What’s Going On: The 6th annual Special Olympics Game was a huge success! A large crowd gathered for the event, seen pictured above.
The Red Devil Network visited the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters state wide competition. This is only the second year that they’ve attended this competition, and they placed in four different categories. They received 4th place titles in both Sound Design and Cinematography, and 3rd place titles in Spot Production and Show Open/ Show Close.
The Academic Super Bowl Team had their conference tournament on March 12. This was the third year in a row that they received 1st place!
The Lowell High School Dodgeball Tournament took place, and after a hard fought battle between 48 teams, the Teacher Team came out victorious. This team consisted of Mr. Wong, Mr. Lukasik, Mr. Hudak, Mr. Deal, and Mr. Werling.
The school Spring Break group visited the East Coast this year. A group of students and staff visited Boston and New York City for two days each. They had a great time.
Many athletes were honored for their accomplishments at the Winter Sports Awards. Senior Dustin Hudak was named to the IBCA Honorable Mention All-State Team and sophomore Christopher Mantis was named to the Honorable Mention IBCA Underclassmen All-State Team.
What’s Coming Up: College Information Night will take place on April 16th in the Lowell High School auditorium. This will be an informational meeting for all sophomores and juniors planning to attend college. There will be representatives present from Indiana University, Purdue University Lafayette, Purdue University Northwest, IUPUI, Ball State, Valparaiso, Ivy Tech, and Manchester.
Fans can catch several baseball and softball games as the seasons have officially begun. The next baseball game is April 16. The next home softball game is April 17.
Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Benecki
Mrs. Benecki is the Guidance Department Secretary, who keeps the department running smoothly and efficiently, which is no small feat. The guidance office can be a busy place, from students changing schedules, to seniors rushing to fill out scholarships and figuring out what college is for them. Mrs. Benecki has been working at Lowell High School since 2002, and has been in the guidance office since 2009. Her primary duties are answering phones, entering data, and providing support to the counselors and students. Many students have received support from Mrs. Benecki, and the school as a whole appreciates what she does for everyone.
“She livens up the guidance office and has been very helpful during my senior year,” said Nicole Russnak.
When she’s not working, Mrs. Benecki likes to spend time with family and friends. She’s also a huge fan of reality television, which is her guilty pleasure.
“What I love most about my job is seeing the students believe in themselves and pursue their goals and dreams. It's so wonderful to see students years later and hear about their journey in life,” Mrs. Benecki said.
Student Spotlight:
The Girl’s Track team has been off to a great start with their indoor season, shattering multiple records along the way. One of these records was established by the Distance Medley Relay, which was able to attend Indoor State at the Hoosier State Relays. At indoor state, they broke the standing record by 14 seconds, and received a 7th place finish. The DMR made history by doing this, becoming the first relay team in Lowell Girl’s Track history to medal at any state competition indoor or outdoor.
One of the athletes in this history-making Distance Medley Relay was sophomore Alexa Henke. She has proven to be a powerful sprinter for the Lowell team during her short time on the team. She ran the 400 for the Distance Medley Relay, running a personal record of 1:04.9.
Henke came onto the scene this year having just a year under her belt in varsity sprinting experience. That didn’t stop her from coming in and producing for the Lowell team.
Attending state is definitely a nerve-wracking, but exciting experience for all athletes. Alexa explained that she was most focused on trying to stay calm and not drop the baton. It’s safe to say that she accomplished both of these, as her performance reflects.
“My favorite part of track is spending time with my friends and seeing improvement in the team,” Henke said. Her times have been consistently improving, and her presence on the team has not been unnoticed. Her main goals for the remainder of this season is to keep seeing improvements in her times and to keep a positive attitude. With two whole years ahead of her, Henke’s future looks very promising.