Board Highlights

Thank you to Principal Stasi Willmon for organizing her Pre-K students to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at last night's Board of Education meeting.

The Piper High School Boys Swim Team was recognized for an incredible and historic season.

The team placed 2nd at the UKC Championship Meet, nearly defeating the long-standing champions from Lansing. They carried that momentum into the KSHSAA 1A–5A State Swim Meet, where they finished 8th overall out of 36 teams, the highest finish in school history. Prior to this season, the best finish for Piper was 18th place.

Several swimmers delivered outstanding performances at state. Sean Nguyen earned a 7th place state medal in the 200 Freestyle, while Logan Broek finished 14th. In the 500 Freestyle, Nguyen placed 15th and Broek 16th. The 200 Freestyle Relay team of Nguyen, Johnson Seal, Justus Lockamy, and Broek placed 8th, earning state medals. The 400 Freestyle Relay team of Nguyen, Gavin Trusskey, Lockamy, and Broek placed 6th in the state, earning medals and setting a new school record. The 200 Medley Relay team of Chase Kindle, Seal, Lockamy, and Avery Williams finished 18th.

Additional state team members included Gavin Hein, Owen Scruggs, and Jordan Joyce.

What made this season even more impressive was the adversity the team overcame. The program lost access to its community pool, and two state team members missed part of the season due to injuries. Despite those challenges, the team remained focused and resilient throughout the season.

The team is coached by Head Coach Amy Bartlow and Assistant Coach Em DePriest, and was joined at the recognition by Athletic Director Brian Gray.

Congratulations to the Piper High School Boys Swim Team on a truly historic season.

Freshman Gianna Hosler competed in the KSHSAA State Piano Festival in Wichita, where she received a Superior Rating. This honor reflected the talent, dedication, and hard work of this outstanding young performer.

Gianna is a remarkable student and an important part of the Piper High School choir program. She will accompany the Concert Choir in April, performing the primo piano part for The Rhythm of Life as part of a four-hand piano accompaniment.

Gianna was joined at the recognition by her vocal music teacher, Mrs. Shelly Cole.

Congratulations to Gianna Hosler on this outstanding achievement.

Senior Faith Paulakovich from the Piper High School Band program earned a tremendous honor by being selected to the prestigious Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) All-State 5/6A Honor Band.

This recognition is one of the highest achievements for high school musicians in Kansas. Faith successfully navigated a highly competitive and demanding audition process to be selected among the top student musicians from 5A and 6A schools across the state.

She then spent two full days in intensive rehearsals with talented peers from across Kansas before delivering an outstanding concert performance on Saturday, February 28, at Century II Concert Hall in Wichita.

Faith’s dedication, talent, and hard work have truly paid off, and she represented Piper High School with excellence on this statewide stage.

Faith was joined at the recognition by her band teacher, Mr. Josh Kelley.

Congratulations to Faith Paulakovich on this outstanding accomplishment.

For the first time in school history, the Piper High School Scholar’s Bowl team qualified for the State Tournament, an incredible accomplishment that reflected the hard work, dedication, and academic excellence of both students and staff. Scholar’s Bowl challenges students to demonstrate knowledge across a wide range of academic subjects, including science, mathematics, literature, history, and current events, making qualification for the state level a significant achievement.

The team included seniors Vinh Dark and Madi Raveill, junior Ava Foster, and sophomores Lily Hartig and Violet Bass, who represented Piper High School with outstanding preparation, teamwork, and academic skill throughout the season and at the state competition.

These students did an exceptional job representing Piper High School and showcasing the strength of the school’s academic programs.

The team was joined at the recognition by Head Coach Matt Richard and Assistant Coach Katie Gray, whose leadership, encouragement, and commitment to academic excellence helped guide the team to this historic milestone.

Congratulations to the Piper High School Scholar’s Bowl team and their coaches on this outstanding accomplishment.

The Piper High School Men’s Powerlifting Team completed an outstanding championship season, highlighted by a fifth-place finish at the Kansas 5A State Powerlifting Meet, competing against one of the strongest fields in the state.

Several Pirates delivered exceptional performances. Luke Johnson finished third overall in the 114 lb class, helping set the tone early for the team. Freshman Matthew Damron won the gold medal in the bench press for the 140 lb class, while senior Cooper Ward earned the silver medal in the same class. Jacob Bruce led Piper with an outstanding meet, earning a state runner-up finish in the 148 lb class while medaling in all three lifts. Trent Rymer also delivered a strong performance, earning bronze medals in both the squat and the clean and finishing third overall in the 165 lb division.

The meet also featured record-breaking performances for Piper. Connor Musil captured gold medals in both the squat and the clean while breaking Piper school records in both lifts. Roch Emanuel delivered one of the most memorable lifts of the meet with a 345-pound clean, setting a new Piper school record and earning a gold medal.

The success continued at the Kansas State Deadlift Meet, where Piper athletes had an incredible day on the platform. Luke Johnson, Eli Corral, Jacob Bruce, Aydin Metherell, and Trent Rymer each captured individual state championships. Matthew Damron finished as State Runner-Up overall, while Zion Foster and Jose Maderos earned bronze medals.

The meet also featured another historic moment for Piper. Senior Arrin Taylor broke the Piper school record in the bench press and earned a gold medal with a 325-pound press.

The district also recognized the senior members of this year’s men’s powerlifting team: Arrin Taylor, Aydin Metherell, Conner Johnson, Connor Musil, Cooper Ward, Gabe Willmon, Jacob Bruce, Jonathan Gregory, Jordan Harper, Jose Maderos, Julian Machuca, Roch Emanuel, Trent Rymer, Shinji Pollard, and Westin Haworth, along with Head Coach Kevin Coker and Assistant Coach Justin Richmond.

These young men helped build the standard for Piper Powerlifting, and the district thanks them for their leadership, dedication, and the pride with which they represented Piper High School.

The Piper High School Women’s Powerlifting Team completed an outstanding championship season, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Kansas 5A State Clean Meet and a State Runner-Up finish at the Kansas 5A State Deadlift Meet.

At the Kansas 5A State Powerlifting Meet, several Piper athletes delivered podium performances. Natalie McCoy, Rylee Burke, and Calei McConnell each earned State Runner-Up honors, while Nora Turney captured a bronze medal for total weight lifted in her division. The team’s depth and competitiveness across multiple weight classes helped the Pirates secure a third-place team finish in one of the strongest fields in recent years.

The success continued at the Kansas 5A State Deadlift Meet, where the Piper women finished as State Runner-Up as a team. Ellie Bennett was crowned the 172 lb State Champion, winning gold in the squat and bench press while also earning Heavyweight Lifter of the Meet, awarded to the top heavyweight pound-for-pound lifter in Kansas 5A Powerlifting.

Additional podium finishes came from Sadie Young, Ava Foster, Sophia Maderos, and Melissa Hawkins, who each earned State Runner-Up honors, while Molly Wilson and Isabella Larrosa captured bronze medals.

These accomplishments reflected the discipline, teamwork, and pride that define Piper Powerlifting, and the district is incredibly proud of how these young women represented Piper High School.

The Pirates were led this season by seven seniors: Abby Everson, Alena Green, Calei McConnell, Isabella Larrosa, Lillie Bauer, Natalie McCoy, and Nora Turney, along with Head Coach Kevin Coker and Assistant Coach Justin Richmond.

The Piper High School Wrestling program celebrated an outstanding season, with six boys and nine girls qualifying for the KSHSAA State Wrestling Tournament. The team also set a school record with eleven athletes advancing to day two of the state tournament, a milestone that reflected the program’s dedication, preparation, and relentless work ethic throughout the season.

This level of success came from early mornings, demanding practices, learning from difficult losses, holding one another accountable, and committing to improvement every day.

Boys State Qualifiers

Sophomore Josh Richardson (113 lbs) qualified for state for the first time after a tremendous offseason where he led the team in attendance at voluntary workouts and training opportunities.

Junior Dawson Dunn (138 lbs) qualified for state and advanced to day two of the tournament for the third time in his career, continuing to climb the career statistical leaderboards at Piper.

Junior Emiliano Martinez (157 lbs) also qualified for the third time, setting the tone in the program as one of the hardest workers on the team.

Freshman Dane Gibson (165 lbs) qualified in his first varsity season after missing the second half of the year with a shoulder injury. He was cleared to compete just four days before regionals, demonstrating tremendous toughness and determination.

Senior Mack Capps (175 lbs) qualified for state for the first time and finished one match away from becoming a state placer, capping off a strong career for the Pirates.

Junior Keyon White (190 lbs) qualified and advanced to day two of the state tournament in his first year on varsity, competing a weight class above his natural weight.

Girls State Qualifiers

Senior Abrianna Everson (100 lbs) qualified for state for the third time and finished one match away from placing. She now ranks in the top 20 in Kansas history in escapes and reversals.

Freshman Penny Dolinar (105 lbs) made an immediate impact by finishing 4th in the state in her first high school season, an accomplishment that surprised many across the state but not her coaches or teammates.

Sophomore Savanna Bruce (110 lbs) qualified for the second consecutive year, continuing the strong performance she began as a freshman while competing up a weight class.

Junior Rylee Burke (120 lbs) became a two-time state placer, finishing 4th this season after placing 3rd last year, and continues climbing both Piper and Kansas all-time leaderboards.

Senior Maia Dolinar (140 lbs) captured her second state championship, becoming a three-time state finalist and earning several top-10 records in Kansas history. She will go down as one of the all-time great wrestlers in both Piper and Kansas wrestling history.

Senior Olivia Schneider (145 lbs) qualified for state for the second time, continuing to demonstrate the toughness and grit she is known for.

Junior Yazmin Sullivan (170 lbs) qualified for state for the first time, showing tremendous improvement by tripling her win total from her sophomore season.

Senior Cadence Schneider (190 lbs) qualified for state for the first time in her first full season as a varsity starter, competing a weight class above her natural weight and often giving up nearly 20 pounds to her opponents.

Sophomore Nia Patterson (Heavyweight) qualified for state for the second consecutive year and finished one match away from becoming a state placer, often competing against opponents who outweighed her by as much as 45 pounds.

The Piper wrestling program continues to build a reputation for competing at a high level while demonstrating selflessness and determination. Many athletes compete above their natural weight classes for the benefit of the team and continue to succeed while doing so.

The program is led by Head Coaches Jimmy Thompson and Salvador Aleman, with Assistant Coaches Elizabeth Thompson, Josh Mendoza, and Tawny Cater.

Congratulations to these outstanding student-athletes and coaches on an exceptional season representing Piper High School.

This month’s Classified Purple Reign Award is presented to Diane Baumgartner, Registered Nurse at Piper Early Childhood Center.

Diane was nominated by her supervisor, who shared that she is someone you can always count on. Her flexibility allows her to adjust seamlessly to changing needs, and she never hesitates to step in and help wherever support is needed. Diane generously shares her advice and experience while remaining open to feedback and expectations.

Her team-first attitude and dedication to supporting students and staff make a meaningful difference every day. We are grateful for Diane’s commitment and proud to recognize her as this month’s Classified Purple Reign Award recipient. Diane was joined by her principal, Mrs. Stasi Willmon.

This month’s Certified Purple Reign Award is presented to T.J. Dorian, Agriculture Teacher, FFA Sponsor, and Football Coach.

The BOE approved Allison Armstrong, Ashley Biondi, and Melanie Bakarich to serve on the

2026-2027 Negotiations Committee.

Follow the link below for updates from Dr. Jessica Dain.