The advent of spring brings more good news!
Congratulations to these recipients of the first-ever Educator of the Year Award recognized at the Mountain Education Foundation’s annual Celebration for Education: Jessica Matukewicz from Nolan Elementary; Tammy Burns from Thrasher Elementary; and both Allison Mulloy (MS) and William Greer (HS) from Signal Mountain Middle/High School.
This award is different from the Teacher of the Year recognitions at each school. Those from Nolan and SMMHS were mentioned in a prior column. This month, we want to also recognize Thrasher’s first grade teacher Sally Warm as Thrasher’s Teacher of the Year.
Congrats also to Thrasher Elementary first grade teachers Ashley Gorman and Liz Poynter, who were each awarded a teacher fellowship with the Medal of Honor Heritage Center for 2025.
Huge congrats to SMMHS senior Aoife Davis for being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate!
Kudos are also extended to these SMMHS students for earning a berth in the Governor’s Scholars program: Aidan Castellanet will focus on science and engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville; Isabelle Alpers will study international studies at the University of Memphis; and Clayton Lord is an alternate for the international studies school at Memphis.
Thrasher Elementary
Praise also is extended to Thrasher’s spelling bee winners.
Fifth grade winners were Harper Benefield, first place; Julia Stabler, second; and Marion Spiller, third. Fourth grade winners were Brooklyn Yeager, first; Walker Dowlen, second; and Morgaine Halloran, third.
Kudos to Thrasher’s fifth-graders for raising more than $3,500 for the American Heart Association in their annual jump rope competition! The top three fundraisers were Ayden Sharp, Welles Wingo, and Riggs Stephenson, who got to “pie a teacher” in front of other students.
SMMHS Fine Arts
Congrats to our middle and high school band students who earned a spot in this year’s Hamilton County All-County Clinics and Concerts.
In middle school, both Will Kennedy and Avery Simmons were county champions. In high school, both Fin Dodson and Grey Robertson were county champions. Many others also secured “chairs” in various level bands.
Kudos to the Signal Mountain Bands program for hosting its first WGI (Winter Guard International) competition, which brought more than 1,000 performers (with their box trucks and semi-trailers full of equipment) plus even more spectators to Signal. This was a huge fundraiser for the program and will likely become an annual event.
Applause extended to the SMMHS Theatre program for the middle school production of “The Aristocrats.”
SMMHS Youth in Government
Nearly 100 SMMHS students participated in the annual Capital Youth in Government conference in Nashville.
The following served as officers this year: Hanna Yang, speaker of the Red House; Luke Mueller, speaker pro temp of the Red Senate; Aidan Castellanet, chief clerk of the Red Senate; Campbell Miller, White and Blue Chief Engrossing Clerk; Issac Grant, transportation commissioner; Torin Young, education commissioner; Ben Marsden and Arshia Panicker, both commissioners for health.
Students recognized for outstanding bills were Ella Obringer, Adeline Ross, Andrew Baker, Declan Goff, Jimmy Giannasi, Cora Sawhill, Isabella Zotos, Ben Sapp, Hannah Harris, Rylan Yeager, Naomi Hays, and Darah Ford.
Outstanding statespersons were Aoife Davis, Reed Hampton, Preston Selby, Tyler Wiggins, Isabelle Alpers, Clayton Lord, Ethan Bhosale, Ben Sapp, and Rylan Yeager. Carver Snyder was an outstanding lobbyist.
Elected to the prestigious Conference on National Affairs was Hanna Yang, with Aoife Davis as an alternate.
Elected to serve as officers for the 2026 YIG conference were Clayton Lord, speaker of the Blue House; Ben Marsden, leader of the White Senate; and Hyrum Gee, Blue chief engrossing clerk. Congrats to all!
Signal Mountain’s Legal Eagles enjoyed lots of successes during their Mock Trial competition. The school’s Black Team was going into region finals as the team to beat when this column was submitted. More to come next month.
SMMHS Middle School Athletics
Congrats to the middle school’s baseball and softball teams on starting their season with wins! Golf, lacrosse, and cross country teams are underway now.
SMMHS High School Athletics
First, congrats to members of the Lady Eagles Soccer team who helped the team earn a TSSAA Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Award with a collective 3.8 GPA or greater!
Now, a huge congrats to senior Ethan Uhorchuk for becoming a five-time state champion! He started his high school career by “playing up” in eighth grade. His brother JoJo Uhorchuk became a three-time state champion, and Jackson Davis won his second consecutive state championship.
Signal Mountain wrestling also set a school record, scoring 127.5 points enroute to a second place team finish. Others who helped secure this achievement were Luke Higdon, who became a three-time state placer with a third place finish, and Christian Davis, a two-time state placer with a fifth place finish.
Huge congrats to Chris Kennedy for becoming Signal Mountain’s all-time leading scorer in basketball!
Unfortunately, the boys’ basketball season ended at the district tournament. Kennedy and Christian Thompson made the 6AAA all District team. Our Lady Eagles basketball team made it to region quarterfinals. Callie Cooper and Tessa Roberson were named to the All-District team.
Kudos to student athletes who placed in the Tennessee State Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The highlight was junior Marlee Burkley, who placed first in the high jump with a jump of 5 feet 7 inches, which set a new personal record, new school record, and tied her for 20th in the nation! She also placed third in the 60-meter hurdles.
Other Top 10 placers at this state event were Hudson Sveadas, Lydia Moore, the girls’ relay team (Maxine Richards, MacKenzie Lockery, Naomi Malone, Hannah Laramore), and the boys’ relay team (Mitch Simmons, Aiden Haun, Murphy Self and Sam Laramore).
All these are also strong contenders for the regular Outdoor Track and Field program, which is just starting its season now.
Signal Mountain’s high school swim and dive team placed 30 out of 65 teams at its state meet. Shout-outs to Avery May and Maddox May, who each set a new team record (in the 100-freestyle and 50-freestyle, respectively) and to diver Eliza Hardin, who placed 10th overall!
Congrats to our Eagles’ baseball, Lady Eagles lacrosse and softball teams for each opening their seasons with wins! Boys’ soccer, track and field, and high school tennis teams were just starting their regular seasons when this column was submitted.
by Melissa Barrett
Congratulations to these recipients of the first-ever Educator of the Year Award recognized at the Mountain Education Foundation’s annual Celebration for Education: Jessica Matukewicz from Nolan Elementary; Tammy Burns from Thrasher Elementary; and both Allison Mulloy (MS) and William Greer (HS) from Signal Mountain Middle/High School.
This award is different from the Teacher of the Year recognitions at each school. Those from Nolan and SMMHS were mentioned in a prior column. This month, we want to also recognize Thrasher’s first grade teacher Sally Warm as Thrasher’s Teacher of the Year.
Congrats also to Thrasher Elementary first grade teachers Ashley Gorman and Liz Poynter, who were each awarded a teacher fellowship with the Medal of Honor Heritage Center for 2025.
Huge congrats to SMMHS senior Aoife Davis for being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate!
Kudos are also extended to these SMMHS students for earning a berth in the Governor’s Scholars program: Aidan Castellanet will focus on science and engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville; Isabelle Alpers will study international studies at the University of Memphis; and Clayton Lord is an alternate for the international studies school at Memphis.
Thrasher Elementary
Praise also is extended to Thrasher’s spelling bee winners.
Fifth grade winners were Harper Benefield, first place; Julia Stabler, second; and Marion Spiller, third. Fourth grade winners were Brooklyn Yeager, first; Walker Dowlen, second; and Morgaine Halloran, third.
Kudos to Thrasher’s fifth-graders for raising more than $3,500 for the American Heart Association in their annual jump rope competition! The top three fundraisers were Ayden Sharp, Welles Wingo, and Riggs Stephenson, who got to “pie a teacher” in front of other students.
SMMHS Fine Arts
Congrats to our middle and high school band students who earned a spot in this year’s Hamilton County All-County Clinics and Concerts.
In middle school, both Will Kennedy and Avery Simmons were county champions. In high school, both Fin Dodson and Grey Robertson were county champions. Many others also secured “chairs” in various level bands.
Kudos to the Signal Mountain Bands program for hosting its first WGI (Winter Guard International) competition, which brought more than 1,000 performers (with their box trucks and semi-trailers full of equipment) plus even more spectators to Signal. This was a huge fundraiser for the program and will likely become an annual event.
Applause extended to the SMMHS Theatre program for the middle school production of “The Aristocrats.”
SMMHS Youth in Government
Nearly 100 SMMHS students participated in the annual Capital Youth in Government conference in Nashville.
The following served as officers this year: Hanna Yang, speaker of the Red House; Luke Mueller, speaker pro temp of the Red Senate; Aidan Castellanet, chief clerk of the Red Senate; Campbell Miller, White and Blue Chief Engrossing Clerk; Issac Grant, transportation commissioner; Torin Young, education commissioner; Ben Marsden and Arshia Panicker, both commissioners for health.
Students recognized for outstanding bills were Ella Obringer, Adeline Ross, Andrew Baker, Declan Goff, Jimmy Giannasi, Cora Sawhill, Isabella Zotos, Ben Sapp, Hannah Harris, Rylan Yeager, Naomi Hays, and Darah Ford.
Outstanding statespersons were Aoife Davis, Reed Hampton, Preston Selby, Tyler Wiggins, Isabelle Alpers, Clayton Lord, Ethan Bhosale, Ben Sapp, and Rylan Yeager. Carver Snyder was an outstanding lobbyist.
Elected to the prestigious Conference on National Affairs was Hanna Yang, with Aoife Davis as an alternate.
Elected to serve as officers for the 2026 YIG conference were Clayton Lord, speaker of the Blue House; Ben Marsden, leader of the White Senate; and Hyrum Gee, Blue chief engrossing clerk. Congrats to all!
Signal Mountain’s Legal Eagles enjoyed lots of successes during their Mock Trial competition. The school’s Black Team was going into region finals as the team to beat when this column was submitted. More to come next month.
SMMHS Middle School Athletics
Congrats to the middle school’s baseball and softball teams on starting their season with wins! Golf, lacrosse, and cross country teams are underway now.
SMMHS High School Athletics
First, congrats to members of the Lady Eagles Soccer team who helped the team earn a TSSAA Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Award with a collective 3.8 GPA or greater!
Now, a huge congrats to senior Ethan Uhorchuk for becoming a five-time state champion! He started his high school career by “playing up” in eighth grade. His brother JoJo Uhorchuk became a three-time state champion, and Jackson Davis won his second consecutive state championship.
Signal Mountain wrestling also set a school record, scoring 127.5 points enroute to a second place team finish. Others who helped secure this achievement were Luke Higdon, who became a three-time state placer with a third place finish, and Christian Davis, a two-time state placer with a fifth place finish.
Huge congrats to Chris Kennedy for becoming Signal Mountain’s all-time leading scorer in basketball!
Unfortunately, the boys’ basketball season ended at the district tournament. Kennedy and Christian Thompson made the 6AAA all District team. Our Lady Eagles basketball team made it to region quarterfinals. Callie Cooper and Tessa Roberson were named to the All-District team.
Kudos to student athletes who placed in the Tennessee State Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The highlight was junior Marlee Burkley, who placed first in the high jump with a jump of 5 feet 7 inches, which set a new personal record, new school record, and tied her for 20th in the nation! She also placed third in the 60-meter hurdles.
Other Top 10 placers at this state event were Hudson Sveadas, Lydia Moore, the girls’ relay team (Maxine Richards, MacKenzie Lockery, Naomi Malone, Hannah Laramore), and the boys’ relay team (Mitch Simmons, Aiden Haun, Murphy Self and Sam Laramore).
All these are also strong contenders for the regular Outdoor Track and Field program, which is just starting its season now.
Signal Mountain’s high school swim and dive team placed 30 out of 65 teams at its state meet. Shout-outs to Avery May and Maddox May, who each set a new team record (in the 100-freestyle and 50-freestyle, respectively) and to diver Eliza Hardin, who placed 10th overall!
Congrats to our Eagles’ baseball, Lady Eagles lacrosse and softball teams for each opening their seasons with wins! Boys’ soccer, track and field, and high school tennis teams were just starting their regular seasons when this column was submitted.
by Melissa Barrett
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