con-
Seniors Justin Jachna (left) and Joe Talleur (right). rads. “But I think that there’s a back channel going on here where there are bureaucrats in the government that are working with the AI companies, not only in the United States but also around the world, to expose what the risks are and to come up with a common solution he doesn’t have to really publicly expose, but is happening in the back rooms.” For Hill, the visit stood out because Conrads brought decades of experience and an interest in the
photo | Will Linhares
emerging technologies that will shape the rest of our lives to a discussion that students could understand and learn from. “I was super impressed with the bulk of work he’s done,” Hill said. “He’s communicating at a great level for all of us, and he kept it at a level we could understand. I appreciate everything he did for the club last Friday, as well as everything he has done in support of SLUH’s students.”
Food trucks, concerts, and more brought in for Hispanic Heritage Month (continued from page 1) the Hispanos y Latinos Unidos club and moderator Javier Moreno. “Each year we try to tackle or cover different areas of what it means to be Latino in the Latino culture,” said Moreno. “We try to cover things like general knowledge of these countries and these communities, which is why we did the trivia.” The activities consisted of Hispanic trivia on Monday, a concert on Wednesday, and Hispanic food trucks on Friday. In addition to the activities, members of the Hispanic Heritage Club were given the opportunity to lead morning prayers. Leading morning prayer gave these students the ability to connect their heritage with their faith and lives at SLUH. Many students taking Spanish classes at SLUH had great experiences at the Activity Period events. At the concert on Wednesday, students could see Hispanic culture through music. “I don’t really listen to any Spanish music, but listening to the per-
formers during Activity Period on Wednesday with friends was a really fun time,” said junior Owen Montgomery. “Listening to Spanish music outside of class gave me a cool perspective on Spanish-speaking people that I hadn’t experienced before.” On Friday, students could try Hispanic foods. “Trying Hispanic food that I hadn’t tried before was really cool,” said junior Henry Eddy. “I didn’t know whether or not I would like the food at first, but I’m really happy I decided to try it since it was pretty good.” Maybe the most important piece of the week for Hispanic students at SLUH was the opportunity to share their personal stories of what it means to be a part of the Hispanic community through reflections and prayer on the morning announcements. “We get to hear this perspective that we don’t normally get to listen to,” said Moreno. “These guys bring their background and their family history into the prayer. They talk
about their values, the things that are important to them, their traditions, and then they connect it all to their relationship with God. For senior Sebastian Sandoval, the opportunity to lead morning prayer meant sharing how he feels most connected to his heritage in his life when he cooks with his father, even though at first he was not sure if he wanted to lead prayer or not. “I was initially reluctant to do it because I’d never done a prayer, and I’m just naturally a shy person,” said Sandoval. “I thought it was a pretty good time though. I mean, I’m a senior and haven’t done much with the club so far, so I kind of wanted to do something different.” Thinking about cooking Mexican food with his father gave Sandoval the opportunity to connect his personal experiences through his Mexican heritage to his life as a whole. “When I was drafting my prayer. I was pretty much just reflecting on the years of cooking next to my dad, learning new Mexican recipes,” said Sandoval. “It really helped just trying
to figure out its significance in my life — like how it changed me or made me who I am.” For junior Sebastian SchmittArango, leading morning prayer let him not just connect his heritage to his own faith and life at SLUH, but also let him speak out against the mistreatment of Hispanic peoples in the United States. “I kind of broke it up into three parts, which is what my final prayer is based off of,” said Schmitt-Arango. “First, I wanted to acknowledge all the different clubs, activities, and groups that are at SLUH that have mentored me and supported me and my fellow Latinos. For example, I mentioned Mr. Hannick, Miss Erker, and Mr. Moreno for all being mentors in my development at SLUH.” After he spoke on his own experiences, his prayer continued on by speaking out on how he views how Hispanic peoples are being treated around the nation right now. Speaking on this topic gave a good perspective on these issues to SLUH students.
“The second part of my prayer was, of course, what I wanted to pray about, which was, the issues that Latinos are facing, especially right now in the United States,” said SchmittArango. “Children are being jailed when they should be in school just like us. I wanted to shine a light on this to the SLUH community to show how these children are just like us, yet they’re being jailed.” He then went on to connect these issues to his faith as a SLUH student. “My third part, I just wanted to end with how Jesus is in the face of every immigrant and how us, as the SLUH community, can come together to pray for people in times like these.” The week was another example of the pathways that SLUH’s international Jesuit focus gives students. “It constantly opens doors for you to realize that the world is not St. Louis, and it’s not Missouri,” said Moreno. “And raising that global awareness and interacting and learning from these global communities is exciting.”
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Prep News Volume 91, Issue 7
A CLOSER LOOK
Three Kinds of Humility
October 9, 2026 AMDG
Julia Greely (right) is seen lifting a child into the air who is reaching towards the gold leaf at the top of the painting. In Matthew, Christ commands his disciples to become like little children if they want to come into the kingdom of heaven. Their salvation doesn’t rely on greatness, but on humble dependence and trust in God.
Rose Philippine Duchesne (left) is seen wearing the traditional habit of her order: the society of the sacred heart. Her simplistic attire emphasises her modesty and devotion to God.
The map that Duchesne is holding depicts an area of Missouri, the center of which is Florissant, the place where the painting itself is set. However, the landscape itself isn’t based on the world as we know it today. Thompson-Briggs imagined what the natural landscape would look like if all forms of imperfection and ugliness were removed. In other words, she painted her landscape to be what heaven on earth would look like.
Duchesne is seen handing a rosary to one of the three children, inviting him to pray and bringing him closer to Christ. If you look closely, the medal on the rosary is engraved with the profile of Christ.
The idea that Thompson-Briggs had while coming up with poses for the children was to observe natural gestures that the kids would make. She painted this child to look somewhat helpless as a reminder that in the eyes of God we are just as helpless, in that we rely on his grace to live in grace.
“I so lower and humble myself, as so far as in my power, that in all things I may be obedient to the law of God our Lord.” - Spiritual Exercises #165 St. Ignatius describes three types of humility, culminating in the freedom to resemble Christ in his poverty, simplicity and self-giving love. This painting depicts St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (left) and Servant of God Julia Greely (right), both of whom, embodied the symbolism of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in their lives. Julia was born into slavery and mother Duchesne belonged to a congregation that participated in that injustice. Just like the wounds of Jesus, theirs were never erased. They simply bore witness to the healing, reconciliation, justice and charity that Christ imbued within his church.
A CLOSER LOOK
October 9, 2026 AMDG
Prep News Volume 91, Issue 7
The Contemplation to Attain Divine Love
This painting is set somewhere along the coast of Algeria, where Augustine and Monica are from. In the background, palm trees are blown by forceful winds: an external representation of Augustine’s inner turmoil. The winds aren’t overwhelming, yet just strong enough to disturb the surrounding environment.
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Some flowers can be seen climbing the walls of the composition. According to Thompson-Briggs, the flowers are based on the bougainvillea plant. Although the flowers don’t have any symbolic meaning, they serve to break up the composition and make it more cohesive. Without them, the walls would look geometric and unnatural. With them, the world within the painting feels lived in, creating narrative depth.
St. Augustine grew up in a welloff family. He’s holding a bowl of pears which he stole simply for the thrill of sin. Now he reflects on the moment with guilt which makes him restless to become closer to God.
If you look closely, you can see the reflection of the orchids in her glass watering can: a small detail that Thompson-Briggs only noticed because of her method of painting models from life.
St. Monica is seen watering a type of Orchid native to the region around Thagaste, which symbolises her dedication to praying for her son’s conversion. The model for Monica had a special devotion to St. Monica, as she was a mother of three sons. Although Thompson-Briggs couldn’t necessarily paint the conversations that she had with her, they certainly shine through in the life that the painting has.
Both Augustine and Monica are wearing similar clothes to what the upper class would’ve worn in their time. St. Augustine is wearing a type of shortened tunic with adornment around the collar and tufts. St. Monica is wearing a similar type of tunic which is layered with an outer mantle.
“Love ought to manifest itself more by deeds than by words.” - Spiritul Exercises #230 In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius invites us to recall that everything good in our lives flows from God, just like the rays from the sun or the water from a fountain. This painting depicts St. Monica (below) watering purple orchids and St. Augustine (above) reflecting on pears that he stole in his youth. Monica prayed that God’s love would reach Agustine when she could not, showing that God’s love is not earned, but freely given. It is our job to let that love flow freely through us to the rest of the world.
SPORTS
2026 O 9,o ctber
photo | Ann Williams
Solo Pa’lante Only forward: XC proves themselves at Nike XC Town Twilight BY Ryan Kindschuh and Jonah Ebenhoh Staff, reporter
A
fter two years in the shadows at Nike XC Town Twilight, the St. Louis U. High cross country team decisively won the meet for the first time ever, securing first place with 106 points, 59 points in front of the second place team. The road to victory started with a three-hour bus ride to Terre Haute, Ind., where the ten Jr. Bills — seniors Jackson Miller, JP Wildermuth, Ben Yoffie, Michael Luna, Nathan Khouri, juniors Warnicke Beatty, Jonah Ebenhoh, Owen Williams, and sophomores Leo Wildermuth and Carter Wagner — prepared for their only nighttime race all season. The race didn’t start until 9:45 p.m., so the ten racers had a few hours to explore the event and look over the well known Lavern-Gibson course, which the SLUH team will race again in November for the Nike Cross Regional meet. This course has also been used as the NCAA Championship course in years past, adding to its history of fast times. While the Jr. Bills had stayed loose and waited for the race to start, the temperature had dropped significantly, so that by the time they got to the line, it was a chilly 54 degrees and the boys were bundled up until the last moment. After waiting for an unusually long time on the start line, the gun finally went off, triggering a stampede of over 400 runners from 44 teams down the straightaway, all of whom left any thought of the weather far behind. Similarly to Palatine the week before, there were so many runners that the race never spread out like a local meet would’ve, allowing for an endless supply of athletes to compete against, but making it hard to find teammates, especially in the dark. Despite these intense conditions, the SLUH boys came through the 1K in first, with Miller and Yoffie in 18th and 19th place, and Beatty, JP Wildermuth, and Luna not far behind. “I wasn’t worried at all,” said Yoffie. “I know Jackson likes to move up in his races a lot, and I knew I was out where I wanted to finish. It just made sense to me to stay there, run my own race, and not let it get in my head that I’m running too fast or anything.” While the team slowed a little and fell into second place during the second kilometer, they pulled it back together quickly, coming through the third kilometer in first place once again with 147 points, 33 points ahead of the team behind them. Every scoring SLUH racer moved up in the fourth kilometer, keeping SLUH’s first place lead and increasing their lead on the team behind them. Coming through the finish, Miller edged his way into seventh place, com-
ing across the line in 15:05, and securing the fastest ever SLUH time on the course. Yoffie wasn’t far behind, coming in 18th with a time of 15:15, a 14-second personal record. After Yoffie finished, Wildermuth and Beatty came in at 28th and 29th place, both running times of 15:28. Right behind them, Luna was the last of the scoring five with a time of 15:44, creating an average race time for the scoring five of 15:24. This average time set a new SLUH record for best average time in a 5K by 17 seconds. For the first time ever, too, SLUH had won the meet, and after receiving their awards, they enjoyed a firework show to finish off the night. “Jackson’s number one 5K time, Yoffie’s number 2 individual athlete in school history in the 5K, and especially on a recently tough course, those two should get some pretty big praise,” said cross country head coach Joe Porter. “For that whole scoring five, they averaged faster than what Jackson and Nick Alheim (’26) ran there last year” when they finished in 15:31 and 15:33. On the bus ride home, Porter introduced the mindset of Solo Pa’lante, a Spanish phrase that translates to “only forward.” While the boys enthusiastically celebrated their win on Saturday, they returned to looking ahead to the next race and focusing on getting better, with their next target a meet sweep of the MCC championship. “I feel like Solo Pa’lante encapsulates our mindset going into the rest of the season and postseason,” said Yoffie. “No matter how good we run, there’s more races, we can’t rest on our laurels. We’ve got to keep improving and keep working. No matter how fast we get, we can always see how much better we can be.” Parkway West In St. Louis, the V2 squad took the line at the Dale Shepherd Invitational that same day to showcase their depth against other schools in the region. They were joined by Parkway West and Jackson high school, two of the best schools in District 1, who were running their V1 squads. Though the SLUH runners fought hard, by the end they only secured second place. The race started off at 9 a.m., where the seven runners lined up in their white jerseys, up against 15 other schools’ varsity rosters. In the stampede at the beginning of the race, the SLUH runners stayed in the mix, but by the time the big pack thinned out, junior Phin Gilbert had moved up to the front group, behind only junior Ezekiel Hagen from Lafayette. Gilbert led the chase pack up to about the first mile mark, where his closest competitors stayed near. He came through in 5:11, followed by freshman Connor Helbig, sophomore Tyler Matthews, and juniors Clarence Nowak and Gibby Fyvie, who all came through in around 5:17.
“I got out pretty hard, and we got settled in by the end of the mile and into the second mile,” said Helbig. “We established a little pack, and we had a good pace for the second mile, which is pretty crucial for being successful.” Throughout the second mile, Helbig and Matthews moved up, using opportunities and taking spots that opened, and beginning to break away from the other SLUH boys. At the two-mile mark, Gilbert, Helbig, and Matthews all crossed around 10:52, still chasing the leaders of the race. The rest of the SLUH runners were spread out about 10-15 seconds behind them, all still in contention for scoring and medaling positions. As the race progressed into the third and final mile, the SLUH runners condensed into a group, with Helbig and Matthews pulling further ahead. In the end, Helbig was able to run faster and secure tenth place overall with a time of 17:11. “Me and Tyler kind of made a big move, and I had to ask myself, do I make the decision to go with him, or do I hang back?” said Helbig. “I chose to go with him, and I’m glad I did that, cause he kept the pace pretty honest throughout the second lap and into the final section.” Matthews followed behind with 17:19 (13th), beginning the group of SLUH runners to cross. Nowak (14th, 17:25), Reske (15th, 17:32), and Gilbert (16th, 17:33) all came through to round out the varsity score. They scored 68 points, getting second place by a tie-breaker against Jackson. Fyvie (18th, 17:37), and junior Ryan Kindschuh (25th, 17:50) also medaled, and Fyvie contributed to the second place tiebreaker by beating Jackson’s fifth runner in the final stretch. “I still thought we put up a good fight against Parkway West,” said Helbig. “They were a very strong team, and even though it was midday and a hard course, and people didn’t run the best times, I think we still put up a good effort.” “The goal in any regular season race is just to get better,” said Porter. “And I think we’re still thinking that our best races are in front of us for both races, Parkway West and Twilight, where some things went our way and some things didn’t go our way. Guys learned to fight really well, which will be important as we get ready for bigger postseason meets.” Following the varsity race, 48 runners lined up to try and establish their dominance in the JV race. SLUH has had a historic dominance of many JV races, and hopeful fans were not to be disappointed. When the starting gun sounded, senior Joe Talleur led the SLUH pack, which outnumbered all other teams in the field. “I was really just going into this race
with an outlook of trying to have fun and enjoy competing, and find joy in that,” said Talleur. “I think I achieved my goal pretty well. I just had fun pushing myself.” The first mile consisted of many runners spreading out, with a strong SLUH presence in the front. Talleur came through the mark first in 5:30, followed by senior Cullen Wenger and sophomore Andrew Yoffie around 5:335:34. Sophomores Anderson St. Clair and Charlie Bull came through next for SLUH around 5:40, definitively putting their team at the front of the race and
place. He stayed up with the top guys in the race throughout, and by the time the second mile had come, he had cemented his lead ahead of the next racer. The second SLUH freshman to come through, Colin McCarthy, ran most of his race alone and still was able to have a good race and show the fruit of his training so far this season. “I think we should look at training like stepping stools,” said Porter. “There’s always something you can improve on, so we’ll look at that in terms of training, mental effort, racing styles. We’ve got to continue to progress so that we’re run-
The Jr. Bills at Nike Twilight in the pre-race huddle. setting the tone for race domination. As the race pushed forward, Talleur kept up his calm drive, taking Wenger and Yoffie with him. “For some reason, in this race, I noticed people cheering me on a lot more, and that was encouraging,” said Talleur. “A lot of times, it all just gets lost in the noise and excitement, but I feel like I could hear exactly what people were saying, so that was reassuring.” At the two-mile mark, Talleur (11:07), as well as Wenger and Yoffie (both 11:15), had safely distanced themselves from the rest of the pack and began to extend their lead even further. St. Clair also had gained distance from his competitors, and came through the twomile in fourth overall (11:30). About 20 seconds later, sophomores Eddie Rose and Alex Worland ran through, ready to fight to the end. By the end of the race, Talleur was still leading and came through the finish line in first with 17:31. Right behind him were Wenger (second) and Yoffie (third), both 17:34, having run extremely well together in the last mile and fighting down to the last tenths of a second. St. Clair came through next in fourth with 18:18, and Rose was the final JV scorer, running 18:34. The final score of 17 left no doubt as to who was the best in the JV race, and stands as an image showing the depth of SLUH’s talent. The freshman race kicked off soon after, with a few SLUH boys in the running for the top spots from the beginning. After settling into the pack and moving up, freshman Rhys Farroll came through the mile in 5:56 in around fifth
photo | Nick LaPresta
ning our fastest times in late October and November.” Farroll continued his drive to the end, and finished in fifth overall with a time of 18:56. McCarthy came next in eighth (19:45), and freshmen Emmanuel Malkus (12th), Ezra Goldkamp (13th), and Hector Letona (16th) finished out SLUH’s scoring five for a total of 51 points and second place. Although this may be disappointing to some, this freshman class has seen a lot of improvement in their mindset and racing as the season has progressed, and look forward to more progress as the season continues. Each runner only has three more chances to race this season, and these final few weeks will show who’s been putting in the work and who wants to finish this season with a flash. “I think we’ve got to focus on the way that we go out and compete,” said Porter. “Then we can continue to improve the way that we mentally approach things. Racing is hard, and it takes a lot of mental energy, so thinking about how we can mentally approach preparing our best efforts is always something we can continue to work on.” “Racing’s fun. This sport, cross country, is fun, and I don’t need to overthink it or take myself too seriously,” said Talleur. “Running fast, running with my teammates, I can just enjoy it. We’re all pushing each other.” MCC Last night at the annual MCC championships, all three divisions were won by SLUH in three decisive victories. Stay tuned for next edition for an in-depth recap of the races.
SPORTS
October 9, 2026
Prep News Volume 91, Issue 7
AMDG
Football falls to De Smet in Jesuits vs. Cancer in high scoring shootout BY Jack Powers and Henry Fitzpatrick Sports Editor, Core Staff
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he St. Louis U. High football team faced off against fellow Jesuit school and rival De Smet last Friday night, falling short in a 49-36 loss. Despite the disappointing result, the annual Jesuits vs. Cancer game still provided an overwhelming success for the mission of both schools. Both schools had students shave their heads for cancer awareness and both schools sent their spirit teams through the stands to collect donations. The Jr. Bills fell to 4-2 on the season but are still grateful to raise awareness and have the chance to showcase more than the score of the game. ”Whether it’s Coach Merritt at De Smet or Tony Woolfolk it’s great to have coaches that can put aside competition and not just worry about the game,” said head coach Adam Cruz. Along with the Jesuits vs. Cancer, SLUH announced the establishment of the Mark Tychonievich Endowed Fund for SLUH football, created by Christine and Chris Finney ’02. The fund is dedicated to honor the impact “Coach T” left on all Jr. Bills and all those affected by cancer. Coach T served as a football coach for 20 years while working as a Latin Teacher. ”Him and I got extremely close before he passed and he’s a great man,” said Cruz. “I can’t think of a better person to be honored.” After the pre-game announcements, SLUH won the toss and elected to defer, sending their defense onto the field first. De Smet looked to their rushing attack to get them going, and two straight first downs got them into Jr. Bill territory. The Spartans continued their drive, this time going through the air. De Smet completed three straight passes of 10-plus yards, with the final one being a screen pass which was taken 16 yards to the end zone. The extra point was no good, giving De Smet the 6-0 lead just 79 seconds into the game. “Everybody collectively missed a bunch of tackles,” said senior NIU commit John Ramella. “It’s just a simple thing that we can fix that will change the trajectory of the game for sure.” The offense took the field led by senior quarterback Patrick Stein, and immediately went to their tried-and-true rushing attack, as junior Tyler Kozminske quickly picked up gains of 8 and 18 yards. Getting all the way down to the De Smet 25-yard line, the offense failed
to convert a fourth-and-3, turning the ball over on downs. The Spartan offense was quick to respond, as they marched down the field, and just five plays into the drive, found the end zone again on a 29-yard completion, extending their lead to 13-0. The Jr. Bills’ next drive started at the 38-yard line, aided by a squib kick returned by Will Rainey. The offense then took the field, this time led by sophomore quarterback Patrick Ramella. Ramella, who began the year as SLUH’s starter, suffered a knee injury Week 2 against CBC, and hadn’t seen the field since. “A team having to prepare for two quarterbacks against me and Pat is something very complicated and something that is very hard to handle for other teams,” said Ramella. “I think that makes us a way better team, having two great athletes at quarterback.” On Ramella’s first play back from injury, he threw a bomb to sophomore receiver Tristen Johnson, who hauled in the pass and took it 62 yards to the house, cutting the deficit to 6. SLUH’s defense took the field, and quickly forced a fourth down, as De Smet shot themselves in the foot with two penalties on both first and second down. However, the Spartans converted on fourth and 1, giving them a new set of downs. The penalties continued to fly against the Spartans, as another holding call pushed them back 10 yards, and they were eventually forced to punt on fourth and 12. Ramella and the offense took the field, this time pinned back at their own 9-yard line. The Jr. Bills quickly marched their way down the field, aided by another huge reception from Johnson, making it to the De Smet 16-yard line. Ramella attempted a pass to Rainey, but the De Smet cornerback undercut it, intercepting the pass at the 1-yard line. “A responsibility was given to me in that game, and I failed to execute it,” said Ramella. “That was the snowball effect that built up over the course of the game.” SLUH’s experienced defense refused to give any ground to the Spartans, and forced a punt from the 6-yard-line after a three and out, with a big third down tackle from the linebacker trio of Anthony Busby Jr., John Ramella, and Sam Yust. The offense returned, this time led by Pat Stein. The tandem of quarterbacks returned to their early-season routine of substituting in for each other when needed,
and have done so willingly. “Both of these men have handled it incredibly, they embrace their roles and support each other,” said Cruz. “It’s awesome as a coach having two guys like Ramella and Stein who really understand what’s best for the team and for them.” “Having two quarterbacks makes our offense very dynamic,” said Stein. “With our style of play, defenses can’t really game plan for both of us.” Stein led the team down the field with a variety of plays, as he took quarterback runs, handed it off to Kozminske, and found Johnson again to put the team on the 3-yard line. Within striking distance, SLUH turned to their bread and butter, Hellcat, and sent John Ramella to punch the ball in, giving the Jr. Bills the 14-13 lead. Back on the defensive side of the ball, SLUH couldn’t stop the De Smet offense, who was averaging 45 points per game leading up to the matchup, as they marched down the field. The Jr. Bills seemed to halt the Spartans just inside the red zone, with senior Atticus Arbetter, who played his first snaps at defensive end, making two crucial tackles from his new position. “I was able to combine linebacker and running back moves into one, and it works,” said Arbetter. “My speed from being a running back really helps being at end.” However, the Spartans found their way into the end zone yet again, reestablishing their lead, 20-14. Stein and the offense were unable to get the ball moving on the next drive, sending another punt down to the Spartans, who started their next drive at their own 39yard line with just 2:40 remaining in the first half. It seemed as though De Smet would score once again, as they quickly made their way into the Jr. Bills’ red zone, but with just seconds left in the half, Yust dove in front of a pass, picking it off at the 15-yard-line. However, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the offense inside their own 10, where the offense ate up the rest of the clock, sending the teams to the locker room. SLUH opened the second half in great field position from their own 46-yard line following an onside kick try by the Spartans. Stein instantly aired one out over the head of receiver Johnson before the refs called pass interference on De Smet, giving the Jr. Bills 15 yards and moving them into Spartan territory. SLUH went right back to taking another deep shot, this
time attempting a pass to Kozminske, who also drew a pass interference call on De Smet. The Spartans’ costly mistakes allowed the Jr. Bills to make their way to the De Smet 24-yard line in 15 seconds. Following a one-yard run on second down from Kozminske, SLUH quickly faced a tough third and nine. The Jr. Bills offense ran a read option with Stein keeping it running down the left side untouched for a touchdown, giving Jr. Bills a 21-20 lead less than two minutes into the second half. The Spartan offense opened their next drive from their own 34yard line, quickly making their way into SLUH territory. The Jr. Bills
rushing touchdown of the game to cut the lead to 34-28 with no time left in the third quarter. Unfortunately, it took De Smet only one play to score a touchdown with missed tackles causing the Jr. Bills deficit to increase to 14. “We have to be able to tackle … the common thread of our losses is the fundamentals of our tackling coming apart,” said Cruz. On second and 11 the Jr. Bills completed a huge chunk play from their own territory to get inside the De Smet 10-yard line before being called back for a holding penalty. SLUH was still able to get in De Smet territory after this before having their drive end on turnover
Senior Patrick Stein punching in a touchdown. missed a key chance to get the ball back as the De Smet quarterback dropped the ball off the snap before picking it up and completing a pass for over 20 yards. The Jr. Bills soon forced a fourth down where De Smet opted for a field goal, hooking it wide left, giving SLUH the ball back with the chance to build their lead. However, the Jr. Bills got nothing going offensively and ended on a Pat Stein fumble on a rush up the middle. This gave the Spartans excellent field possession, which they capitalized on with a QB sneak to finish the drive and take back a 2721 lead. Following the fumble, Ramella entered the game again at quarterback. From the midfield, De Smet sent heavy pressure, forcing him to rush out the pocket to the right and make a cross-body throw that was intercepted and returned to the Jr. Bills goal line. The Spartans capitalized once again on a Jr. Bills turnover to increase their lead to 34-21. After allowing 14 straight points, SLUH turned back to their two-QB system, opening it up with Ramella. The Jr. Bills used their passing game to convert multiple first downs and get to the Spartans redzone. To finish it off, SLUH sent in Stein, who ran it in for his second
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photo | Vic Lewchenko
on downs with a Johnson catch marking one yard short of the line to gain. The teams then exchanged possessions before a De Smet touchdown increased their lead to 49-28 seemingly putting an end for a possible SLUH win. The Jr. Bills still managed to score after this coming from a spectacular catch by Johnson in the end zone on an off-balance throw from Stein. “Tristen is getting better and better … he works very hard on his craft and it’s nice to see it paying off,” said Cruz. The Jr. Bills second highest point total on the season unfortunately wasn’t enough, losing 49-36 as they fell to 4-2 and 1-2 in MCC play. Vianney The Jr. Bills will take on the Vianney Griffins tonight at 6:00 for their third straight game at home. The Griffins are 2-4 and coming off a 51-29 loss to Chaminade. They head to Oakland Avenue looking to avoid going winless in MCC play. “As long as we get back to taking care of the ball and doing things like that we should be alright,” said Cruz.
Swim and Dive makes quick work of Vianney in near blowout BY Henry Hassenstab Sports Editor
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hen excellence is the expectation, dominance often becomes the norm. Such is the case for the St. Louis U. High Swim and Dive team, who, in spectacular fashion, crushed the Vianney Griffins last Thursday in a blowout meet. With a final score of 141-20, the Jr. Bills demonstrated once more why their depth of talent is one of the best in the state. On Oct. 1, as the final announcements ceased, all of SLUH filed out of the school towards an afternoon full of practices, recitals and other extracurricular activities, but for 26 varsity swimmers, the day would end with a plethora of fast swims. The swimmers en-
tered Forest Park Community College, ready to begin the meet. With the sound of the official’s whistle, the Jr. Bills were off in the 200-yard medley relay, as sophomore Tyler Yates, sophomore Athlete of the Week Jacob Corbett, and seniors Matt Franz and John Comerford took a decisive victory over the Griffins, swimming a 1:43.23. The B and C relays took second and third place for a sweep in the first event, a truly dominant way to start off the meet. “We swam really fast,” said freshman Killian Riley. “I was super proud of our boys.” Then came the 200 freestyle, where junior captain Elliot Sapp took first, and the individual medley, where senior captain Alex Wiggins took first place.
The meet continued with the 50 freestyle, where Comerford took first, and freshman Eamon Weis secured third and a season best of 24.7. The dive break followed, and since Vianney did not have any divers for the meet, the Jr. Bills swept first, second and third. After the break, the 100 fly kicked off with a Corbett victory, going 54.42, although a Vianney swimmer took second in the event, crushing the Jr. Bills’ hopes of sweeping the meet entirely. Although it was a bit of a setback, the team was still determined to continue in strong fashion. The 100 free followed, and SLUH once again swept the race. One of the main highlights of the meet was the 500 free, where ju-
nior Noah Burns, sophomore Dignam Jost, and sophomore Thomas Goltermann all raced, despite it being an off event for all of them. Burns took first with a 5:22.86, Jost second with a 5:46.17, and Goltermann third with a 5:49.92. These were all impressive races from the swimmers, as they were very unaccustomed to distance freestyle. Then came the 200 free relay, where blazing splits from Corbett, Wiggins, Sapp, and Yates secured first place for the A-relay with a time of 1:33.49. The specialty races of the 100 backstroke and breaststroke came next, and the theme of the Jr. Bills putting swimmers in their off events continued, as senior Jakob Brinkman, junior Andrew Keiser, and freshman Aidan Flavin all
swam the backstroke, with Brinkman coming in first, Keiser in second, and Flavin in third. “It was really fun to try the 100 back, mainly because It’s a race that I just never swim,” said Brinkman, “It was a bright spot of the meet for me.” The penultimate race, the 100 breaststroke, was also a SLUH victory, as Sapp came in first with a time of 1:06.42. The final event, the 400 free relay, closed with SLUH taking first, second, and third, sealing the meet for the Jr. Bills, 141-20. Looking Forward The team faces off against the De Smet Spartans tonight at 4:00 for Senior Night at Forest Park, and all are encouraged to attend.
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SPORTS
Prep News
October 9, 2026
Volume 91, Issue 7
AMDG
Soccer faces onslaught of top-ranked competition with victory against De Smet, places second in Jr. Billiken Classic, ties against Priory BY Colt Amann, Henry Beuligmann, and JD Rossouw reporters
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ndurance. Despite playing a game almost every other day since the start of August, the St. Louis University High school Soccer team has kept its foot on the pedal, outscoring opponents 18-2 in the past two weeks, beating De Smet in a rematch of the 2024 State Championship, going undefeated in the Jr. Billiken Classic, and starting their Champions League run. De Smet Not many Jr. Bill soccer teams have beaten De Smet, but even fewer have beaten them at De Smet. Since 2015, the Jr. Bills have gone winless while playing at the home of the Spartans. But this year the Jr. Bills soccer team changed the recent history books, beating them at their home in a 2-0 shutout. “I’m always trying to find different things to motivate the guys, and they have had our number since I got the job, we were like 5 and 15,” said O’Connell. “The good news is we’ve won four in a row against them, but I enjoy when my team wins, regardless of the opponent.” The game started heavily in the Jr. Bills favor, as they controlled the game right from the blow of the whistle. Moving the ball up and down the field, the Jr. Bills consistently had ball possession through the game. This possession allowed senior captain Gabe Khazen, a key player for SLUH all night against
De Smet, to apply pressure towards their box, opening up scoring opportunities and making him unstoppable. Then, combined with defensive efforts by players like junior Will Journagan, it felt like only a matter of time before the Jr. Bills could score. Despite the score being 0-0 at the half, the Bills felt confident if they kept on playing their game a victory would follow suit. With the start of the second half, the team kept on trying until midway through, when a corner by senior Andrew Hammond led to a short ball being deflected off the crossbar, which junior Sam Poulos tapped in to make the score 1-0 for SLUH. Only a few minutes later, senior Paddy Byrne found the net to score the second goal of the night, allowing the Jr. Bills to park the bus and control the rest of the game. Set pieces proved to be crucial, playing a direct role in both of the Jr. Bills’ goals. “Coach O’Connell hasn’t won yet at De Smet, so I felt like it was a big game for us,” said Hammond. “Combined with the student section, it was definitely something that I will remember.” Oakville Early into the weekend, the Jr. Bills travelled to Oakville to take on a tough opponent, as the Tigers were 8-1 leading up to that game and were coming off four wins. The game started off in SLUH’s favor very early as about 15 minutes into the game, SLUH struck first. Byrne received the ball into
Junior Tagen Jonsson keeps ball away from De Smet player.
photo | Eva Wallace
Senior Gabe Khazen against De Smet.
the box from junior transfer Tagan Jonsson, who then curved the ball into the upper right corner, shutting down Oakville’s loud student section. The rest of the game didn’t have much more action, but Oakville’s student section was relentless, shouting and chirping at all the players and even coaches. However, SLUH pulled off the 1-0 win. Throughout the game, the defense was communicating very well, apparent with the shutout, and played with full energy all game, which was something the Jr. Bills had been working toward. “It was a really good win against a tough Oakville team,” said Byrne. “We played really well together as a team and as a family and it’s a good stepping stone for us to continue growing.”
half, Byrne scored off of a rebounded shot that fell right at his feet, tucking it away into the bottom right corner to put the Jr. Bills up 1-0. This game was very physical the whole time, and both teams had to fight through the rain. After no more goals in the first half and a quiet beginning to the second, SLUH grew their lead. Journagan made a good run and had the ball at the baseline. He crossed it into the middle to exactly where Poulos was, who sent it into the back of the net adding on to the lead. Not too long after, Poulos had his own turn to have an assist as he crossed it into the box. Byrne was there to finish it as he again fired the ball into the bottom right corner for his second goal of the game. The Jr. Bills had a very good 3-0 win over Fort Zumwalt South Jr. Billiken Classic and moved to 2-0 in the Jr. Billiken Last week SLUH hosted the Classic. annual Jr. Billiken Classic, featuring Chaminade, Collinsville, Fort Parkway South Zumwalt South, O’Fallon TownComing into their final match ship, Parkway South, and Timber- of the Classic, the team knew they land. The Bills were slated to face could not win the tournament, but Mehlville, Fort Zumwalt South, they were still hungry to get the and Parkway South over the course dub. The game started slow, but of the week. about 10 minutes into the first “Going into the tournament half, sophomore Bobby O’Connell we didn’t want to underestimate floated a high-flying ball into the any of the teams,” said Hammond. back of the box right on Jonsson’s “Finding an early goal in the games head, with it ending in the back was big.” of the net. In their first game of the ClasRight before the end of the sic, SLUH faced Mehville, and the first 40 minutes, the boys were team came prepared for a fight up 3-1, but on a poor clearance coming off the high from the vic- and miscommunication from the tory against Oakville. The Jr. Bills squad, they conceded a header by controlled the game from the the opposing Parkway South team. whistle, taking control of posses- Picking their heads up though, the sion and immediately exploiting Bills jumped right back into action any gaps in the Mehlville defense. when Hammond flighted a wellIn the 11th minute, Bryne scored, struck ball right at sophomore followed by two goals by Khazen in Noah Medina’s feet just before the 14th and 24th minutes, making Medina flew past the defender and the score 3-0 into halftime. scored a banger into the top right Many subs were made in the corner. second half, allowing the starters After a demanding speech from to rest, but not before Byrne fol- O’Connell and the assistant coachlowed his goal with a second in the es, the boys got locked in again and 49th minute. Sophomore Patrick were ready for more action. Holland scored with five minutes From then on, the Jr. Bills domleft in the second, making the inated, scoring three more goals score 5-1 after a single goal from before the final whistle blew and a Mehville. 7-1 victory was celebrated. Even though a Jr. Billiken ClasFort Zumwalt South sic first place finish was what the The following Thursday after a team wanted and tried so hard to good win against Mehlville, the Jr. earn, they fell just short of ChamiBills played an average Fort Zum- nade. This only served as a growwalt South team with a record of ing point for the crew and made 7-5. The team did exactly what them realize how difficult the rest they were supposed to do and con- of the season was going to be. trolled the entire game. “The Billiken Classic was a About halfway into the first great way for us to regroup,” said
Byrne. “It gave us an opportunity to clean ourselves off before we head into the final third of our season.” Priory In their second Champions League Matchup, the Jr. Bills travelled to Creve Coeur to play Priory. Despite the fact that Priory only has around 300 boys, their soccer team and head coach is highly respected across Missouri soccer, so SLUH couldn’t go into the game expecting a victory. The game started off in a dog fight. For the first 15 minutes, it seemed like neither team could really get a grip on the ball, and it looked like it could go either way. Unlike most teams SLUH has played this season, from the start of the game Priory man-marked some of the Jr. Bills key playmakers like Byrne and Schuman, trying to keep the offensive onslaught controlled so that they couldn’t slip away. Combined with muddy conditions in some of the corners, Priory came to play. However, the team sluggishly responded and, by the end of the first half, little momentum was in the way of the Jr. Bills, with only two shots taken at Priory’s goal. In the second half, the Bills got their act together, but a large number of corners and throw-ins proved to slow down the Jr. Bills game as they struggled to find a source of momentum. Despite attempts to move it out wide to Medina and Poulos, by the blow of the final whistle the score was 0-0. “It’s a good reminder of just how thin the margins are,” said O’Connell. “If you looked at us last year we were reminded of that throughout the year too. Nobody’s going to go undefeated and score three goals every game.” Looking forward SLUH faced a tough CBC team last night. Towards the beginning of the season, the Cadets were seen at as the No. 1 team in the state. “CBC is going to be hungry and desperate, they’ve struggled in their last three matches,” said O’Connell. “If we can play better here than we did on the road for whatever reason, I’m expecting us to be really good.” “It’s a big game for us, we are looking to find an early goal to get into the back of the net,” said Hammond. “We need momentum, and need to bring more energy than we did in the Priory game to close out the game early.”
Next edition, the Prep News will have a feature length article featuring the new Mark Tychonievich Endowed Fund for SLUH Football, given by Christine and Chris Finney ’02 honoring his legacy as a coach and teacher for 20 years. photo | Eva Wallace
SPORTS
October 9, 2026
Prep News Volume 91, Issue 7
AMDG
11
Athlete of the Week: Jacob Corbett BY Henry Hassenstab Sports Editor
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ustin Jefferson has the Griddy, Cole Palmer has Cold Palmer, but there’s an athlete with a celly arguably more iconic: sophomore breast stroke and sprint freestyle swimmer Jacob Corbett. With a beginning reminiscent of LeBron’s warm-up, and finishing with a spray of water out of Corbett’s mouth, his celebrations are just one part of why he’s a swimmer to remember. Corbett is the third ranked swimmer in the 100 yard breaststroke for MSHAA Class 2, despite only being a sophomore. His dominant presence in sprint freestyle and relays is also a key factor in team success, and he is a cornerstone of SLUH Swim and Dive. Henry Hassenstab: I’m here with Jacob Corbett, this week’s Athlete of the Week. First off, what does it mean to you to be named Athlete of the Week? Jacob Corbett: To me, it kind of reflects the hard work I’ve been putting in throughout high school, both my freshman and sophomore years. Although I may have been off to a rough start, I feel like with enough hard work, I can really show myself and others that I’m worthy of being Athlete of the Week. It really means a lot to me. This is something that only seniors that I look up to, like Connor Dunker before me, have gotten. HH: You are predominantly a 100 breaststroker and a 50 freestyler for
SLUH Swim and Dive. What do you Wash U. It is both a big stretch in enjoy most about swimming those swimming and academically, beevents? cause that’s what they’re known for. But I know Saint Louis University JC: As a sprinter, I really enjoy the is an option. I’m not really thinking fact that every time I see people too much about college right now cheering for me behind the blocks, because I still have two and a half it really motivates me to keep push- years left here at SLUH, and I still ing myself. I know the quicker I can want to make the most out of it. get it done, the more success I feel in myself. Those events are sprints, HH: You say you have two and a half and I feel like I’ve just been working years left. What are some goals that really hard at them. I’ll continue to you want to achieve this season? get better as the years go by. JC: For this season, my goal is defiHH: Shifting back a bit, what got you nitely to win state. There are older into swimming in the first place? guys who are definitely going to give me really good competition. But goJC: I started swimming when I was ing back to before, I think if I just very young. I’ve been swimming al- put enough hours in, recover well, most my whole life. I started swim- sleep well, and, of course, eat well, I ming when I was about four, and I think I would have a chance despite started showing early signs of tal- being a sophomore. ent, so both of my parents put me on a pre-competitive team where I HH: Who do you think has had the was faced with much older people. biggest impact on you as a swimAlthough I didn’t really like it at mer? the time, I still showed up anyway. When I was about 10, I decided to JC: Within SLUH, there could be a join competitive swimming, origi- lot of people that I name, but one senally for Rockwood. Once again, I nior who really stood out to me was was faced with loads of competi- Grant Heidbrink, because there’s tion and older people being faster more to him than just being a good than me every single practice. But friend or a fast swimmer. He, in my I showed up every day, and eventu- opinion, is really good at setting ally, I’m here where I am now. I’m a the standard for us — not just timesophomore, and I hope to continue wise, but influence-wise. He’s taught to get better and swim in college. me that even if I’ve done really well HH: Do you have a specific college and gotten a personal best, I still that you would like to swim for in have to keep it a little bit humble. mind? He also nominated me as Swimmer of the Week once. To me, that meant JC: My dream college is probably a lot because previously, I thought of
Corbett swimming the butterfly.
photo | Griffin Dunker
myself as just a swimmer. I’m just a really fast swimmer who can’t really JC: I swim for my team, but one do much else, but he reminded me thing that really drives my success of just how hard I’m working. is simply the satisfaction of getting a best time. Even though the other HH: Do you have a professional or guys on your swim team may not be collegiate swimmer that you would swimming at the same time as you, compare your style to, or someone they’re still rooting for you. They that you look up to? want to see you succeed. JC: I don’t watch too much college swimming, but one of my favorite and most entertaining guys to watch is named Josh Liendo. Although he isn’t a breaststroker like me, he’s worked really hard to perfect his technique. In general, he’s just shown that discipline is the true key to success.
HH: Can you go a little bit more indepth on that?
JC: Yes. What I mean is that you’re swimming technically for yourself. You’re swimming to get a best time, but your team is relying on you to score points and maybe win. But they also want to truly see your success. They want to see you succeed. HH: What’s something that you’ve They want you to get a best time and learned through swimming that feel happy about yourself at the end you’ll carry with you beyond the of the day. pool? HH: What’s your role on the team? JC: One thing that I’ve learned from Where do you see yourself? swimming is definitely grit. Grit can mean a lot of things, but for me, it JC: I see myself as perhaps a key can mean showing up even when player in SLUH’s goals of performing nobody’s around, doing the hard sets well at state. Although our chances even when no one’s watching, and might be low this year, our culture is putting in the hours even though really what separates us from other people might not care. Although teams. The culture on our team is swimming is only going to be pos- maybe the number one thing we sibly a tiny fraction of my whole life, focus on. We have something that it will teach me the true value of dis- no other team does as well as we do. cipline and how I can implement it Maybe that will be the decider in the into the rest of my life. state championship. HH: When you swim for SLUH, I think a lot of people don’t under- HH: Thank you Jacob, we’re all exstand that it’s not just an individual cited to see what you can accomplish sport. It’s a team sport. What do you this season. swim for, Jacob?
Corbett breast-stroking through the pool.
photo | Courtesy of Jacob Corbett
Prep News Credits Volume 91, Issue 7
“What Spirit Week activity would you create?” News Editors Brendan “ginormous pumpkin carving” Hunt Tyler “sumo wrestling” Roach Sports Editors Henry “Prep News adoration” Hassenstab Jack “40% test score boosts” Powers Core Staff Henry “Oklahoma drills” Fitzpatrick Logan “whispering” LaVear
Owen “arrowhead hunt” Williams Jack “the Holy Spirit Week” Williamson Staff Timmy “Streamer U.” Barrett Jack “bowling comp” Case Charlie “breakfast all day” Hugo Sam “overloading Galaxydigital servers” Kappel Ryan “forced nap time” Kindschuh Jack “hypothesis test” Klein Charlie “no bathrooms”
LaBarge Lucas “dress-up party” Nolan Tommy “spelling wasp” Pitlyk Conor “standardized testing” Schilling Andrew “pax mogolica field trip” Yoffie
Everett “servery is free” Duffy Ethan “servery is 5x more expensive” Heavey J.D. “rugby” Rossouw
Reporters Colt “teacher battle royale” Amann Henry “7 period days” Beuligmann Warner “3x formal attire” Cole
Photographers Griffin “maple syrup fountains” Dunker Andrew “tight soccer shorts” Hammond Will “unlimited homework” Linhares
Art Gabe “AP omoggle” Khazen
Vic “summer break” Lewchenko Alex “trade fours” Schneider Eva “purge battle” Wallace Ann “no production nights” Williams Moderator Steve “essay grading” Missey
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Prep News Volume 91, Issue 7
HE HE HE HAW
October 9, 2026 AMDG
Clearwater Revival) 29. Brief trip 31. Land of the Ephesians 32. Twinge of hunger 33. “Frozen” snowman 37. BREEZE (Vanessa Williams) 40. List shortener 41. “Woe is me!” 42. Biblical pariah 43. Role player 45. DOWAGER (Iggy Azalea) 46. Penn. airport code 49. The, in French 50. Body ink 51. SHELTERS (John Mellencamp) 53. Song, like the theme answers 54. Aladdin’s sidekick 57. Japanese dog breed 58. NOEL (Bing Crosby) 60. SUCROSE (Rolling Stones) 61. “The Office” receptionist 62. MERLOT (UB40) 63. Radiates 64. OXYGENATOR (Jethro Tull) 65. Scent DOWN 1. Tabula _____ 2. Fidel’s brother 3. “I claim that!” 4. The Lobos of the NCAA 5. Looking glass 6. Boo-boos 7. Sty cry
Crossword | Paul Baudendistel | criticisms, compliments, and ideas welcome at pbaudendistel@sluh.org
ACROSS 1. Language of Pakistan 5. SATELLITE (The Marcels) 9. _____ Dei 14. SHOWER (Prince) 15. Victor’s cry
16. INFATUATION (R.E.M.) 17. HOAGIE (The Beatles) 19. “_____, to sleep / To sleep: perchance to dream” : Hamlet 20. Ice Bucket Challenge cause (abbr.)
8. St. Louis-to-Chicago dir. 9. Director’s cry 10. Watered-down rum 11. Gentle push 12. Group selfies 13. He-Man’s twin 18. Materialize 22. Thing you knead 24. Things you don’t need 26. Underground part 27. At Dodger Stadium, e.g. 28. One of 10-14 in an orchestra 29. Aladdin’s adversary 30. Took to a repair shop 31. Water cooler? 32. Casual shirts 34. Fat-removing surg. 35. From the beginning 36. Dime prez 38. Fills fully 39. The one percent 44. Empties, as a cache 45. On the decline, like 5-Across 46. Stage for 5-Across 47. Balderdash 48. Mario’s brother 50. Shroud city 52. 1B, 2B, or 3B 53. Drive-_____ 54. At the center of 55. Bath in Barcelona 56. Website patron 58. Animation unit 59. Tango number
91.06 Answers
21. Grade for 4-year-olds 22. EXCAVATOR (Kanye West) 23. 1B, 2B, or 3B 24. Court 25. That, in Spanish 26. OUTPOURING (Creedence
Mama mia! SLUH Band and Orchestra jam out Tuesday night
Jeff Pottinger Directing Jazz II.
photos | Kathy Chott Junior Joon Bautista.
Sophomore Kellen McLain.
(from right to left) Sophomore Plo Htoo, freshman Jesiah Sleet, sophomore Jay Warui
See next issue for a full story on the concert.
See next issue for a full story on the show.