Around the schools and diocese
Category Archives: Youth
Graduation issue 2024
Youth
Around the diocese
Catholic Schools share MAIS awards and athletic accomplishments
Art Fair – Overall winners
Painting Only Art Room – 2nd place – 5th grade: Carys Dishman (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)
Mixed Media Art Room – 1st place – 2nd grade: Beckham Shed (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)
Mixed Media Art Room – 2nd place – 6th grade: Conner Lunceford (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)
Drawing Art Room – 2nd place – 2nd grade: Maddison Lenard (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)
Drawing Art Room – 1st place – 5th grade: Gabby Jones (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)
Drawing Art Room – 1st place – 6th grade: Ulric Henning (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)
Printmaking Classroom – 2nd place – 1st grade: Garrett Naegele (St. Anthony Madison)
Printmaking Jr. High and High School – 2nd place: Madolyn McGaugh (St. Joseph Greenville)
Photography Jr. High and High School – 2nd place: Kent Tonos (St. Joseph Greenville)
Reading Fair – Overall Winners
Individual Fiction Character Portrayal – 2nd place – 5th grade: Anna Cooper (Cathedral Natchez)
Individual Non-Fiction Character Portrayal – 3rd place – 5th grade: Haley Burnsed (Cathedral Natchez)
Fiction Individual – 2nd place – 4th grade: Mary Hannah Amborn (Vicksburg Catholic)
Non-Fiction Individual – 1st place – 5th grade: Madeline Jex (Cathedral Natchez)
District Fair Winners
Fiction Board Winners: Anna Cooper – 1st place; and Rivers Atkins – 2nd place (Cathedral Natchez)
Fiction – Best Portrayal of Character: Anna Cooper – 2nd place; and Rivers Atkins – 3rd place
Non-Fiction Board Winners: Maddy Jex – 1st place; and Haley Burnsed – 2nd place (Cathedral Natchez)
Best Portrayal of Character Award: Maddy Jex – 1st place; and Haley Burnsed – 2nd place
2nd place overall in fiction – 4th grade: Mary Hannah Amborn (Vicksburg Catholic)
2nd place overall in fiction – 5th grade: Cash Ferrell (Vicksburg Catholic)
Spelling Bee – Overall Participants
Sophia Keith – Annunciation Columbus
Samantha Struber – Annunciation Columbus
Michael Lickteig – Sacred Heart Southaven
Caryn Jackson – St. Joseph Greenville
Estephan Choufani – St. Joseph Madison
Addison Bednar – Vicksburg Catholic School
Spelling Bee- District
1st place in 7th grade, District II – East: Samantha Struber (Annunciation Columbus)
1st place in 5th grade, District II – East: Sophia Keith (Annunciation Columbus)
Regional Science Fair
3rd Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)
1st place Physics – Avery Hook
1st place Organic Chemistry – David Donkor
4th place Organic Chemistry – Cayden Gray
2nd place Inorganic Chemistry – Ashton Brown
1st place Botany – London Wilson
2nd place Microbiology – Wiljann Sopa
2nd place Engineering – Dominic Meachum
1st place Animal Science – Aubre Laws
4th Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)
4th place Inorganic Chemistry – LaDarius Ranson
4th place Microbiology – Kyler Hill
5th Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)
1st place Physics – John Quedado
3rd place Physics – Katelyn Meachum
6th place Organic Chemistry – Brandon Franklin
1st Inorganic Chemistry – Aiden Walker
1st Animal Science – Micah Laurent
6th Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)
1st place Behavioral Science – Aiden Palmer
1st place Animal Science – Ayden Everington
2nd place Inorganic Chemistry – Madison Powell
2nd place Animal Science – Bryce Rush
2nd place Mathematics – John Martinez
2nd place Physics – Ayden Rush
2nd place Botany – Juan Pablo Garcia
Quiz Bowl
Cathedral Middle School Team A – 2nd place out of 24 teams.
Scholarship
4-Way Rotary Scholarship – Jacob Venuti (St. Joseph Greenville)
Stellar Academic Students
Julianna Jojoa-Portilla – St. Joseph Greenville
Lockard Williams – St. Joseph Madison
Parker Baroni – Cathedral Natchez
Stephen Clement – Vicksburg Catholic
Choral Ensemble Festival
Vicksburg Catholic SSA and SATB received Superior rankings
National Academic Quiz-bowl Tournament (NAQT)
Cathedral Middle School’s two teams- placed 3rd and 5th overall. One team qualified for Nationals in May.
Robotics
Vicksburg Catholic Team 456 won the Engineering Inspiration Award from NASA at the Bayou Regional Competition. Attended World Championship Competition in Houston, Texas.
Annunciation School’s Robotics Club placed 1st at Regionals.
Bughouse Chess Championship
Two teams placed 1st and one team placed 2nd from Annunciation Columbus (two person teams playing blitz style- 5-minute games)
MSCA Chess Championship:
5th place – Lydia Frauendienst and Nathanial Rush (Annunciation Columbus)
MAIS Stem Competition (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Best Overall – Bryan Sescu (Annunciation Columbus)
Teacher Recognition
Lauren Young – Annunciation Columbus: named Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce Elementary Teacher of the Year
April Moore – Annunciation Columbus: selected to present at NCEA
April Moore – Annunciation Columbus: selected Elementary VFW Teacher of the Year
Dr. Robika Mylroie – St. Anthony Counselor- awarded the Livesay Award from her alma mater Millsaps College.
Athletics
Archery – Championship
Class 4A: 3rd place – St. Joseph Greenville
Class 6A: 5th place – St. Joseph Madison
Soccer
Boys Soccer: All Star White Team – Greg Fore (St. Joseph Madison)
Boys Soccer: All Star Blue Team – Fritz Barbour and Braylon Poindexter (St. Joseph Madison)
Girls Soccer: Futures White Team – Elaina Price (St. Joseph Madison)
Girls Soccer: Futures Red Team – Sydney Leib (St. Joseph Madison)
Girls Soccer: White All Star Team – Stella McCarthy (St. Joseph Madison)
Girls Soccer: Blue All Star Team – Campbell Miller (St. Joseph Madison)
Braylon Poindexter signed to play at Gulf Coast Community College (St. Joseph Madison)
Fritz Barbour signed to play at Northwest Community College (St. Joseph Madison)
Basketball
Girls 4A-5A-6A Basketball: All Star Blue Team – Maia Turner (St. Joseph Madison)
Boys 4A-5A-6A Basketball: All Star Blue Team – Brandon Cooley (St. Joseph Madison)
Boys 4A-5A-6A Basketball: All Star Blue Team Assistant Coach – Jonathan Albright (Cathedral Natchez)
Girls Basketball Futures Red Team – Gabby Gray (St. Joseph Madison)
Boys Basketball Futures White Team – Brandon Burkes (St. Joseph Madison)
Boys Basketball Futures Red Team – Chris Gordon (St. Joseph Madison)
Holy Family School (Holly Springs) – NMAC Girls Champions, Lady Panther Teyuana Reaves named Conference Play of the Year
Maia Turner signed to play at Tougaloo College (St. Joseph Madison)
Football
All-MAIS 3A Team: Tyler Mongomery, Eli Williamson, Victor Baker, Mikael Jones and Chris Mayfield (St. Joseph Greenville)
3A Coach of the Year: John Baker (St. Joseph Greenville)
1A-2A-3A: All Star White Team – Chris Mayfield and Tyler Mongomery (St. Joseph Greenville)
4A-5A-6A: All Star White Team – Lonnie Smith (St. Joseph Madison)
4A-5A-6A: All Star Blue Team – Cam’Ron Tanner (Cathedral Natchez) and Demariet Davis (St. Joseph Madison)
Futures Gray Team – Victor Baker (St. Joseph Greenville) and KeyShaun Coleman (St. Joseph Madison)
Futures Red Team – ZyCameron Williams and Ryan Rainer (St. Joseph Madison)
MAIS 3A Football Champions – St. Joseph Greenville
Lonnie Smith signed to play football at Copiah- Lincoln Community College (St. Joseph Madison)
Varsity Swim Meet
1st place Boys 100 yard backstroke – 9th grade: Christopher Brown (St. Joseph Madison)
Spirit Competition
School Dance Kick Varsity Small – 1st place: Vicksburg Catholic
School Cheer Non-Tumbling Varsity Small – 2nd place: St. Joseph Madison
School Dance Kick Varsity Medium – 3rd place: Cathedral Natchez
School Cheer Non-Tumbling Varsity Medium – 3rd place: Vicksburg Catholic
School Dance Pom Varsity Small – 1st place: Vicksburg Catholic
Volleyball
Futures White Team – Calese White (St. Joseph Madison)
All Stars White Team – Alyssa Leonard (St. Joeseph Madison)
All Stars Blue Team – Assistant Coach Sydney McEachem (St. Joseph Madison)
Baseball
5A District 4 Play of the Year – Tristan Fondren (Cathedral Natchez)
Josh Ingram (Cathedral Natchez) signed to play at Millsaps College and is recipient of Presidential Scholarship.
Jackson Navarro (Cathedral Natchez) signed to play at Meridian Community College.
Softball
Liza Gregg committed to play for Millsaps College.
Tennis
5A MAIS Boys Singles South State Champion – Alex Monagan
Dance:
Maddie-Claire Spence (St. Joseph Madison) – Dixie Darling at University of Southern Mississippi
Schools were asked to submit awardees for this listing by the Office of Catholic Education.
Youth
Around our schools
COLUMBUS – (Left) Annunciation students Levi Struber, T.J., Chris, and Henry Hince and Reed Sancho celebrate “Purple Up” day for Military children. Annunciation School was recently named a Military Star School by the Department of Education.
(Right) Avynn Clapper works hard on her gardening skills at Annunciation School. (Photos by Jacque Hince)
Youth
Around our schools
Youth
Around the diocese during holy week/Easter
before their Easter egg hunt. (Photo by Kirby J. Rivere)
Around our schools
‘Caitlin Clark has the world by her fingertips’: Iowa Hawkeyes basketball superstar supported by Catholic faith, family
By John Knebels
(OSV News) – Wearing scrubs en route to the hospital to begin her day, a health care specialist was asked how much she knew about Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa basketball superstar who has led her Hawkeye teammates — and by extension, all of “Hawkeye Nation” — to almost unprecedented acclaim in women’s basketball.
Not akin to assessing athletes and their acumen, she quickly and succinctly summarized Clark’s entrenchment in women’s basketball.
“That basketball that she dribbles and shoots and passes serves as a great metaphor for Caitlin Clark,” said the nurse. “The basketball is round, just like the world. And right now, Caitlin Clark has the world by her fingertips.”
That Clark has managed to permeate both the zealous and casual sports fan provides a testament to the level of her national impact at the young age of 22.
At this point, it’s an arduous task to cover new ground when it comes to Clark, a lifelong and reportedly devoted Catholic who attended St. Francis of Assisi parochial school in West Des Moines, Iowa, from kindergarten through eighth grade, and then spent four years at nearby Dowling Catholic High School.
Local reporters from Clark’s hometown have been sharing her exploits since the end of grade school. Clark wasn’t even a high school junior before national publications began pegging her as a can’t-miss collegiate standout. By the time she was a senior, the words “Caitlin Clark” had soared through the internet like an out-of-control locomotive with no definitive destination.
Those who have known Clark, however, said they never noticed any apparent change in her affable, comfortable, confident personality when early daily publicity — and subsequent almost-ridiculous national coverage last year and, in particular, the past few months — threatened to scrutinize every move Clark made both on and off the basketball court.
“She’s handled it as well as any 21- or 22-year-old could,” said Kristin Meyer, her high school basketball coach at Dowling, who somehow manages to cheerfully return countless phone calls from those researching Clark’s star-studded scholastic career.
“Her support system starts with her family. She doesn’t get caught up in fame or the business aspect,” Meyer said. “She was like that in high school. She didn’t look to seek attention. She didn’t spend much time on social media. She’s grounded. Humble.”
When Clark played in grade school, Meyer immediately noticed a “different type” of player. Clark’s improvement quickly skyrocketed, rising to uncommon heights.
To communally celebrate their 2020 alumna, the Dowling Catholic student council rented out a local theater April 1 to watch Clark in the Elite Eight that night. They weren’t disappointed after she scored 41 points and threaded 12 assists in a 94-87 win over Louisiana State University that earned a trip to the Final Four.
“It’s incredible,” said Meyer. “It’s still surreal … the level of notoriety to women’s basketball. It’s not all about Caitlin Clark, of course, but she is a part of it. As terrific a player as she was in high school, I can’t say I expected this level of success.
“Her court vision. Her understanding. I haven’t seen a higher IQ,” Meyer continued. “She’s fun to watch. She’s so consistent. Scores 30 or 40 against great teams. It’s an art. She can make it look effortless.”
Like Meyer, one of Clark’s grade-school mentors at St. Francis — sixth-grade math and science teacher Jill Westholm — recalls Clark’s kind, easygoing disposition as a youngster and has witnessed her former pupil’s ability to remain stable despite unlimited attention from fans, media and even curious bystanders who can’t quite make sense of Caitlin-mania.
“It’s so crazy to me to see her in this superstar world,” Westholm told OSV News. “The same Caitlin you see today is the same Caitlin who walked the halls as a 10-, 12- and 14-year-old. She’s the Caitlin Clark who is very smart. Intelligent. Very driven. The Caitlin Clark who never gave less than her best. The Caitlin Clark who was and is very loyal to her friends. The Caitlin Clark who, even in middle school, had their backs.”
A few months ago, Westholm and a few friends decided to purchase tickets to the NCAA women’s Final Four April 5-6 in Cleveland.
Figuring — correctly, as it turned out — that ticket prices could become unreasonable as the event approached, Westholm and her buds figured they were in win-win mode. The “worst” possibility would be sitting back and watching four great programs vie for the right to compete in the NCAA final.
The best scenario, however, was obvious.
“We gambled on Caitlin being there,” said Westholm. “We crossed our fingers and said some prayers.”
The prayers were answered. On April 5, Iowa met the University of Connecticut on the court in the Final Four, and Clark led the Hawkeyes’ rally for a 71-69 win over the Huskies. Iowa headed to the NCAA championship April 7 against undefeated South Carolina. The Gamecocks beat Iowa 87-75 for the national championship and completed a perfect season.
In an interview days before the final, Westholm predicted that regardless of Iowa’s fate, Clark would either either emerge eternally grateful for becoming a national champion, or quickly bounce back from any disappointment and recognize that she had been blessed to even be on the precipice of something so unique.
“She will rely on her faith,” said Westholm. “Her faith has always been important to her, and that’s real. Her whole family lives out their faith. Caitlin doesn’t reach her stardom without her family background.”
Westholm was referring to Clark’s parents, Anne and Brent, and her two brothers, Blake and Colin. Along with her siblings, Anne graduated from Dowling Catholic and her father, Bob Nizzi, coached football there.
Before graduating from Dowling in 2019, Blake became and remains involved with a club called Ut Fidem, Latin for “keep the faith.” Having experienced a Kairos retreat as a junior, Caitlin joined Ut Fidem as a senior.
The group’s focus, according to Dowling’s website, “strives to develop high school students into intentional disciples who will keep the faith for the rest of their lives, and especially through college” and supports students via weekly small groups of five or six led by adult faith mentors.
Students learn how to “defend their Catholic faith, and develop deep, personal relationships with Jesus Christ . . . grow their devotion to personal prayer, the sacramental life, understanding of church teachings, and enter into the lifestyle of an on-fire Catholic” and better understand how to discern the question, “Why am I Catholic?”
Using some of the tools she learned in grade school and high school and benefiting from a close, faith-sharing family, Clark recently started the nonprofit Caitlin Clark Foundation — described as a mission to “uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition and sport.”
Last November, Caitlin partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa and, with help from Nike, personally donated close to 100 hoodies, winter gloves and hats to help keep youngsters warm this past winter. Along with a sizable personal monetary donation, she also donated 57 basketballs, 15 footballs, 12 soccer balls and 15 jump ropes to the Boys & Girls Club.
“She uses her gifts to give back,” said Meyer. “She’s not bigger than the game of basketball, but she knows she has the capacity to help other people and is enthusiastic about doing as much as she can.”
Although it’s been argued that it’s actually her eye-popping passing ability that has separated her from former and current greats, Clark’s ascent from a consistently great scorer to tallying the most points in the history of college basketball didn’t happen out of nowhere.
From the time Clark decided to attend Iowa, the nation’s top coaches held their breath and readied themselves for a steady dose of nightly wonderment and more-than-occasional ESPN highlights.
No coach watched Clark more intently than Muffet McGraw.
The legendary Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer at the University of Notre Dame who retired in 2020 after an incredible career that included 936 total victories, a .762 winning percentage, nine trips to the Final Four, seven finals and two NCAA championships came within a whisker of coaching Clark.
After a painstaking decision process, however, Clark changed her mind at the last minute and chose Iowa black and gold over Irish blue and gold. Clark has gone on record as describing the phone call to McGraw as excruciating and lauds the coach for how she handled the disappointment with gentleness, compassion and understanding.
Not a person who dishes out unwarranted praise, McGraw, Notre Dame’s women’s basketball coach for 33 years, effusively commended Clark for helping elevate women’s basketball to its highest popularity ever among both the young and old, as indicated by the more than 12 million viewers who tuned in to watch the Iowa-LSU classic.
“I’ve never seen anyone like her,” McGraw told OSV News. “She is a phenomenal offensive player. She has confidence that never wavers. She’s fearless, relentless, competitive, driven … all the things that you want in a basketball player.
“And she’s also unselfish. Yes, she takes a lot of shots, but she also led the nation in assists last year, and I’m sure she’s in the top five this year. So she’s somebody that really knows how to get her team involved. She gets them to play at a higher level. She just has that charisma and that leadership that allows the people around her to thrive.”
Superstars sometimes can’t help but alienate teammates when all of the attention surrounds one person. But that hasn’t happened at Iowa.
“There could be jealousy and there could be problems in a situation like that when you have a player like that on your team,” said McGraw. “She makes them rise above everything and focus on just wanting to win. That’s, I think, the thing that sets her apart. It’s not all about her.”
McGraw particularly appreciates Clark’s vision that surpasses well beyond points, assists, rebounds, and championships.
“She wants to do something for the women’s game,” said McGraw. “She is certainly the center of attention, yet she always takes time for others. You see her signing autographs for lines and lines of people. She just does a great job in the community and continues to do whatever she can for the fans. She says the right things in public.
“I think she is definitely somebody that is a role model in our sport, and she’s changed the game,” McGraw continued. “I mean, nobody has done what she’s done in terms of the sellouts. The Big Ten sold out every single place. It’s unbelievable … unbelievable.
“The Big Ten tournament sold out for the first time,” she said. “Tickets for the last game were going for, I don’t know, $500 or something. It’s been amazing. I mean, 12 million people watched the Iowa-LSU game. That’s even more than a lot of NBA Finals. So it’s just phenomenal what she’s done for the game.”
Wherever Clark plays as a professional, McGraw will be watching.
“She’s one in a million,” said McGraw. “I think she’s going to do great things for the WNBA next year.”
(John Knebels writes for OSV News from suburban Philadelphia.)
Youth
DCYC 2024 – Vicksburg
VICKSBURG – High-school youth from across the Diocese of Jackson gathered at the Vicksburg Convention Complex from March 1-3, for the annual diocesan youth conference – DCYC – organized by the Office of Youth Ministry. This year’s theme was “More Than Enough,” and it featured keynote presenter Doug Tooke and worship leader, Steven Joubert. (Photos by Amelia Rizor)
Youth
2024 YOUTH BISHOP CHANCHE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Andrew Doherty, St. Richard Jackson
Jaime Mendoza, Jr., Holy Family Jackson
Greta Nalker, Immaculate Conception Raymond
Jeremy Napoles, Christ the King Southaven
Travis Ross, St. Joseph Meridian
Menelik Rozelle, St. Alphonsus McComb
Elese Serio, St. Joseph Greenville
Benjamin Sylve, Jr., St. Joseph Gluckstadt
Agatha Taquino, St. Joseph Starkville
Madalyn Weisenberger, Holy Savior Clinton
Anna Williams, St. Francis Madison
Loria Williams, St. Francis Madison
Grace Windham, St. Francis Madison
Around our schools
JACKSON – St. Richard School students are presented with “Cool 2B Kind” awards by John Dorsa for earning the highest points in their houses for virtuous and honorable deeds. (Photo by Chelsea Dillon)
COLUMBUS – Annunciation school recently held a Robotics Pep Rally. (Photo by Jacque Hince)