Hear from our players and coaches in Hill Country News’ article featuring our football team in their August 27 issue. Check it out by clicking on the link below.
http://www.hillcountrynews.com/articles/2009/08/25/sports/sports23.txt
Archive for August, 2009
For Immediate Release
Re: Hill Country Athletics
June 3, 2009
AUSTIN – The 2008-2009 school year turned out to be tremendously successful for the athletics teams at Hill Country Christian School of Austin. All but one of the school’s varsity teams made its division’s TAPPS state playoff tournament, and the one that didn’t – boys’ basketball – still had a winning record.
The highlight of the year, though, was a record-setting individual performance from junior distance runner Caroline Janssen, who won three individual state championships, including the TAPPS 2A cross country title in the fall, as well as the 2A 1600 and 3200 meter races in the spring State Track Meet.
The varsity 6-man football Knights posted a 7-5 record, were district champs, and made it to the TAPPS regional finals before falling to Greenville Christian. Varsity volleyball and girls varsity basketball each made it to the bi-district round of the playoffs, and the girls basketball team won a school record 23 games.
In the spring, the varsity baseball team also won a school record 17 games, was bi-district champion, and came with one run of advancing to the regional finals.
Middle school sports also tasted great success this past school year, with the middle school football team playing its first season of 11-man ball, and posting an impressive 7-1 record. The middle school “A” volleyball team – the younger of the two middle school teams – advanced all the way to the finals of the post-season Austin Christian Athletic Association tournament. Both the boys and girls middle school basketball teams experienced wining records and strong finishes, and the middle school track team won the ACAA meet.
The stage is set with many returning student athletes for another strong run in 2009-2010.
Pete Craycroft
Athletic Director
I am pleased to share some good news about the state of our academic program at HCCSA. This summer, I have taken advantage of the opportunity to look at how our students are doing compared to students in other schools across the country. As you know, we administer the Stanford Achievement Test to all students in grades 1-8. This norm-referenced test allows us to compare the academic skills of our students with students in both public and private schools throughout the nation. I also reviewed the PSAT and SAT scores of our high school students. Below are the results of my analysis.
On the Stanford Achievement Test our students, after averaging each grade level, scored in the top 14% on the National Percentile Rankings (NPR). Three years ago, our students were scoring in the top 18%. If we narrow the comparison to students in Christian schools, a more selective group or norm, our students average in the top 28%. Three years ago, HCCSA students were in the top 34% on ACSI NPR.
You will be interested to know that the two sub-tests in which our students scored highest were thinking skills and math problem-solving. I believe this is an endorsement of our classical philosophy which emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving. In 7th and 8th grades, our students were achieving at the grade equivalency of Post-High School in these two areas.
What is most interesting to me is that I looked at individual grade performances over a three year period and I observed that the average increase in the NPR was 3%. In other words, as our students advance in grade level, their relative performance improves.
I am also pleased with the academic performance of our high school students. Looking at the last three years of 11th graders taking the PSAT, HCCSA students improved their Selection Index from an average of 162 to 173. The Class of 2009 had a mid 50% range of 1140-1350 on the two-part (verbal and quantitative) SAT compared to a range of 1030-1300 two years ago.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic about our high school, however, was the amount of academic scholarships awarded to our senior class as they matriculate into college next year. 12 of the 18 graduates (2/3 of our senior class) were offered a cumulative total of $811,350 in merit-based (non-financial aid) scholarships. This is an average of over $67,000 per student. The cumulative amount of academic scholarships accepted by these 12 students amounted to $445,650, or an average of $37,138. The value of scholarships accepted by our students ranged from $1500 to $110,000. These scholarships were offered by highly selective colleges and universities such as Trinity University, Austin College, Baylor, TCU, UT-Dallas, Texas A&M, and University of Mary-Hardin Baylor. Furthermore, two of our graduates recently tested out of 16 and 10 (respectively) credit hours for Spanish placement in college. Clearly, the investment these families made in HCCSA has paid great dividends!
Thank you for taking time to read this lengthy update. I hope you are as proud of our school and its academic excellence as I am!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Bill McGee
Head Master
HCCSA Latin Team Wins 3rd Place in the Nation
Hill Country Christian School of Austin’s chapter of the National Junior Classical League attended their first National Convention this year. The 56th Annual National Junior Classical League Convention was held July 27 – August 1 at the University of California, Davis. It was an exciting week, filled with competition, camaraderie, and classics. HCCSA’s eleven students performed extraordinarily well in contests as diverse as Certamen (Latin Quiz Bowl), Graphic Arts, Costume, Academic Tests, and Olympika (sports). This year’s convention was held on the beautiful campus of the University of California at Davis. Over 1500 students from around the nation attended, along with their teachers and chaperones. A summary of the accomplishments of HCCSA students in every area of competition is included below.
Certamen Team
One of the many events that occurs at the National Convention is called Certamen, Latin for struggle. It is a quiz-bowl style game in which three teams of four players each buzz in to answer questions on Latin grammar, Latin vocabulary, Classical Mythology, and Roman history and culture. A combined Certamen team, consisting of players from both HCCSA and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, won State in the Novice Division of Certamen to advance to Nationals. HCCSA has had a Latin Club and Certamen Team since October of 2006. St. Andrew’s has a long and illustrious history as one of the best Certamen programs in the nation. The teams combined after the Regional competition to create only Novice Division Certamen teams in the Central Texas since 1987 to represent Texas at Nationals.
The team consisted of four players and four alternates, all of whom earned their positions by points challenges during the thrice weekly summer practices. The HCCSA players, whose specialties are listed after their names, were Jonathan Mitchell (captain and language skills), Shane Jasek (mythology), and Laura Mahaney (history and culture). HCCSA’s alternate player was Jack Horton, the language skills alternate. St. Andrew’s players were Connor Butler (all-around), Trace Turner (mythology alternate), lSt. Andrew’s all-around alternate was Rachel Dimston (all around alternate) and Robert Luke (all around alternate).The HCCSA coaches were Madalyn Roth and Erin Valdez, and the St. Andrew’s coaches were Lauren Dill and Nathan Michaud.
In the preliminary rounds at Nationals, the Novice team was one of fifteen teams from across the nation to compete for enough points to advance to the Semi-Final round. Having accomplished this, the Novice team faced elimination in the Semi-Finals against Louisiana and Tennessee. In a very exciting twist, HCCSA’s mythology player, Shane Jasek, was disqualified on a technicality before the round could begin. As a result, mythology alternate Trace Turner, was subbed in the last minute. Tennessee and Texas kept Louisiana scoreless. Texas led Tennessee by a margin of ten points going into the final question, which was to be mythology. Each correct buzz is worth ten points, and players can earn up to twenty by answering correctly bonus questions. Thus, Texas had to beat Tennessee on the last question or most likely be eliminated. Connor Bulter buzzed in before the question could be finished to score the last buzz for Texas, thus advancing the team to the Finals.
In Final Round of the Novice Certamen Division, Texas faced the perennial powerhouses of Florida and Virginia. The Texas line-up was Jonathan Mitchell, Shane Jasek, Laura Mahaney, and Connor Butler. It was an exciting and hard-fought round in which Florida in the end prevailed over Virginia and Texas. HCCSA’s players represented the state of Texas and their school with honor and excellence and are determined to claim the Intermediate Division National Championship next year. The team and their coaches encourage spectators come to the Certamen tournaments held through out the school year. Information on this season’s line-up can be obtained by contacting Erin Valdez.
Academic Contests
Students were able to take eighteen individual Academic tests on subjects related to the classics, such as Latin Grammar, Latin Vocabulary, Latin and Greek derivatives, Classical Mythology, Greek and Roman history, and many more. Individuals received ribbons or certificates for scores in the top ten places of their category.
Aidan Aannestad, Level II:
· Greek Derivatives, First Place
· Latin Derivatives, First Place
· Academic Heptathlon, Third Place
· Reading Comprehension, Third Place
· Ancient Geography, Fifth Place
· Hellenic History, Sixth Place
· Latin Literature, Sixth Place
· Latin Vocabulary, Sixth Place
Aidan Aannestad, Level III:
· Advanced Grammar, First Place
Dacien Barnes, Level ½ :
· Greek Derivatives, Fifth Place
· Hellenic History, Ninth Place
Nathan Brown, Level ½ :
· Classical Art, First Place
· Latin Vocabulary, First Place
· Mottoes, Fifth Place
· Ancient Geography, Seventh Place
· Roman History, Seventh Place
· Reading Comprehension, Tenth Place
Jack Horton, Level ½ :
· Reading Comprehension, Second Place
· Latin Vocabulary, Fourth Place
· Latin Grammar, Seventh Place
Jesse Jasek, Level II:
· Mythology, Tenth Place
Shane Jasek, Level 1:
· Mythology, Sixth Place
Jonathan Mitchell, Level I:
· Latin Vocabulary, First Place
· Latin Grammar, Eighth Place
· Latin Literature, Tenth Place
Graphic Arts
The Creative Arts division includes competitions in classically themed photography, posters, greeting cards, mixed media, games, sculpture, dolls, and many, many more. HCCSA’s impressive results are listed below. Individual sweepstakes points are assigned for each fifth place or better award. Chloe Policke, who spent her summer in arts classes and creating her entries, won HCCSA’s first overall sweepstakes award, Sixth Place in the Graphic Arts. For more information on the Graphic Arts competitions and how to get involved, contact Madalyn Roth.
Joshua Andrews, Grade Ten
· Greeting Cards, First Place
· Computer Photo, Fifth Place
· Traditional Photo, Sixth Place
Laura Mahaney
· Traditional Scrapbook, Small, Ninth Place
Chloe Policke, Grades 7-9. Overall Graphic Arts Sweepstakes Award, Sixth Place.
· Jewelry, First Place
· Games, Second Place
· Glass, Second Place
· Textiles, Second Place
· Acrylic/Oils, Third Place
· Charcoal, Third Place
· Posters: Drawn, Third Place
· Charts: Drawn, Third Place
· Mosaics, Sixth Place
· Maps, Sixth Place
· Watercolor, Sixth Place
· Illustrated Quotes, Sixth Place
· Colored Pencil, Ninth Place
Creative Arts
The Creative Arts division includes competitions in Costume, Dramatic Interpretation (memorization of a Latin passage and dramatic oral delivery thereof), Latin Oratory (delivery of an Latin speech), and many more. For more information on how to take part in Creative Arts competitions, contact Madalyn Roth.
Joshua Andrews, Level II
· Costume - Boys, Third Place (Pluto)
Lindy Martin, Level I
· Costume – Girls, Second Place (Ceres)
Laura Mahaney, Level I
· Costume – Girls, Eighth Place (Ceres)
· Costume – Couples, Second Place (Antony and Cleopatra)
Jonathan Mitchel, Level I
· Costume – Couples, Second Place (Antony and Cleopatra)
Olympika (Athletics)
Olympika contests included swimming and track events this year. HCCSA had several impressive athletes who competed in this events with students from around the nation.
Dacien Barnes, Junior Boys:
· 50-yard Butterfly, Third Place
· 50-yard Freestyle, Third Place
Laura Mahaney, Junior Girls
· 50-yard Breaststroke, Sixth Place
Chloe Policke, Junior Girls
· 200 Meter Track, Forth Place
· 100 Meter Track, Fifth Place
