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Newsletters Highlight Covenant Youth Achievements
TULSA, OK (July 16, 2002) - One Oklahoma Covenant family had two teens who won
championships in various team sports a week ago.
Christie Clark, an incoming junior at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in
Tulsa, was part of the Tulsa Volleyball Club, champions of the 17-and-under
gold division in the USA Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships in Sandy,
Utah. Clark's team won the 64-team tourney by defeating a team from
Memphis, Tennessee, in the finals. The team was seeded 60th heading into
the tourney and won 11 of 12 matches in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City.
A 6-foot-2 inch middle blocker, Christie has been playing club volleyball
for three years. The 16-year-old has played varsity volleyball for two
years at Cascia Hall and her teams won the state title both years.
Meanwhile, in the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, John Clark was competing with 47 other seniors-to-be at
a four-team tourney. The 6-foot-7 inch forward played for the South team,
which won the tournament. John is also at Cascia Hall and is considering
playing basketball in college. He was an All-Conference and All-City pick
last winter.
John and Christie's parents, Bill and Laurie, traveled to both tourneys.
Bill, pastor at Redeemer Covenant Church in Tulsa, said that both events
were eye opening. "It's a rewarding feeling to have watched the kids
prepare themselves so hard," he said. "It was fun to see them have success
- I'm proud of them. They've given up a lot and have dedicated themselves
to personal excellence. It was something for John to go from medium-sized
basketball in Oklahoma to playing against NBA prospects. It was amazing."
Numerous other Covenant youth people also have accomplished themselves in
recent
months, according to reports gleaned from more than 200 church newsletters
received each month by the Department of Communication. Listed by
conference, they include:
CENTRAL
- Chicago, Illinois: Aaron Kletzing of Ravenswood Covenant Church and
Northside College Prep High School was accepted into the U.S. Military
Academy (Army) in West Point, New York, following a three-year baseball
career that included more than 20 wins as a pitcher. Kletzing, who also
competed in varsity cross country and basketball during his high school
career, earned All-Conference and All-Area honors in baseball while
becoming an honor student in the classroom.
- Crest Hill, Illinois: Church of the Redeemer high school seniors shone
brightly at Plainfield High School and in church activities. Meagan Peck, a
National Honor Society member, won Best of Show for her artwork at her
school district's annual Art Showcase. She also played two sports in high
school and was honored by a number of organizations for her academic and
leadership skills. She will attend the University of Iowa. Erin Spika
earned honors in basketball and soccer while in high school and will play
soccer at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Connie Barnard was a
National Honor Society member while competing in soccer and playing in
various bands at the school, specializing in the flute. She plans on
attending North Park University in Chicago. Another future North Park
student, Diane Slaga, was a youth group leader and student representative
on the church's Christian Education board while volunteering in the
community.
- Moline, Illinois: Elim Covenant Church
student Ben Jacobi received a Number One Superior Rating at the Illinois
High School Association band contest for his marimba solo. Meanwhile,
Maggie Wiborg was honored by the Moline Chamber of Commerce for her
academic work (she was in the top 10 of her class) and Molly Yoeckel was
given a fine arts award for her efforts in the school orchestra. At First
Covenant Church in Moline, David Krismantis was given an academic
scholarship from the local Chamber of Commerce for being in the top 10 of
his junior class. And Hannah Peterson was crowned prom queen on prom night
at United Township High in East Moline.
- Mount Prospect, Illinois: Northwest Covenant Church student Anna
Peterson was valedictorian of her class at Prospect High School and
received a number of academic honors, including National Honor Society. She
was also a finalist for the National Merit Scholar program and was an
Illinois State Scholar. A two-sport athlete in high school, Peterson was
also on yearbook staff and played a leadership role in the school's morals
program.
- Stambaugh, Michigan: Grace Covenant Church teens Brandon Hakari, Krista
Kindwall and Kyle Fish were all named to the National Honor society at
their respective high schools.
EAST COAST
- Attleboro, Massachusetts: Attleboro Covenant Church high school
graduates made their mark in three different high schools. Mansfield High's
Edmund Richardson, a two-sport athlete in high school, will attend North
Park University. From Attleboro High, Amy Botelho was editor of her
school's newspaper, among other things. She will attend
Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Rebecca Tucker was involved in band and
chorus - she will attend the Community College of Rhode Island. Meghan
Howard, a National Honor Society member and president of the Music Honor
Society, is headed to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. And Emily
MacPherson, a National Honor Society member, was involved in music and
drama at her school. She will attend the University of Puget Sound in
Tacoma, Washington. From North Attleboro High, Caitlin VanDeGiesen was vice
president of student government and played three sports while
participating in other leadership opportunities. She will attend James
Madison University in Virginia. James LeBlanc also played three sports and
was in various organizations. He will attend college at the University of
Massachusetts-Dartmouth campus. And Justin Jackson, a baseball and football
player and student leader in high school will attend Community College of
Rhode Island.
- West Peabody, Massachusetts: Community Covenant Church student Chris
Nihan won a blue ribbon at a local science fair for building a motor with
magnets and batteries that conserved energy. Nihan attends Burke School in
West Peabody, as does Zack Stammer, another award winner at the science
fair. Stammer won first prize for developing a model for bee heat - a
process of setting up a beehive and pumping the heat made by bees from the
hive into a home.
- Bowie, Maryland: Church of the Redeemer student Peter Nilson was a
co-captain for Team Maryland, which competed in the 2002 Panasonic Academic
Challenge at Disney's Contemporary Resort Convention Center in Lake Buena,
Florida, June 22-25. Team members are asked questions from the areas of
mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, the fine arts, foreign
language and technology. Questions are written by educators from high
schools and colleges throughout the nation. Team Maryland won first prize
and all six members of the team earned $2,500 scholarships and other
prizes. Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company funded the scholarships.
Nilson was valedictorian at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt. He
will attend Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, this fall.
- Bedford, New Hampshire: Bethany Covenant Church students were busy
during the school year, including 21 high school graduates. Gregor Appareti
of Methuen High School will head to Western New England College in
Springfield, Massachusetts, after earning first-team All-Area honors in
soccer. Ethan Burns of Goffstown High was named to the National Honor
Society and will head to the University of New Hampshire. Goffstown High
classmate Taylor Groves also made the National Honor Society and will be
attending Penn State University. Concord Christian School graduate Benjamin
Douglas Wyman (vice president of the student body) made the National Honor
Society and earned a scholarship to Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Brett Seastedt of Timberlake High was a National Honor Society member and
starred in wrestling and football during high school, winning the state
wrestling title at the 171-pound weight class and earning a spot on the New
Hampshire senior All-Star team in football. He will attend the University
of New Hampshire. Nine students from Bethany Covenant graduated from
Manchester High-West. Among them was valedictorian Meghan Laura Doherty, a
National Honor Society member who will attend Belmont University in
Nashville, Tennessee; Rebecca Tarsa, a National Honor Society and National
Choral Award honoree who is attending American University in Washington,
D.C.; and Tyler Aspinwall Clark, a National Art Honors Society and National
Honor Society member
who will attend the University of Vermont.
- East Greenwich, Rhode Island: Christ Church student Brent Mancuso was
selected by the Christian Student Athlete Association as a second team
All-America competitor in recognition of his impact on his peers for Christ
through his achievements in sports, academics and servant leadership. Among
other things, Mancuso was a state qualifier in the 45-meter dash at the
state indoor high school track meet this winter while competing for North
Kingstown High School.
ECCAK
- Eagle River, Alaska: Community Covenant Church student Eddie Jackson
was named to the Who's Who of American High School students. Jackson
attends Chugiac High School in Eagle River is involved in the school's ROTC
program.
GREAT LAKES
- Grand Rapids, Michigan: Elizabeth Stone of First Evangelical Covenant
Church in Grand Rapids was at the USA Disability Swim Championship in
Federal Way, Washington, June 13-15, and the 12-year-old swam in eight
events, qualifying for the finals in seven of them. She was second in the
1,500-meter freestyle event and established a new American record with a
clocking of 25 minutes, 24.2 seconds. Elizabeth was born with Proximal
Femoral Focal Deficiency - her femur is extremely short - and she had four
surgeries to correct the situation. Her mother, Linda, stated that
it is similar to being an above-knee amputee. Adopted from Russia,
Elizabeth began competing in swimming at age nine. She has been competing
against kids with no disabilities for years, which has given her an edge
when she swims against people in the same category she is in. A week after
competing in Washington, she won seven first-place medals in the Junior
Wheelchair Championships in New London, Connecticut.
- Traverse City, Michigan: West Bay Covenant Church student Amber Hansen
of Traverse City Christian School was a member of the Inside-Out North
14-and-under girls volleyball team that captured the Michigan State Amateur
Athletic Union championship in the silver division. The coach of the team
was her father, Russ Hansen.
- Jamestown, New York: John Cross of Zion Covenant Church recently was
honored for his efforts at a band competition in Toronto while competing
for Cassadaga High School.
MIDWEST
- Clyde, Kansas: Brantford Covenant Church student Valerie Brax won the
title of Washington County Junior Miss recently, winning the physical
fitness and poise categories. Brax will compete at the state competition
next March. Another youth group member, Erin Carlson, was co-valedictorian
of Clifton-Clyde High School and was honored at the Governor's Scholars
Award Program in May for being in the top one
percent academically in Kansas.
NORTHWEST
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethlehem Covenant Church student Sam Seely
beautified his church by planting a peace garden at the playground area for
his Eagle Scout project. Seely, a student at South High School in
Minneapolis, also helps at the church's childcare center.
- Richfield, Minnesota: Bethany Covenant Church student Erick Abramson of
Richfield High School captained his high school football and basketball
teams while serving as student government president. He also organized the
school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle. Abramson will attend the
University of Minnesota. Ruth Johnson of South High School will attend
North Park University after using her gifts in technical theater in high
school. Two others from youth group will attend North Park. Meghan Kelly
graduated from Irondale High School in New Brighton and was active in the
school band (trumpet), and Heather Sowl graduated from Richfield High,
where she was a member of the National Honor Society and a captain of the
cheerleading squad.
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST
- Hilmar, California: Eleven Hilmar Covenant Church students graduated
from nearby Hilmar High School this year. Erin Ahlem graduated as
salutatorian and will attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo this fall. Michael
Donohue received the Governor's Scholar Award and will attend the
University of California-Santa Cruz. Meanwhile, Brian Garrett received the
Merced County 4-H scholarship. He will attend California State
University-Stanislaus.
To find out more about youth and teens in the denomination, regularly visit
the
denomination's web site at www.covchurch.org or subscribe to the free
Covenant
Newswire service - information will be found near the top of the home page.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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