Senior Skis in Regional Championship

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School rising senior, Jessica Balchunas, won her division in several water ski tournaments locally, in Pensacola, Florida, and went on to ski her personal best while competing in the Regional Water Ski Championships held at Whitestone Lakes in north Georgia. The regional competition hosts the best skiers from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Jessica began her love for water skiing when she was only four years old and has been competing for the last eight years. In addition to skiing, Jessica is a member of the Montgomery Catholic Varsity Cheerleading squad.

Photo: Montgomery Catholic Senior Jessica Balchunas skis in Regional Water Ski Championship in Pensacola, Florida.

Varsity Cheerleaders Named All-American Team at NCA Camp

The Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Varsity Cheerleaders recently attended the National Cheerleading Association Camp held on the campus of Auburn University.
The girls came away from camp with a multitude of awards including 5 superior ribbons for all evaluations of cheers, chants, and stunts. They were awarded the Herkie Team Award, which is voted on by other squads for the team that most exemplifies leadership and teamwork. The Technical Excellence Award was given for their outstanding jumps. The squad received a bid to compete at the NCA National Championship and nine cheerleaders were nominated as All-American Cheerleaders: Jessica Balchunas, Rachel Castanza, Rebecca Fields, Rachel Forsyth, Gabby Lopez, Andria Ransdell, Kristin Sutton, Lindsay Taylor, and Emily Younker. Kristin Sutton and Emily Younker were selected as All-American Cheerleaders for the second year in a row. Kristin and Emily were also two of five cheerleaders from the 200 camp participants to audition for an opportunity to be NCA instructors at cheerleading camp next summer. The Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Varsity Squad received the Top Team Performance Award, which was awarded to the team scoring the highest in the cheer competition on the last day of camp. This award then led to an All-American Team Award, which makes the entire squad eligible to perform at the pre-game show of the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, in December. The Montgomery Catholic Varsity Cheerleaders are looking forward to an exciting season and the opportunity to cheer in Miami over the Christmas holidays.

Pictured: Montgomery Catholic Varsity Cheerleaders: Row 1: Gabby Lopez, Emily Madore, Rebecca Fields, Andria Ransdell, Lindsay Taylor, Rachel Castanza. Row 2: Jessica Balchunas, Cecily McAlpine, Elizabeth Daly, Emily Younker, Kristin Sutton, Kaitlyn Roberts, Rachel Forsyth.

Four Rising Seniors Score Perfect on AP American History Exam

Freshmen year of college just got a little easier for four rising seniors at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. Trey Griffith, Thomas Herge, Erin Plate, and Cynthia Weber sat for the Advanced Placement American History Exam this spring and scored 5 out of a possible 5 on the test. These students are enrolled in the honors program at Montgomery Catholic and took A.P. American History as part of the curriculum during their junior year of high school. These outstanding seniors will continue to take Advanced Placement courses their senior year and look forward to advancing their academic experience for college. Advanced Placement American History is taught by Mr. Mike Petrof, a class of 1970 Montgomery Catholic graduate and veteran Catholic school teacher of over twenty years.

Middle School Cheerleading Squad Sparkles at NCA Camp

The Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Middle School Cheerleading Squad recently attended the National Cheerleading Association’s Cheer Camp on the campus of Auburn University. The sixteen member squad brought home the spirit stick each night, two excellence ribbons during the first evaluation, one excellent and one outstanding ribbon on the second evaluation, and two superior ribbons for their final evaluation. During the camp, NCA awards the “All-American” status to cheerleaders who display superior qualities in all aspects of cheerleading including leadership, showmanship, and technique. Six members of the Middle School Cheerleading Squad were nominated to the NCA All-American Team. They were Elizabeth Walker and Liz Armstrong for tumbling, Taylor Lawhorn and Caitlyn Sears for jumps, and Captain Jessica Mount and Co-Captain Marissa Marmolejo were nominated for leadership. Of those six members who tried out for the team, Caitlyn Sears and Jessica Mount were named as NCA All-American Cheerleaders. As an All-American Cheerleader, Caitlyn and Jessica are eligible to participate in national NCA events, including performances at the Hula Bowl in Hawaii or the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Middle School Cheerleaders enjoyed their cheerleading camp experience and are looking forward to cheering on the Knights this fall.

Pictured Above: Montgomery Catholic Middle School Cheerleading Squad. seated: Co-Captain Marissa Marmolejo, Captain Jessica Mount. Kneeling: Elizabeth Walker, Christine Spotswood, Tonya Tousignant, Brittney Wilkinson, Morgan Foxworth, Madison Roberts, Rachel Ingram, and Mary Ashley Allen. Standing: Caitlin Sears, Blakely Savage, Liz Armstrong, Taylor Lawhorn, Murrey McDonald, Alex Kitchens.
NCA All-American Nominees: in front: Elizabeth Walker, standing L to R: Taylor Lawhorn, Caitlin Sears, Liz Armstrong, Jessica Mount, and Marissa Marmolejo.