Congrats to SPHS varsity trap team for placing sixth in Class 7A at last weekend's MN Trap Shooting Championships in Alexandria on Sunday (June 17).

The Saints' Trevor Powers was the top finisher placing 4th after hitting 99 of 100. Other scorers for the Saints included Blake Makela (97), Jesse Tate (94), Noah Klaseus (93), and Bennett DeBlieck 90. Other varsity shooters included Nathan Pauly, James Gran, Cole Deegan, Brad Boyer, and Jaxson Witty.

With their top-40 finish in all nine classes combined (31st out of 40), SPHS advances to this Friday's MN State High School League's Clay Target State Tournament in Prior Lake. Those Saints shooting on Friday include Trevor Powers, Blake Makela, Jesse Tate, Noah Klaseus, and Landon Gran.

"Our team members really overcame a lot of weather-related issues, including several who had to shoot in the pouring rain," Saints co-head coach Doug Boyer said. "The best part is, no matter how bad the weather got, the way our kids were shooting that day you couldn't pull them off the line. Most of them were that much in a zone.

"We had so many shooters turn in personal best scores and, as a team, we are peaking at the right time. To not even existing four years ago to qualifying for the Minnesota State High School League's state tournament says a lot about the group of kids we have out for trap shooting. We are led by an outstanding group of seniors, and it's great to see this season coming to an end like it is."

Later this summer, the Saints will also send a seven-member contingent to Mason, Michigan, to compete in the National High School Trap Shooting Championships on July 12-15

In other results from last weekend's state shoot in Alexandria, the Saints' junior varsity took first in class 7A. Landon Gran placed fourth with a 92 to lead the Saints while teammates Kendrick Wilking and Mitch Pettis helped out with each recording a score of 90. Kia Maas was the top girls JV shooter with an 89.

The Saints' novice team placed second in the Class 7A team standings led by Carter Wendroth (79 out of 100), Mackenzie Pettis and Jack Sourbeck (each with 78).

Saint Peter High School’s graduating class of 2018 is unique in many ways, but one of the most telling about this year’s senior class is there are seven sets of twins who will be receiving diplomas on Thursday night during the graduation commencement ceremony.

The following is a profile of each set of twins from the SPHS senior class (listed alphabetically by last name):

GRETA & LILLIAN ANDERSON

Parents: Jeff and Sheila Anderson

Siblings: Maggie and Marty

Favorite memory as a twin during your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Greta) - All of the hilarious "twinception" moments, and always having a fun fact to share about myself when I meet new people at school.
* (Lillian) - I love having Greta to study with. It makes study sessions so much easier to get through, especially because we often end up laughing.

Favorite memory as a twin outside of your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Greta) - I was born five minutes after Lilly, so when I was little I believed that also meant I would die five minutes after her. Lilly and I always laugh thinking about my childhood plans for how I would spend my last five minutes on earth if she ever passed away.
* (Lillian) - I love having Greta as a twin because she is always there to make life's simple moments fun. For example, getting lost in a nursing home. One time Greta and I were at my mom's work when she asked us to grab something from her car. The nursing home consists of many rooms and hallways that all look exactly the same. After five minutes of wandering through a maze of doors and random corridors, Greta and I realized we were completely lost. The search to find our mom again was filled with  laughter as we found ourselves walking in circles, returning to the same polar bear painting again and again. We accidentally barged in on two old men shaking their canes at each other and walked past one very amused nurse at least five times. We eventually found my mom again, and we never did make it to the car.

LEIF & MATTHIAS ANNEXSTAD

Parents: Rolf and Jean Annexstad

Siblings: Emily Annexstad

Favorite memory as a twin during your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Matthias) In 11th grade, Leif and I started playing tennis. We played doubles together, and sometimes we played kids who were still in middle school. We were about twice as tall as them, and there are lots of funny pictures of us playing against kids who were so small compared to us.
* (Leif) My favorite memory in school would be trying to get all of the same classes (we only had two different classes in four years).

Favorite memory as a twin outside of your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Matthias) My favorite memory with Leif outside of school is showing dairy cattle together at the county and state fair. It's nice to have someone to work with to get the cows ready to show, and it's fun to compete against Leif in the show ring too.
* (Leif) My favorite memory outside of school would be all of the bike races we had as kids around the farm.

BETHANY & MIRANDA BRESNAHAN

Parents: Mike and Vicki Bresnahan

Siblings: None

Favorite memory as a twin during your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Bethany) My favorite memory at school with Miranda is going school-related events together and always having someone to sit with.
* (Miranda)  going to prom together.  

Favorite memory as a twin outside of your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Bethany) My favorite memory with Miranda is going out to the lake every weekend when we were younger or going to a restaurant and having the waitress give Miranda a kids menu and me a regular menu because she thought that Miranda was many years younger.
*(Miranda) going out to eat late at night

MAX & MCKINZIE FREDERICK

Parents: Matt & Sharlyn Frederick

Siblings: Ashley, Amanda, Abby, Alex, Madison, Jake, Alena, Jackson, Charlie, Ben, Ava, Sam, Penelope, Izzabele. (Age wise, Max and McKinzie are between Alex and Madison)

Favorite memory as a twin during your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Max) Having three of the same classes (with McKinzie) during our sophomore year, and helping each other with homework...but it was actually more like her helping me!
* (McKinzie) Having drivers education class together. I never had many of the same classes as him, so this was one time I could be at school with him. We basically learned how to drive together, and it was a pretty funny experience.

Favorite memory as a twin outside of your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Max) Going to Disney World when we were younger, and acting like kids back then.
* (McKinzie) Working together with him at our part time job at Arbys. It was really funny all the time, and we got to learn a lot together.

JOSIAH & MARA JOHNSON

Parents: Chris Johnson and Kim Devine-Johnson

Other siblings: Amos

Favorite memory as a twin during time as a student here at Saint Peter Public:
* (Mara) For sure swapping each other's clothes and glasses then sitting in one another's chair during choir. It took nearly the whole period for people to notice we had switched spots.
* (Josiah) When we wore the two-person sweater in the lip sync contest at homecoming (our sophomore year) and kicked butt...We took first!

Favorite memory as a twin outside of your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Mara) One of the counselors at the camp we went to started singing in front of everyone during lunch, "Mara and Josiah sitting in a tree"... well you know the rest of the song. It was almost the end of the week and she still hadn't figured out we were twins! That was neither the first nor the last time people have mistaken us for being a couple.
* (Josiah) When I got my permit and my mom had me drive back from the DMV and before we even left the parking lot Mara pushed herself into the backseat corner and was hyperventilating.

GRACE & JACOB PEHRSON

Parents:  Pat & Amy Pehrson

Siblings:  Luke Pehrson

Favorite memory as twins during your time here at St. Peter Public Schools:
* (Grace & Jacob) Helping Mrs. Voeltz during Special Education gym class.

Favorite memory as a twin outside of your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Grace & Jacob) Going up to the lake for vacation and walking cattle for the fair.

ANTONIA & TEAGAN WEISS

Parents: Rusty and Madonna Weiss

Siblings: Jessi and Kaelan

Favorite memory as twins during your time here at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Nia & Teagan) Playing Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-Dum in “Alice vs. Wonderland”!

Favorite memory as a twin outside of your time at Saint Peter Public Schools:
* (Nia & Teagan) Road tripping to Madison over spring break together. We jammed out to our favorite songs for a good four hours and then got to explore the city with our friends.

 

Seven Saints to take part in the team event; Trevor Powers also qualifies for individual event

Saint Peter High School’s trap team will be sending a varsity team to the first-ever National High School Trap Shooting Championships in Mason, Michigan, on July 12-15.

The Saints had 14 shooters overage a 19 or better (in a round of 25), which was the qualification to be a part of the national team competition. St. Peter’s team will take the following seven competitors (5 shooters and 2 alternates) to the National event in Michigan -- Trevor Powers, Blake Makela, Jesse Tate, James Gran, Noah Klaseus, Ben Eide, and Bennett DeBlieck. Powers also qualified for the individual competition.

Other Saints who scored high enough this season to compete at Nationals included Jaden Neubauer, Cole Pankratz, Brad Boyer, Cole Deegan, Jaxson Witty, Gage Kriese and Nathan Pauly. Head coaches for the SPHS trap team are Doug Boyer and Jesse Lager, while assistant coaches Chad DeBlieck and Jake Powers will accompany the team to nationals.

The National High School Trap Shooting Championships will feature a trap shooting competition for the highest-qualifying student athletes and teams throughout all affiliated state high school clay target leagues in the nation. Over 2,000 student athletes will represent around 280 teams from across the counter will compete at this national event, and over 5,000 spectators and dozens of exhibitors are expected to also attended.

Before the Saints’ contingent makes the trek to the national event, they will be among 43 SPHS shooters competing in the Minnesota State Trap Shooting Championships on June 17, in Alexandria. Results from the state and national events will be shared as they become available.

 

Current teacher & coach at NRHEG to begin his new position with District 508 on July 1

Saint Peter Public Schools has hired Jordan Paula as the activities director for the district’s grade 7-12 co-curricular programs. Paula is currently teaching and coaching at New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG) Public Schools.

Paula will officially take over as activities director on July 1 from Steve Alger, who resigned from the position earlier this spring to take the dean of students position at Saint Peter Middle School.

“This is an important position for our school district, and I am confident we have found the right person for the job,” Saint Peter High School Principal Annette Engeldinger said. “His commitment to both character and skill development through activities came across loud and clear from his references and during his interviews. His references also spoke to his strong work ethic, organization, and follow-through.”

Paula, who is a native of Brookings, S.D., earned his B.S. in Arts and Science with a major in economics and business followed by a Masters of Educational Leadership from South Dakota State University. He also played football and ran track while attending SDSU.

“It is incredibly humbling to have the opportunity to work for the St. Peter School District and serve the community as Activities Director,” Paula said. “The district has such a great reputation and the community has made a significant statement with the investment in the schools. I truly believe getting kids involved in school activities can lead them to becoming well-rounded individuals through teamwork and character development. I cannot wait to begin the year and start building relationships with the students, coaches, advisors, and members of the community.”

He has experience working as a development officer for the SDSU Athletic Department, as well as coaching and teaching for the past seven years at the middle/high school level. He also has several years of experience as an activities coordinator, and most recently he has been coaching and teaching at NRHEG.

Paula and his wife, Ketty, have two kids -- son, Bridger,4, and daughter, Collins, who will be 2 in July. Ketty, a native of Yankton, S.D., and also a graduate of SDSU, is an assistant women’s basketball coach at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

 

On May 17, the Saint Peter High School, Minnesota Valley School, and Rock Bend ALC students competed in the Annual Work Skills Competition at South Central College in North Mankato.

Amy Shevtsov, a Rock Bend student from St. Peter, won the entire competition with the highest score in the competition's history (367 out of 368). Amy took home a plague, gold medal, and $25 Best Buy gift card for her outstanding efforts!

Other notable mentions included Courtney White (SPHS) who took home a gold medal and Cassie Witt (SPHS) who took home a silver. Overall, there were 15 out of the 32 students from our Saint Peter Schools competing who placed in the top half of the competition!  

This year's competition had the highest attendance in the history of the program with 175 students and 13 school districts registered.  Student's compete in four areas related to work and job skills including General Knowledge, Problem Solving, Applications, and Interviewing.  Students are judged on their professional dress, etiquette, body language, written and verbal answers by volunteer business owners in the area.