The Bleeding Orange- Issue 75

Traditions Return

By: Y. Brown

Children running to hug family they have gone months or years without seeing, sitting down with warm, freshly cooked traditional Thanksgiving food. The cafeteria is all lit up with smiles and warm laughter as we finally get to start letting parents and family come eat with students for the first since the pandemic.

Traditions are slowly being reintroduced since COVID 19 shut down all activities. Today marks the start of a well needed Thanksgiving break, and many are excited to finally get back to their favorite traditions.

“My favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner is watching the community interact with the school staff and students,” Superintendent Monica Simmons said. “There is love in the room when we gather together. Traditions make us who we are, and I am overjoyed to see us be able to open our doors to allow family and friends to fellowship together with students and staff. When traditions are taken away, it makes you appreciate them that much more, so this year will be extra special. EF is one big family, and we will be able to give thanks together.”

Many teachers and staff members have gotten to experience eating lunch with their children for years, but Covid has stolen beautiful memories that some of the younger children never got the chance to make.

“I'm very excited,” Algebra I teacher Heather States said. “I have a kid in elementary who hasn’t experienced eating Thanksgiving lunch with family. I am so grateful that traditions are coming back; he will finally be able to experience it. It is also my daughter's last year in elementary, so I'm excited to get to share her last elementary Thanksgiving with her.”

Many staff members have been here to witness all of the traditions that come and go, but they are all glad that they are making a comeback.

“I’m happy it's going back to how it used to be,” long time custodian Faye York said.

First grade student Korbyn Spear enjoys her Thanksgiving lunch with family and classmates. Photo by Jaicey Rich.

Photo by Yzabella Brown

Photo by Yzabella Brown.

By: C. Lawless

The National Honor Society, NHS, is a group of students that are chosen based off various achievements such as high grades and exemplary behavior. These students volunteer their time to help the community and school district. During the school year, they can do many things such as work concession stands, scan tickets at games, help with food and coat drives, and much more. The sponsors are Mrs. Commander and Mrs. Mak.

What’s That Club?

By: J. Rich

The newspaper classes consist of photojournalism (first year students), journalism UIL, and the newspaper staff. The majority of the students in this class are involved in all of these things. In recent years, the UIL journalism team has been very successful with sending multiple students to state and regional competitions Students in this class also write for the award winning newspaper, The Bleeding Orange. Every student is required to write at least one article per month for the newspaper on top of UIL practice. You can find new copies of The Bleeding Orange newspaper by Mrs. Ware’s room on the last Friday of every month

By: Y. Brown

Theatre is the all encompassing term

for classes such as intro to theatre, theatre production, and OAP. The abbreviation OAP stands for One Act Play. The theatre classes put on a play/production twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. The spring show is a once act play which students perform for UIL competition

Miss Reed and Mrs. Wolfe are the OAP sponsors.

By: E. Gonzalez

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a student led organization for athletes who enjoy gathering together in the name of Christianity. FCA hosts events such as See You at the Pole and Fields of Faith. These students meet every Thursday during lunch. During each meeting, one student or a group of students teach the group about Christ. The FCA sponsors are Coach Commander and Mr. Simms. By: A. Henigan

Student Council is club where students plan activities to help the community and learn about leadership. Officers are elected within the club to make important decisions and help organize events. It is sponsored by Mrs. Ware.

By: B. Marcum

UIL competition consists of many different events from social studies to science. Students can compete in virtual meets, invitational meets, and district competition. Students can even advance to regional and state competitions, earning recognition, medals, and scholarships

By: Y. Brown

Culinary Arts is an upper level elective class which teaches students how to cook nutritious/delicious food and provide hospitality. The class is available to juniors and seniors and is taught by Mrs. Jana Sims.

By: L. Smith

Our Speech & Debate teams consist of CX Debate, LD Debate, Poetry, Prose, and Extemporaneous Speaking. Each competition consists of key elements that push students to hone presentation skills, research skills, and reading comprehension. Miss Wilson is the speech and debate coach.

By: C. Davis

The yearbook class is responsible for creating the yearbook. They go take pictures and create every different page. They help capture the student life throughout Elysian Fields.

FFA stands for Future Farmers of America; it is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. Mrs. Harris is the sponsor of the Elysian Fields FFA chapter.

New School Board Members Elected

By: E. Gonzalez

The new school board election for Elysian Fields ISD occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The elected members were Julie Simmons, Kimberly Baugh, and Lynn Calhoun. These few members were happy to be elected and have big plans for the district.

Simmons is the only returning member for Place No. 5 of the Board of Trustees. She and her husband Ronnie Simmons have nothing but love for the community. She has two children, Jordan Hayes and Hayden Simmons who both went to EF K 12. She moved to the district in June 2002 so her children could have the best education possible. Her mother and sister attended K 12 at EFISD. She has a vested interest in the success and excellence of Elysian Fields ISD.

Calhoun is another new member serving in Place No. 6 of the Board of Trustees. He has been married to Morgan Calhoun for seven years, and they have two children. Noah is in first grade and Nash will start kindergarten at EF in 2025. He was born and raised in Elysian Fields. He wants to help the district with his management skills and knowledge of budgeting. He is here to speak up for all of the employees’ best interest. He wants to ensure the school can keep and improve the wonderful staff it currently has

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person that had anything to do with my re election as a Board Trustee for the Elysian Fields Independent School District,” Simmons said via Facebook. “I look forward to the next chapter in EFISD’s story. I am grateful for the privilege and ready for the challenge to serve our district for the next four years. We will continue the excellence in and out of the classroom.”

Baugh is a new member for Place No. 7 of the Board of Trustees. She graduated from EF in 1997. Her oldest son Blaine was an EF graduate in 2021, and her youngest son Brody is a sophomore. She and her husband, Travis Baugh, have been married for 20 years. She has worked in the health industry as a COTA for 19 years. She has volunteered for many years for numerous EF organizations. She loves EF with all of her heart and will continue to strive for excellence and to serve and represent to the best of her ability.

“Thank you everyone for the support and votes,” Calhoun said via Facebook. “[I am] looking forward to serving our great community.”

With these wonderful new members, hopefully nothing but the best comes in the future for the Elysian Fields ISD.

Election Day Results Trickle In

By: A. Walton

After weeks of anticipation, Election Day has finally passed If Georgia causes a tie in a few weeks when they vote, Vice President Kamala Harris will vote on the matter, resulting in a democratic win for the senate. If Georgia does not tie when they vote, then the election will carry out like any other, with democrats claiming the majority.

After Democrats won the senate, President Joe Biden spoke on the matter celebrating the victory.

"We feel good about where we are, and I know I'm a cockeyed optimist, I understand that, from the beginning, but I'm not surprised by the turnout,” President Biden said. “I'm incredibly pleased by the turnout.”

President Biden noted that he is happy the majority of senators are “running on the same program.”

"Because we are in a situation where you don't have to have an even makeup of the committees so that's why it is important, mostly," President Biden said. "But, it's simply better, the bigger the number the better."

Fork Em’! NSU Media Program Hosts Media Day

By: B. Marcum

The newspaper staff competed at the 2022 Journalism and Media Day Competition at Northeastern State University on Nov. 7. The staff dominated in the media writing/news writing competition taking the top three spots.

“I competed in the media writing day competition,” senior Cora Creech said. “I placed 1st in that competition. I feel really good about this year’s JaM day. Last year I didn't place, and this year I feel like I showed who I was as a writer.”

Senior Katelyn Anderson medaled in two events.

“I competed in Media Writing and pre submission Media Writing,” Anderson said. “I placed 2nd in the first competition and 3rd in the second competition.”

For seniors, this was their third and final JaM Day.

“I am really sad this is my last JaM Day,” senior Carmen Lawless said. “It really sunk in when we were leaving NSU. It was fun being with the other seniors and competing with them all four years of our high school career.”

“I appreciate your support and hope you all continue to support this journey I am on,” Baugh said via Facebook. “I’m proud to be elected to serve our district and will strive to be a voice for our kids, staff, and taxpayers while supporting our superintendent. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.” [Cont…]

Now, President Biden is focused on the Georgia runoff election. He feels confident towards the remainder of his presidency.

As of November 17, the republicans claimed a victory in the house when they secured enough seats to claim a majority.

Photo via Facebook.

Photo via Facebook.

The Bleeding Orange Staff at JaM Day. Photo by Amanda Ware.

JaM Day winners pose for a picture. Photo by Amanda Ware.

Covering Tattoos: A Rule of the Past?

By: N. Silas

Jacket Speak Out

The many rules that affect females specifically, make many wonder if dress codes are inherently sexist.

There will always be new trends for girls and how they dress. When one of these trends become popular, stores start to sell them in place of plain, or appropriate, clothing. A lot of these trends are not appropriate for the dress code because they include things like crop tops and ripped jeans. While it is allowed to have rips in your jeans below your knees, it still is a big inconvenience for a girl to have to go to five different stores to find suitable clothing for school.

As tattoos become more and more common in society, many schools and workplaces are adjusting their rules in regards to tattoo coverage. Still, there are many places that expect employees, or students, to keep their tattoos covered.

The coverage of tattoos in a school or workplace does not allow people to express themselves freely and can cause other problems that could be avoided with a small change in the rules.

Forcing people to wear long sleeves or Band Aids to cover any tattoos causes overheating and forces people to find clothes that can cover the tattoo. People have gotten in trouble for tattoos that are school or workplace appropriate simply because they can’t cover them. It is unfair to force people to cover their bodies over a drawing.

Rules limit people and prevent them from getting tattoos where they want them. If a person wants to get a tattoo on their forearm, they should be able to get it there. It is their body, their right. They should not have to worry about the location and they have to get it somewhere other than where they want it. Places of business and school should not force people to put tattoos in different places on their body so they cannot be seen.

These rules do not allow people to express themselves. Tattoos mean different things to every person. Some have meaning behind them, others just look cool. Others will say that people should keep them covered because they believe that tattoos are a bad influence on younger generations. It is not their decision to make when it comes to people’s bodies. Tattoos can help a person express who they are.

Obviously, rules should stay in place that requires people to cover tattoos that are not appropriate. If a tattoo is about violence, gore, or includes profanity or something explicit, then it should be covered, but an appropriate work of art should be allowed to be visible regardless of where a person works or attends school.

Thoughts on Female Dress Codes

By: Z. Hampton

Girls are always getting in trouble for wearing clothes that they’d wear everyday in town or at home. In many schools across the country, females get dress coded for wearing leggings, ripped jeans, shorts and crop tops. [Cont…]

Since the dress code is so strict, female students pretty much have to wear one of these options: T shirt, unripped jeans, and leggings with a shirt that is three sizes too large. No one has the freedom to express themselves or dress according to their own style. The school doesn’t have uniforms, so they shouldn’t make us dress so similar with all of these restrictions. If somebody wants to get their feelings hurt about being able to dress freely, then they can get their parents to complain, but until then, students should be able to express their style.

This leads to a controversial topic: should high school students have more opportunities to become more informed about politics and current events?

Students should be encouraged to know about what is going on in America today, and they should be able to acquire this knowledge at school.

Students today need to be made aware of current events, government, and politics as these things will affect them too. Students should know what is going on in the place where they live. Many items are happening in America today such as elections, issues among the government, foreign affairs, and life or death political movements. All of the things happening in the country, if not now, will eventually affect everyone. Most people get to vote for the first time in their junior or senior year, and if they are not informed about these events that affect them or which party stands for what, they will not be able to make the right decision when voting.

Many high school students are 18 years old, so many laws that are being voted on affect them. When they are not educated on politics and current events, they might break new laws or not know what they are voting on for things that are pertaining to them. For example, recently, new laws were passed changing the legal age for how one has to be to buy nicotine and tobacco. If a student did not know they could no longer purchase these at 18 years old, they could get in serious trouble if they tried to purchase these items. So, if students are not informed about what is happening in the country, they could get in legal trouble, affecting their future.

Some of the girls at the school have a certain style of clothing that is dress code appropriate, but it clearly shows their individuality. It is unfair that they can have their own style, but everyone else has to dress in all the same basic clothing. Some students might think it isn’t fair that these girls get to dress how they want. Schools need to lighten up on the dress code and allow female students to dress how they want, with a few restrictions, of course.

The More You Know: Should Students Be Educated on Politics?

By: J.Rich

Because there are many conflicts in America, students should be informed about what is going on. Today, many people in the country get into conflicts related to politics that often turn violent. When students do not know what they are talking about, it often makes the conflicts worse. Many times these students are just repeating things that they hear from their parents, which is the stem of these conflicts. When students are actually educated on what they are talking about relating to politics, it can cut some of this conflict.

With the midterms falling upon America, politics are being magnified in Americans’ lives. In society, there are many people who are involved with politics and are very enthusiastic, and then there are people who do not even know who the current president is. This concept also applies to high school students. [Cont..]

If educating students in the classroom on politics and current events becomes an issue amongst students, staff and parents, we could have alternative solutions. Clubs could be started by students who are passionate about this issue or resources could be provided by a counselor or teacher to help inform students. However it happens, more education on politics and current events should be accessible for students in the school setting.

Veterans Day Program to

Honor

Veterans

By: C. Creech

“On Veterans Day we honor all who answered to a service call. Soldiers young and soldiers old fought for freedom, brave and bold. Some have lived, while others died, and all of them deserve our pride. We’re proud of all the soldiers who kept thinking of red, white, and blue. They fought through many days and night. And though we may not know each name, we thank all veterans just the same.”

The school's Gifted and Talented students, also known as GT, hosted a Veterans Day program to pay tribute to the veterans in the community. The students offered veterans snacks, coffee, donuts and a time of fellowship before the program. The GT students asked everyone to wear something patriotic, supportive of a branch of the military, or red, white, and blue.

“Students spent the last couple of months preparing for the program,” GT sponsor Vickie Thomas said. “They worked hard and did an amazing job recognizing and honoring Veterans.”

Staff members, students, and many of the veterans in attendance had nothing but praise for the hard work of the students.

“We got quite a few compliments from them, so if nothing else I'm sure they enjoyed the program, and everyone did their part to the fullest of their abilities,” junior Raine Smith said.

Honoring the veterans was the main accomplishment of the ceremony, and the GT students delivered just that.

“Many of the veterans were very touched,” junior Madi Reid said. “I am thankful our school does something to honor them for all that they do for our country.”

November SOTM Announced

By: C. Creech

The November students of the month are Elizabeth Hutson and Lebron Simmons.

Lizzie is the daughter of Hannah and Bryon Hutson. Lizzie participates in varsity cheer, FCA, student council, UIL math, calculator, CX debate, spelling, and she is a class officer. Lizzie’s favorite class is forensic science. In her free time, she likes to dance and play the piano. After high school, she plans on going on mission trips, then to TCU and majoring in education. After college, she wants to either teach elementary school in Texas or open her own dance studio.

Lebron Simmons is the son of Monica and Bronte Simmons. Lebron is active in band, cross country, UIL CX debate, science, poetry & prose, and tennis. Lebron’s favorite class is Coach Commander’s Algebra 2 class. In his free time, he likes to binge Marvel, cook and bake. After high school, he plans to attend Texas A&M to major in computer engineering

“The Veterans Program went extremely well,” sophomore Lebron Simmons said. “I believe this year was way better than last year. We had more exciting topics to learn about and even dancing founding fathers.”

With the preparation for the program beginning in September, many students hoped to “honor the veterans.”

Ben Franklin and George Washington AKA Alison O’Brien and Lexi Holland.

Photo by Cora Creech.

Lizzie Hutson and LeBron Simmon. Photo by Amanda Ware.

Come support the junior class at:

There have been some controversial remarks said over the internet about her song. People don't know if they hate it or love it.

Although Charli has always danced, she thought it was her time to shine, and release a song, not thinking about how Dixie D´Amelio, her sister, would feel.

“I feel like Charli needs to stick to dancing and making TikToks,” sophomore Carson Davis said. “Dixie always has the spotlight stolen from her by her little sister. It's just not fair to her after every time she finds something new that she enjoys, Charli always comes and takes it.”

Not everyone has the nicest opinion on Charli's voice.

“I haven't heard her song, but she probably is really bad at it,” sophomore Athan Walton said. “I thought her dances were pretty bad, so I don't think her smoker's voice could be that good.”

Don’t wait too long to take your ACT. Start it early because it all catches back up with you during senior year if you don’t.

Social media isn’t worth all the hype; it just brings a lot of drama.

Choose your friends wisely because people can be messy and make high school no longer enjoyable.

Even if you're worried your friend might call you a nerd, be sure to pay attention because it will all pay off in the end.

Take what you can from this as you venture on into the wonderful world of high school. So, take your school memories that you’ll take with you forever. Make the best of the little amount of time you have!

“Smile”: A Review

Holiday Survival Guide

By: K. Anderson

The holidays can come with many different emotions. Some people are excited when the holidays roll around because of the time they get to spend with their families. There are some who mourn over the holidays for loved ones they have lost. And for some, the holidays are frantic for them, and they get really stressed out.

“I love the holidays because it’s the one time I can get my whole family together,” senior Cora Creech said. “My family is super close so any chance we get to spend time together we will, and the holidays just make it even more enjoyable.”

Mourning the loss of a loved one over the holidays is hard. It’s very different not having them to celebrate a good time.

“I lost my uncle three days before Thanksgiving in 2021,” senior Katelyn Anderson said. “This year will mark the first year he will be gone. This makes the holidays a lot harder for my family because we all miss him dearly. If I were to say anything to help someone get through this, I would say to mourn them but not in a sad way. Mourn them while still spending the needed time with all your family members. Don’t make the whole time about them. Remember the original reason you're there and just make the most of it.”

The holidays will always come with many emotions, but the number one emotion is often stress, lots of it.

“I have two kids, so shopping for them during the holidays can be stressful,” journalism and photography teacher Amanda Ware said. “When the holidays get stressful, just take a break and spend some time with your family. Take a step back for a minute and breathe. The holidays are about love, not a bunch of stress. It also helps if you start ahead of time on all the shopping.”

TeaTok

By: T. Wallace

As you may or may not know, Charli D´ Amelio has started a career in making TikToks, dancing, sponsorships, and so much more, but lately, she has thought she has a voice and released a song called “if you ask me to.”

Some people don't know if Charli could actually be successful with her “singing career.”

“I don't think Charli is cut out for singing,” sophomore Ava Henigan said. “It's more of her sister's thing. Her first song was also very mid, so I think she shouldn't make any more music.”

Elysian Fields Survival Guide

By: K. Anderson

High school can be a scary place for many people. In today’s day and age, everything is harder for students. But don’t worry, we are here to help you get through it! Here is some advice from the senior class of 2023 about how to survive high school.

There will be people that will doubt you and not believe in you, but you always have to hold your head up high and have confidence in yourself. Never give up!

Sleep hygiene is worth the effort. It truly helps a person live a productive life and have good health.

Don't stress it, it always works out in the end, even if it’s not what you wanted.

It flies by fast, enjoy it while it lasts.

Do your research on the UIL classes offered and ask questions so you know and have the opportunity. [Cont…]

By: Ava Henigan

“Smile” is a horror movie that follows the life of a woman, Dr. Rose Cotter. After a traumatic incident with one of her patients, an unknown horror is suddenly in her every day life. “Smile” was released to movie theaters on September 30, and can stream it now on Paramount +

“What scared me the most was the last scene,” sophomore Tatum Wallace said. “The thing grew really tall and ugly, and was walking around like a big foot. The thing looked weird and the smile just wasn´t normal at all.”

From recent reviews on the movie, “Smile” is one of the top horror movies of the year, and many students agree with this statement.

“‘Smile” was definitely one of the best horror movies I have seen in awhile,” junior Adylie Henigan said.

Some disagree on how scary the film was, but still believe it was a good movie to watch.

“Yes, I would, personally to me it wasn't that scary but was still really good,” sophomore Carson Davis said. “I recommended it to anyone who wants to watch a movie with jump scares.”

Defend the Net. Attack the Rim. Boys Basketball Begins

By: C. Davis

Lining up in two lines for layups, scrimmaging with one another, running non stop to get in shape. It’s basketball season.

With a new coach and new athletes, the boys are ready to redeem themselves after a record of 0 14 last season.

“I think we will have a good season with the new coach and players we have,” senior Jayden Anderson said. “The new players might not have much experience on the varsity level, but I believe this season will be different. We have the talent, and we have the athleticism, I have faith in the coach and also in the team. If we as a team can stay focused on the goal and execute, we can make it to the playoffs.”

With there being a new coaching staff and new athletes, changes are coming.

“I have to come in and set the tone,” Head coach Jonathan Boone said. “We are only going to focus forward and glance back to what we do not want to experience again. We can only change what we can control and that starts with our effort, then that goes into our commitment to the program, we are going to continue to focus on the basics and strengthen our fundamentals. We are setting goals in practice we want to achieve and we are consistently competing against one another to bring out that edge we need to have. It's all about starting at the foundation and building it up from there.”

As football season ends, and basketball start, the boys are ready to prove everyone wrong.

“I am very excited about basketball this year,” junior Sawyer Whaley. “The thing I am most excited about is the memories that will be made. This year's team has a lot of potential. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are ready to show everyone that doubted us that we are THAT team. I can't wait to step on the court with my family. Go Jackets!”

As we go to a small school no one can just play one sport.

“I started preparing for basketball right after football,” freshman Deuntae Harrison said. “I didn’t really have a break going into it. As soon as we won our last game, we went straight to basketball practice.”

The team will play a non district game against Queen City tonight at 5 pm

Order on the Court

Girl’s Basketball Starts Strong

By: C. Lawless

The girl’s basketball team has started strong playing many warmup games. Their first scrimmage was Nov. 1 at home against Joaquin. This year the team has a new head coach, TJ Tiller and returning assistant coach Jana Sims.

“I am excited to lead the team,” Tiller said. “It is a great group.”

This is the start of many last basketball memories the seniors will make

“It makes me sad knowing this is my last year playing since I've been playing since the 3rd grade, but I'm excited to see what my last season brings,” senior Caitlyn Attaway said. “We have a great group of new players, and they have been working very hard for the new season. I think this season will be full of great things, and I know it will be a hard working season.”

sweat, and tears go into countless hours of training to compete at the highest level.

Within this crowd are three bright orange jerseys bearing the EF logo as three Jackets prepare to run in the cross country state meet.

Seniors Drew Simms and Grant Sims, along with freshman Cara Sims, saw all of their hard work payoff on Nov. 5 as they ran along the top runners in the state after advancing through both the district and regional meets. Running alongside hundreds of the state’s top athletes, Drew came in 56th and Grant finished 17th.

“A lot of seniors are sad when their season ends, but I look at it differently,” Drew said. “I am grateful that I had 4 amazing years of cross country and there is no better way to end my career than with the state meet. I pushed myself as hard as I could and there’s not much more I could have asked for.”

As Grant and Drew are finishing up their high school cross country careers, Cara Sims is just getting started as a freshman. Cara finished fifth at the state meet, proving her one of the top 10 fastest cross country runners in the 3A division in the state of Texas.

“I'm proud of my performance for the most part,” Cara said. “Throughout the race I was going strong and was in second till the last 400 meters, but placing 5th at state as a freshman is something that I am proud of. In the future I'm going to strive to win state because that's just awesome. I also hope to bring my team along with me so we can all compete together and be successful.”

Many expect this season to be much better than last. This year’s coach has been coaching middle school basketball for multiple years. He also has coached on the varsity level in the past, making him very experienced.

“I am very excited,” junior Emma Carrington said. “I can already see the improvement in the returning and new players. I know for a fact that this season will be better than last season. Coach Tiller has a game plan and is on top of everything. This year's coach is a lot different than last year's. The coach we have this year has coached us all before, and he knows more about the game. I am super ready for us as we dive into the new season with our new coach and players!”

Senior Corrisa McPhail has been playing basketball since she was in elementary school. Since this is her last year, McPhail has many mixed emotions.

“I'm so excited to get to know all the girls,” McPhail said. “My heart is really torn being that this is my last season. When I step on that court I remember being in little dribblers, and it makes me teary eyed. I believe this season will be enjoyable.”

The team will play a non district game today at Henderson at 4 p.m.

The Race to Round Rock

3 CX Runners Compete at State Meet

By: K. Stephens

Old Settlers Park is a sea of colors as students from all across the state arrive. [Cont..]

Hundreds of runners stretch and jog as they prepare for the final race of the season. Blood,

The awards continued to roll in for the cross country team as Grant was named EF Athlete of the Week on Friday, Nov. 11, and five of the runners received Academic All State distinction for the work they did both on the courses and in the classroom during the fall.

Keely Goelden (1st Team), Jacob McCray (1st Team), Drew Simms (Elite), Grant Sims (Honorable Mention), and Lily Jo Gronwald (Honorable Mention) all earned Academic All State recognition for the fall season.

“These athletes finished their season strong. [I am] so proud of the work they’ve put in to get them here,” Coach Jana Sims said via Facebook.

With the varsity boys finishing first in the district and the varsity girls finishing second, both teams advancing to regionals, and three individuals continuing the journey to the state meet, the EF Cross Country team has, once again, proven that they are dedicated, talented and will continue to strive for success and make the school proud.

Photo via Facebook.

Grant, Cara, and Drew. Photo via Facebook.