Achievers

Grace Community School competed at the state level in division 5A of TAPPS in April. Division 5A is made up of schools with larger enrollment, putting Grace in competition with the schools from cities like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. In the academic and speech competitions, each student that places earns a certain number of points based on the value given his place for the overall team. The music competitions receive different points based on the category and performance rating.

The Speech/Academic team won second place overall at the competition in Austin, Texas. Individual results are as follows:

Advait Ghuge (11th) — First in Persuasive Speaking

Hannah Woolverton (12th) — Fifth in Prose Interpretation

Rachel Morse (11th) — Fourth in Solo Acting and 3rd in Poetry Interpretation

Brad Pillsbury (12th) — Fifth in Current Events

Jenny Hamilton(12th)/Dave Ritcheson (12th) — First in Duet Acting

Travis Milner (12th) — Third in Social Studies

Mandy Hartung (12th) — Sixth in Social Studies

Heather Tiller (11th) —?First in Literary Criticism

Jordan Payne(10th) — Fifth in Mathematics

Audrey Ritcheson (11th) — Fourth in Original Oratory

Austin Blythe (11th) — Second in Computer Science

Joseph Morrison (11th) — Fifth in Computer Science

The Instrumental team won first place overall at their competition in Abilene. Category results are as follows:

Jazz Band earned Division 1, Superior — members include Ethan Hicks (12th), Kayla Konon (9th), Ben Provines (10th), Andrew Robbins (11), Patrick Parker (12), Thomas Getz (11), Zachary Cannon (10), Wade Jones ( 9), Jared McFerron (9), Justin Schaefer (12), Michael McAndrew (11), Victor Piantanida (9), and Callie Yeager (12). Patrick Parker earned a Division II — Excellent for solo competition.

Medium Ensembles each earned Division I, Superior;

Junior Varsity Medium String Ensemble — all 8th grade orchestra students;

Intermediate Medium String Ensemble — all ninth- and tenth-grade orchestra students plus Ciera Ward, Isaac Bridges, Alexandra Sampson, Callie Yeager, and Caroline Eppler;

High School Medium String Ensemble — all high school orchestra students;

Advanced Medium String Ensemble — all 10th-, 11th-, and 12th- grade orchestra students plus Holli Tiller;

Small Ensembles that earned Division I, Superior;

Junior Varsity String Quartet — Marygayle Martin, Nikki Nielsen, Chelsey Poston, Josiah Taylor (all 8th grade orchestra students);

Advanced Cello Choir — Leslie Pate, Maggi Jones, Holli Tiller, and Jodie Applewhite (all high school orchestra students);

Advanced String Quintet — Kaylee Rogers, Isaac Bridges, Alexandra Sampson, Maggi Jones, Caroline Eppler (all high school orchestra students);

Percussion Trio — Jorden Edwards, Cody Hunter, Austin Blythe (all high school, Varsity Drum Line);

Percussion Ensemble — Josh Boylan (7th), Ryan Mills, Michael McAndrew, Zach Intlehouse, Aaron Norton and Taylor Dunlap;

String Solos earning Division I, Superior:

Maggi Jones — Cello

Isaac Bridges — Violin

Kaylee Rogers — Violin

Kelsey Pate — Violin

Varsity Orchestra students

Eighth grade — Sarah Alexander, Gena Allen, Blakely Braughton, Callie Burnett, Emery Cannon, Morgan Cooper, Justin Dozier, Autumn Ellsworth, Caroline Kidd, Sarah Kozsuch, Kimberly Langford, Marygayle Martin, Mattie McKellar, Nikki Nielson, John-Campbell Ogle, Chelsey Poston, Megan Raborar (sixth grade), Jared Stewart, Hunter Stinson, Josiah Taylor, Meredith Weedon, Keaton Yeatts;

Ninth grade — Ashley Burkhart, Taylor Griffin, Ryan Mills, Lauren Radford, Holli Tiller, Audrey Whatley, John Ward;

10th grade — Caroline Guidry, Kelsey Pate, Dalton Simmons, Erin Waterman;

11th grade — Jodie Applewhite, Caroline Eppler, Maggi Jones, Daniel Jorden, Leslie Pate, Kaylee Rogers, Alexandra Sampson;

12th grade — Isaac Bridges, Ciera Ward, and Callie Yeager.

The vocal music teams earned second place overall with the different category results indicated below. Bottom Line: 11 ensembles competed: 10 received a Division I, Superior/ 1 received a Division II, Excellent (they were out best group but had to go first in a BIG concert hall and did not sing their best!)

Nine soloists competed: Five received I’s and four received II’s.

Overall, the school placed vocal runner up. Grace has had that honor/privilege for the past four years, but this year, the point total was the most.

Large Ensemble that earned Division I, Superior in both Performance and Sight-Singing:

Grace Ashira! Concert Choir and the Grace Celestial Singers ;

Small Ensembles all earned Division I, Superior:

Froshgirls, Men of Grace, SJS Women of Grace, and “Male-o-dies” of Grace;

Sacred Ensembles earning Division I, Superior or Division II, Excellent:

Graceful Melodies and Tapestry Singers earned Division I, Superior and the Cougar Chorale earned Division II, Excellent:

Two Show Choirs earned Division I – Superior

Tapestry Singers, and Cougar Chorale

There were nine soloists earning Division I, Superior or Division II, Excellent:

Mandy Hartung, Division I, Superior

Callie Yeager, Division I, Superior

Rachel Morse, Division I , Superior

Kelsey Pate, Division I, Superior

Matt Sherwood, Division I, Superior

Jordan Edwards, Division II, Excellent

Heather Tiller, Division II, Excellent

Melissa Florey, Division II, Excellent