Sion Olympics Brings Out Friendly Competition Among Grades
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Senior Katie Pendergast leads students in the school song alongside French teacher Liz Bono.
PHOTO | Sophie Nedelco'
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Freshmen Mimi Wright and Julia Jones pull themselves across the gym floor in the final leg of the relay race.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Senior Olivia Dugan kneels waiting for the results from the judges.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Senior Stephanie Ostrander cracks a smile during the senior class dance.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Seniors Stephanie Ostrander, Katie Pendergast and Emmie Gragg look out to the crowd during the senior class dance.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Juniors Abby McLiney and Caitlyn Swope cheer with crowd after the junior dance finishes.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Juniors Chloe Long and Natalie Arreguin, dressed as jungle animals from Madagascar, cheer on the junior student council members.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior Anna Ciani cheers on the seniors in the relay during Sion Olympics.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Juniors Elsa Brundige, Erin Quinn, Paige Behnken and Elizabeth Jackoboice do the the “tut” during the junior student council dance performance.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior Katie Pendergast crawls out in the beginning of the senior class dance.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Freshman Keali Myrick dodges theology teacher Alex Hall during the “Sharks and Minnows” game.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Seniors Molly McEnerney, Alexis Cucchiara and Emmie Gragg rejoice at the judges’ scores for the senior student council dance.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Sophomores Regan Amato and Emily Bello cheer on their student council as they perform their Russian-themed dance.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Sophomore Maddie Young points at the junior class during the sophomore student council dance.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior Alexis Cucchiara celebrates the senior victory.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior Mary Beth Ferber waits for Molly McEnerney to flip over her back during their dance solo to RUN-DMC’s “It’s Tricky.”
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Sophomore Mandy Mayer does a headstand during the sophomore class dance.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Freshman Ingrid Keane shoots a free throw during a game of knockout while juniors Madeline Dercher and Elizabeth Jackoboice wait for their turn.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Juniors Gracie Snider, Maddie Marquardt and Elizabeth Jackoboice roar with excitement after a continuous stream of made free throws during the game of knockout.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Sophomore Mary Evans strikes a pose and looks to the side during dance team’s final performance of the year.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Seniors Katie Pendergast and Alexis Cucchiara light the ceremonial candle before beginning the games.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Senior Rachel Young reaches toward the crowd during dance team’s performance.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior captain Daria Kinchelow points her toes as she takes part in dance team’s signature kick line.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior Kat Qamar crawls on her stomach toward the finish line during the relay races.
PHOTO | Rachel Ergovich'
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Sophomore Mary Evans strikes a pose during dance team’s performance.
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Seniors Emmie Gragg, Daria Kinchelow, Molly McEnerney, Mary Beth Ferber and Chioma Okuagu form a dance line during the song “Formation” by Beyoncé.
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Sophomore Sammie Nesslein performs an acrobatic stunt while dance team forms a kick line behind her.
PHOTO | Rachel Ergovich'
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Freshman MK Shevlin makes a guest appearance in the freshman class dance, performing a traditional Irish dance.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Sophomore Sammie Nesslein does an acrobatic dance move during dance team’s performance.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Sophomore Lauren Ismert, junior Paige Behnken and senior Abby Breckenridge search for a cherry hidden in a pie tin filled with whipped cream.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Senior Rachel Young prepares to stand up after a jump split.
PHOTO | Rachel Ergovich'
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During last year’s STUCO dance, junior Katia Hauptmann points while singing along to the music during the junior class dance.
PHOTO | Paige Dussold'
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Senior dance team captains Daria Kinchelow and Megan McCormack sit on either side of sophomore Sammie Nesslein in their final performance of the year.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior student council runs into the gym carrying an American flag during the parade of nations.
PHOTO | Rachel Ergovich'
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Senior Alexis Cucchiara celebrates the opening of Sion Olympics by lighting the ceremonial candle.
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Senior class president Alexis Cucchiara accepts the gold medal after the seniors won the 2016 Sion Olympics.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
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Senior Stephanie Ostrander cheers after the senior class won the relay game.
PHOTO | Laney Ulowetz'
Seniors came out on top Friday in the annual Sion Olympics. Classes were let out early and energies were high as the crowd cheered on the participants. Various games were played and judged by teachers, all leading up to the Seniors’ victory.
As per tradition, each grade represented a country for the games. Freshman were Ireland, sophomores were Russia, juniors were Madagascar and seniors were, as always, America. Each grade also dressed as their country, using costumes and face paint to express themselves.
“We stayed from 4 until 9 trying to make it all come together. We’re really proud of how we didn’t throw up pre-made decorations,” senior Student Body President Emmie Gragg said.
Thursday after school the games began with the decoration of each grade’s hallway. Freshmen brought Irish spirit by covering their hallway with green, orange and four leaf clovers.
Sophomores took a nontraditional approach by using Russia’s president Vladimir Putin as inspiration. Many sophomores walked around in fur coats and fur hats for the entire school day.
Juniors turned their hallway into a jungle for Madagascar. The junior stuco representatives all wore safari gear, and other students were jungle animals.
Seniors decorated their hallway with the traditional red, white and blue and seniors Sophie Nedelco, Emmie Gragg and Katie Pendergast made a mural on the wall depicting lyrics to the song America the Beautiful.
Friday afternoon, classes ended and students filed into the gym to watch the games. The competition was judged by three teachers: math teacher Marilyn Dreas, physical education teacher Kate Pilgreen and math teacher Reynold Middleton.
“I was asked and I was very flattered. I was honored to be asked to be a judge,” Dreas said.
A highlight of the event was dance team’s performance of their fifth place Nationals kick routine. It was the first time they performed it for the school, according to freshman dance team member Claire Lewing.
“Performing was my favorite part of Sion Olympics,” Lewing said.
A short competition to see which grade could cheer loudest raised the energy. The judges awarded points to each grade of the loudest grades.
The next game entailed of submerging one’s face into a cream pie to search for a cherry. Paige Behnken won this game for the juniors.
The next game was knockout. There were two games, seniors vs freshman and juniors vs sophomores. During the game there was an incredible free throw streak when juniors Natalie Arreguin and Madeline Dercher, and freshman Mia McLey made 9 shots in a row.
“I didn’t know I was going to be playing in [Sion Olympics] at first and then once I got called I was getting kind of nervous,” Arreguin said. “But as soon as we started playing it was fun.”
After the juniors, represented by Arreguin and Dercher, won knockout, next came the long awaited Sion Olympics dances. Each grade performed an original dance but the highest score was awarded to the seniors.
“We practiced during lunch and study hall and sometimes after school. As the games got closer we started practicing every day. We had a sleepover the night before the games to perfect it,” Gragg said.
The games were soon wrapped up with rounds of sharks and minnows, won by the seniors, represented by Maddie Kahl. In this game, the only shark was faith teacher Alex Hall while the students were minnows.
Finally there was a relay race won by the seniors. At the end, when seniors won, the senior section of the bleachers erupted as they left their last Sion Olympics triumphant.
Senior Stephanie Ostrander cheers after the senior class won the relay game.
Senior Katie Pendergast leads students in the school song alongside French teacher Liz Bono.
Freshmen Mimi Wright and Julia Jones pull themselves across the gym floor in the final leg of the relay race.
Senior Olivia Dugan kneels waiting for the results from the judges.
Senior Stephanie Ostrander cracks a smile during the senior class dance.
Seniors Stephanie Ostrander, Katie Pendergast and Emmie Gragg look out to the crowd during the senior class dance.
Juniors Abby McLiney and Caitlyn Swope cheer with crowd after the junior dance finishes.
Juniors Chloe Long and Natalie Arreguin, dressed as jungle animals from Madagascar, cheer on the junior student council members.
Senior Anna Ciani cheers on the seniors in the relay during Sion Olympics.
Juniors Elsa Brundige, Erin Quinn, Paige Behnken and Elizabeth Jackoboice do the the “tut” during the junior student council dance performance.
Senior Katie Pendergast crawls out in the beginning of the senior class dance.
Freshman Keali Myrick dodges theology teacher Alex Hall during the “Sharks and Minnows” game.
Seniors Molly McEnerney, Alexis Cucchiara and Emmie Gragg rejoice at the judges’ scores for the senior student council dance.
Sophomores Regan Amato and Emily Bello cheer on their student council as they perform their Russian-themed dance.
Senior Alexis Cucchiara celebrates the senior victory.
Sophomore Maddie Young points at the junior class during the sophomore student council dance.
Senior Mary Beth Ferber waits for Molly McEnerney to flip over her back during their dance solo to RUN-DMC’s “It’s Tricky.”
Sophomore Mandy Mayer does a headstand during the sophomore class dance.
Freshman Ingrid Keane shoots a free throw during a game of knockout while juniors Madeline Dercher and Elizabeth Jackoboice wait for their turn.
Juniors Gracie Snider, Maddie Marquardt and Elizabeth Jackoboice roar with excitement after a continuous stream of made free throws during the game of knockout.
Sophomore Mary Evans strikes a pose and looks to the side during dance team’s final performance of the year.
Seniors Katie Pendergast and Alexis Cucchiara light the ceremonial candle before beginning the games.
Senior Rachel Young reaches toward the crowd during dance team’s performance.
Senior captain Daria Kinchelow points her toes as she takes part in dance team’s signature kick line.
Senior Kat Qamar crawls on her stomach toward the finish line during the relay races.
Sophomore Sammie Nesslein performs an acrobatic stunt while dance team forms a kick line behind her.
Freshman MK Shevlin makes a guest appearance in the freshman class dance, performing a traditional Irish dance.
Sophomore Lauren Ismert, junior Paige Behnken and senior Abby Breckenridge search for a cherry hidden in a pie tin filled with whipped cream.
Senior Rachel Young prepares to stand up after a jump split.
Junior Katia Hauptmann points while singing along to the music during the junior class dance.
Senior dance team captains Daria Kinchelow and Megan McCormack sit on either side of sophomore Sammie Nesslein in their final performance of the year.
Senior student council runs into the gym carrying an American flag during the parade of nations.
Senior class president Alexis Cucchiara accepts the gold medal after the seniors won the 2016 Sion Olympics.