Park Cities People 2019 Lady Scots Special Section

Saluting Female Athletes at Highland Park High School

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OCTOBER 2019

LADY SCOTS

MORE THAN HISTORY: HER STORY

Examining HP’s legacy of female athletic success

By Todd Jorgenson

(eight for Candace and five for Jennifer), while the Sacco sisters combined for seven (four for Brittany and three for Natalie). Arnold later won eight events during her four years.

People Newspapers

H

ighland Park has won at least one UIL state championship in a girls team sport in 23 of the past 38 years. And that doesn’t even count its dominance in the coed sport of team tennis.

That’s a remarkable run of consistency at a school best known for its prolific football program. The success has been spread out among four programs — cross country, golf, soccer, and swimming — resulting in countless trophies and memories along the way.

Let’s not forget state runner-up finishes for the volleyball team in 2003 and 2008, either. What’s your favorite HP Girl Power moment?

Let’s look back and salute some of the top female athletic achievements performances in school history.

Soccer

With their seventh state championship in April, the HP girls became the most accomplished soccer team of either gender in state history.

The first two state titles for the Lady Scots in 1994 and 1996 came before any enrollment classification split. They won the 4A titles in 2000 and 2002. And in 2012, after a 10-year title drought, HP topped Byron Nelson High School on penalty kicks to return to the top.

The Lady Scots again emerged victorious in 2017 and 2019, with a runner-up finish sandwiched in between. HP aims to go back-toback for the first time next spring and will do it with two state tournament MVPs — Presley Echols and Maja Davison — still on the roster.

Cross Country

HP female runners have 14 state championships as a team, and four individually, making it the most decorated girls sport at the school.

The Lady Scots took home three consecutive Class 4A titles from 1997 to 1999, with Emily Field winning the 1998 race to lead the way. HP accomplished the three-peat again from 2010 to 2012.

Other athletes to claim individual titles for the Lady Scots included Crystal McGuire in 1984, Sara Sutherland in 2007, and Natalie Rathjen in 2013.

Maybe most impressive is HP’s streak of sending at least one runner to the state meet for the past 44 years and counting.

Swimming

For the first decade of the 21st century, no team could touch

Golf

COURTESY HPISD

So many high-achieving teams have made cross country the most decorated girls sport at Highland Park.

BOTTOM LEFT: Lady Scots swimmers have enjoyed sustained success this century. RIGHT: With Donna Pierce, known as the “coach who didn’t play golf,” Lady Scots golfers claimed consecutive championships.

HP in the pool. The Lady Scots splashed to their first 4A championship in 2001 and didn’t relinquish the top spot for an unprecedented 10 years. That’s a record for any UIL sport that will be difficult to match.

The streak began in the second year after the UIL created separate 5A and 4A classifications for swimming. HP later made it 12 triumphs in 13 years by reclaiming the title in 2012 and 2013.

The swimmers who led those

gold-medal hauls remain among the best in school history — Brittany Sacco, Natalie Sacco, Jennifer Blackman, Candace Blackman, and Allison Arnold.

The Blackman sisters accounted for 13 individual gold medals

The heyday for the Lady Scots came in the late 1990s when HP won three consecutive 4A team titles between 1998 and 2000.

None of those squads included the most decorated individual female golfer in school history — Kelli Kuehne — who earned four straight crowns from 1992 to 1995. After a highly successful amateur career and an extended run on the LPGA Tour, she was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.

The Lady Scots added another state title in 2008, which was also the second time (including 2000) that they swept the 4A championships alongside their male counterparts.

LADY SCOTS

OCTOBER 2019

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‘Playing Like a Girl’ – In Other Words, Awesome!

CHRIS MCGATHEY

FROM LEFT: juniors Sophia Oliai and Elle Thompson running at Greenhill School meet.

FUTURE LOOKS FAST FOR TRADITION-RICH LADY SCOTS

S

usan Bailey could tell by the look on Sophia Oliai’s face that the Highland Park sophomore runner was going to have a good day.

Oliai finished fifth overall in the Class 5A state cross country meet last November in Round Rock, just seven-hundredths of a second behind the fourth-place finisher — a marked improvement from her 15th place finish as a freshman.

“It’s amazing, totally amazing,” said Bailey, the HP head coach. “It’s not easy doing well her freshman year and then trying to repeat. She was a determined young lady throughout the season.”

As a team, the Lady Scots finished fourth, yet another improvement following a seventh-place finish in 2017.

“I’m never happy unless you get up on the medal stand, but am I proud of them?

Of course,” Bailey said. “I want them to be rewarded for all their hard work. We’re very young, and we still have room to grow.”

After Oliai’s fifth-place finish in 18 minutes, 20.49 seconds, Alli Grace Ott (19:16.65) came in 34th, Cameron Fawcett (19:19.53) finished 39th, Maddy Stephens (19:46.57) brought home 64th place, Phoebe Spackman (20:00.45) finished 74th, Isabel Blaylock (20:13.18) finished

86th and Gracyn Applegate (20:20.50) came in 95th place.

Of HP’s seven runners, Stephens was the only senior, and the Lady Scots’ three fastest runners were underclassmen. So the future is bright for the team that has had at least one runner at the state meet every year since 1975.

Bailey said the thing that stood out about this team was its ability to learn and grow on the fly.

“Just being young and figuring out how to race at a high level makes a difference,” she said. “We were young last year, and we’re still young this year, and I think they’re learning. That’s different from some of the other teams I’ve been a part of. I’m pleased with what they did.”

– Staff report

Just being young and figuring out how to race at a high level make a difference.

Coach Susan Bailey

Not all sports experiences are winners, but many offer useful lessons. That’s how Park Cities People staffers see it.

“My mom put me in soccer, and when I got hot, I convinced my teammates to have a tea party in the middle of a game,” managing editor Bianca Montes recalled.

At least she learned what she likes.

“I was a bench-warmer for the C Team for my middle school’s basketball team,” production assistant Imani Chet Lytle recalled. “That should tell you how bad I am at sports.

“I never made a point,” she said. “However, participating in basketball taught me how to play well with others and how to follow instructions.”

Tanika Turner, a writer, recalled her time as a middle and high school cheerleader.

“Some don’t consider it a sport, but I do,” she said. So do we. Read about an inclusive group of cheerleaders on Page 11.

“When going to new schools you tend to stick with the people you know,” Turner said. “It forced me to meet new people.”

She’s also among staff members with a parent’s eye view. Her 10-year-old plays soccer.

“I do believe it is teaching her discipline and the ability to take direction,” Turner said.

Kate Martin, senior marketing consultant, and her daughter have benefited as well.

“Playing sports has taught teamwork, how to prepare for the big game, how to be a good sport, the feelings of a victory, the feelings of a loss, and time management,” she said. “All of the elements are still used daily.”

Publisher Pat Martin coached pre-K through third-grade co-ed soccer teams.

“I found that the girls, even though some of them chose to wear ribbons in their hair, were just as skilled and tough as the boys,” she said. “They seemed to be able to shake off a loss more quickly.”

Martin remembers a TV program that asked young girls and boys what it meant when someone says “throw like a girl.”

“To me, ‘kick like a girl’ means with skill, finesse, and mental toughness,” Martin said.

That’s especially true in Highland Park ISD where girls have established legacies as strong as any.

Thank you to our partner Comerica Bank for making it possible to produce this look at some of those athletes.

To me, ‘kick like a girl’ means with skill, finesse, and mental toughness.

Pat Martin

COMING UP What: Lady Scots Cross Country UIL Region II Meet When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 28 Where: Jesse Owens Memorial Athletic Complex, Dallas ISD

LAUREN LOYLESS

Girls sports teams have helped fill the trophy cases at Highland Park High School.

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OCTOBER 2019

LADY SCOTS

HAVING A BALL: SOCCER KEEPS CHAMPIONSHIP TRADITION 2019 ROSTER

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

Head coach: Stewart Brown No. Name Pos. Class 1 Maddie Johnson G Jr. 2 Ellen Wolfe M Jr. 3 Bella Mendoza M Fr. 4 Megan O’Neal M Jr. 5 Josie Hart M So. 6 Keller Matise D So. 7 Carlie Malone D Jr. 8 Ashlyn Meuse D Sr. 9 Kate White D Jr. 10 Presley Echols F Jr. 11 Racquel Pacewicz F Sr. 12 Halley Ray M Sr. 13 Ryan Bozman M Jr. 14 Kinsley Corn M Sr. 15 Amelia Stevens M So. 16 Isabella Yates D Jr. 17 Kathryn Franks F Sr. 18 Sydney Cox M Jr. 19 Grace Wolfe M Jr. 20 Kassity Garret M So. 21 Kiley Eckert M Jr. 22 Kendall Williams F Sr. 23 Maja Davison F So. 24 Michelle Weign G Jr. 25 Kylie Bell M Fr.

A

s Highland Park players and coaches gathered recently to celebrate the arrival of their Class 5A state championship rings, they commemorated both HP’s victory over Mansfield Legacy in the state title game in April and unprecedented long-term success.

HP’s seven championships are the most of any program (boys or girls) in the state. The Lady Scots have also made the most championship games (12) and the most state tournament appearances (13) of any team.

“There’s a great history and legacy of success,” HP head coach Stewart Brown said. “The girls know that. In our stadium, we have our state champions on the wall just like football does. These girls love competing for their school and representing their community.”

The state title also yielded plenty of team and individual accolades over the summer, including three players garnering All-American recognition.

Presley Echols was honored as an All-American by TopDrawerSoccer, United Soccer Coaches, Allstate Insurance, and USA Today. With 52 goals last season, Echols broke a school record previously set by Meredith Florence in 1996.

“This program is the most special thing I’ve ever been part of,” Echols said.

“There’re so many traditions, and so much that goes into it. That’s why we win because we believe in each other so much and never give up.”

Maja Davison followed up her Class 5A state tournament MVP honor with recognition as All-America by United Soccer Coaches, and all-state by TopDrawerSoccer and TASCO. Megan O’Neal also was an All-America selection by United Soccer Coaches and an all-state honoree by TASCO. O’Neal and Halley Ray were all-state choices by TopDrawerSoccer.

The Lady Scots finished with a 26-13 record and outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 160-14, with 19 shutouts. The offensive output sets a new school mark for a single season.

PHOTOS BY THAO NGUYEN

For the 2020 season, Highland Park returns nine starters in its quest for the first backto-back girls soccer state championships in program history.

2019 RESULTS Final record: 26-1-3 NONDISTRICT Cedar Park Plano East Mansfield Lake Ridge SB Smithson Valley Round Rock Cedar Ridge Austin Vandegrift Allen Richardson Pearce Rockwall-Heath

W, 3-1 W, 2-1 L, 3-1 W, 2-1 T, 0-0 T, 0-0 T, 0-0 W, 1-0 W, 2-0

DISTRICT 11-5A Carr. Newman Smith Conrad Bryan Adams Carrollton Creekview Carrollton R.L. Turner Thomas Jefferson Woodrow Wilson Carr. Newman Smith Conrad Bryan Adams Carrollton Creekview

W, 9-0 W, 11-1 W, 10-0 W, 2-0 W, 3-0 W, 9-0 W, 6-1 W, 9-0 W, 12-0 W, 12-0 W, 5-0

Carrollton R.L. Turner Thomas Jefferson Woodrow Wilson

W, 4-0 W, 12-0 W, 8-1

PLAYOFFS Kimball Frisco Centennial Frisco Wakeland North Forney Frisco Independence Kingwood Park Mansfield Legacy

W, 12-0 W, 6-3 W, 2-1 W, 8-0 W, 2-1 W, 4-1 W, 2-0

LADY SCOTS

OCTOBER 2019

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TROPHY HAUL Here’s a look back at HP’s state record seven girls soccer state championships.

Year Class Opponent 1994 All Arlington Martin 1996 All Austin Westlake 2000 4A Denton 2002 4A Cedar Park 2012 4A Byron Nelson 2017 5A Aledo 2019 5A Mansfield Legacy

Score 3-0 2-0 4-1 2-0 1-0 (SO) 5-3 2-0

2020 SCHEDULE January 2 Cedar Park 11:30 a.m.

3 Midlothian 1:30 p.m.

4 Mansfield Lake Ridge 11:30 a.m.

9-11 Round Rock tournament TBA 17 at Allen 7:30 p.m.

21 North Mesquite 7 p.m.

24 at Richardson Pearce 6:30 p.m.

28 Carr. Newman Smith* 7 p.m.

31 at Conrad* 7:30 p.m.

February 4 Bryan Adams* 7:30 p.m.

7 at Carr. Creekview* 7 p.m.

11 Carr. R.L. Turner* 7 p.m.

14 Thomas Jefferson* 7:30 p.m.

18 at Woodrow Wilson* 7:30 p.m.

21 at Carr. Newman Smith* 7 p.m.

25 Conrad* 7:30 p.m.

28 at Bryan Adams* 7:30 p.m.

March 3 Carr. Creekview* 7 p.m.

6 at Carr. R.L. Turner* 7 p.m.

13 at Thomas Jefferson* 7:30 p.m.

16 Woodrow Wilson* 7:30 p.m. * — District 11-5A game

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OCTOBER 2019

Presley Echols Class: Senior

LADY SCOTS STANDOUTS S SWIMMING C O R C OC C SO E SU N R T R Y Lindsey Hosch Class: Sophomore

Sophia Oliai Class: Junior

S O C C E R Megan O’Neal Class: Senior

LADY SCOTS STANDOUTS B A S K E T B A L L Ella Patterson Class: Junior

T E N N I S Katherine Petty Class: Senior

V O L L E Y B A L L Kendyl Reaugh Class: Senior

OCTOBER 2019

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GYMNASTICS

Linda Tran

Class: Sophomore

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OCTOBER 2019

LADY SCOTS

FOURTH TIME’S THE CHARM?

Uber-talented volleyball team looking to break second-round curse

By Tim Glaze

People Newspapers

I

t was a heartbreaking end to the 2018 season for head coach Michael Dearman and the Highland Park Lady Scots volleyball team.

After winning District 11-5A and cruising to a first-round playoff victory over Sunset, the Lady Scots drew perennial powerhouse Frisco Wakeland in the second round.

After dropping the first set, the Lady Scots took sets two and three and looked primed to pull off the upset in set four.

They are all very talented, and highly respected by their teammates.

Coach Michael Dearman But Wakeland rallied, winning set four and barely holding off Highland Park in the fifth and deciding set, 19-17, to eliminate the Lady Scots from the postseason. It was the third straight year that the Lady Scots lost in the second round of the playoffs.

But Dearman, who last year won his 600th game as a head coach, returns a high-

CHRIS MCGATHEY

Highland Park hopes to gain momentum from a difficult nondistrict schedule to prepare for this year’s playoffs ly experienced roster in 2019 and has set an early-season goal of merely winning another district title.

“Our expectations are very high this season,” Dearman said. “We have a very talented and experienced team this year. We have several players with three or four years of varsity experience and great leadership.”

That squad includes senior captains Avery Hullmuth, Jeanne Tulimieri, and Kendyl Reaugh, along with fellow seniors Kate Nugent and Lauren McMahon. Together, Dearman said, the five seniors have competed on the varsity squad for the majority of their high school careers and are looking for a deep playoff run to cap off their time at

Highland Park.

“They are all very talented, and highly respected by their teammates,” Dearman said.

The underclassmen are exciting as well, Dearman said, as three freshmen join the team in Sydney Breon, Ceci Gooch, and Grace Braner. Sophomore Bela Alomar joins the varsity squad this season as part of a talented group along with Emily Hellmuth, Kennedy Westendorff, A.C. Nichol, and Carter Ching.

An intense pre-season schedule could prove crucial for the Lady Scots going into district play. After an undefeated run last year in 11-5A, Dearman is hoping playing above the 5A level in pre-district will get his team ready for the rigors of November volleyball.

In addition to competitive tournaments like the Pearland Tournament, Justin Northwest Invitational, and the Plano Tournament, Highland Park played pre-district games against Allen, Red Oak, Byron Nelson, Keller, Midlothian, Bishop Lynch, and Plano.

“We had a very tough pre-season schedule, including matches against six of the top 6A teams in the state, and two top nationally-ranked teams,” Dearman said. “I thought we competed very well and have improved as a result of great competition.”

The real test for Highland Park will come in the playoffs, as the Lady Scots look for that elusive second-round victory.

Whether digging the ball or working at the net, four-year starter Kendyl Reaugh is one of the most talented and versatile players for Highland Park.

LADY SCOTS

OCTOBER 2019

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BASKETBALL RELOADS FOR NEW SEASON

With majority of team returning, Lady Scots eye deep playoff run

By Tim Glaze

People Newspapers

A

second-round loss to Frisco Centennial in the 2018-19 state playoffs did not sit well with the Highland Park Lady Scots basketball team.

With a slew of fresh faces and a strong returning class, the girls are eyeing a further postseason run in 2019-20.

After dismissing Adamson in the first round - Highland Park won the bi-district game by 40 points - Centennial clamped the Lady Scots in the second round, holding head coach Nicole Fleming’s team to less than 40 points in a 58-38 loss. Now, the Lady Scots will look to grab yet another top-four slot in district play.

“I really expect every girl to continue to develop every day, and contribute however they can and in the best interest of the team,” Fleming said. “There are so many ways to contribute, and every single girl has something to give. It’s not just about scoring the most points. Some of the most important things don’t even revolve around skill level - playing aware defensively, fighting for every rebound, communicating at all times.”

Instrumental in the progression of Fleming’s squad in 2019 will be the ironsharpens-iron approach that will be taken in the pre-district portion of the schedule.

Fleming has scheduled one of the toughest opening months of any girls’ team in the state. The Lady Scots will play scrimmages against Coppell and Marcus, single games against Rockwall-Heath and Bishop Lynch, and make appearances in prestigious tournaments like the Highland Park Scots Classic, the Garland Independent School District Tournament, and the highly-competitive Sandra Meadows Classic in Duncanville.

All of this is to serve the Lady Scots in their quest to win a district that features three Carrollton ISD schools and a few from Dallas ISD. “We have a very tough pre-season schedule on purpose,” Fleming said. “I expect all girls to play as hard as they can for 32 minutes, all while getting better each possession and being each other’s biggest fan.”

ROB GRAHAM

It will help having the reigning District Most Valuable Player returning for her junior season. Ella Patterson led the Lady Scots in scoring every night in District 115A play last season, surpassing 500 points for her varsity career by January.

Nearly the entire team from last year’s 22-win squad is back, as well, including junior Madison Visinsky, who was second on the team points and was recognized as the top newcomer by district coaches last year.

Second-team selection Riley Mae Herrod returns for her sophomore season, as well.

“They are veterans that have been there before, and they truly understand what a season looks and feels like,” Fleming said.

“I will be looking to my returners for supportive leadership - they have valuable insight they can pull from and give to any new athlete.”

BASKETBALL SCHEDULE NOVEMBER 8 12 18 21-23 25

at Arlington Seguin at Rockwall-Heath Bishop Lynch HP Scot Classic Mansfield Legacy

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

TBA 6:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 2 5-7 10 13 20 26-28 31

McKinney Garland ISD tournament at Carr. Ranchview at Lincoln Carr. Newman Smith* Duncanville tournament at Conrad*

6:30 p.m.

TBA 6:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

TBA 1:30 p.m.

JANUARY 3 7 10 14 17 21 24 28 31

Bryan Adams* at Carr. Creekview* Carr. R.L. Turner* Thomas Jefferson* at Woodrow Wilson* at Carr. Newman Smith* Conrad* at Bryan Adams* Carr. Creekview*

1:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY

The Lady Scots enter the season with lofty goals. Though without graduate Caroline Keogh (middle, left), the team returns players like Brianna Doyle and Avery Turner (bottom).

4 7 11

at Carr. R.L. Turner* 6:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson* 6:30 p.m.

Woodrow Wilson* 7:30 p.m. * — District 11-5A game

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OCTOBER 2019

LADY SCOTS

SINGLES, DOUBLES, TEAM TENNIS – HP GIRLS WANT IT ALL top-five 6A teams in the state.”

Challenges like those – against teams in a higher classification – will get the Scots ready for the state tournaments against the best 5A teams in the state. And, of course, the goal is always the same for Holden in late October.

“As always, we have the goal and expectation of winning a team tennis state championship,” he said.

By Tim Glaze

People Newspapers

W

hen a freshman wins a Class 5A state title in girls singles, it might be easy to rest on laurels heading into a new year.

That’s not the case for Bridget Stammel and the Highland Park tennis team. Besides Stammel, the team returns a stellar roster of girls including the duos of Annika Juergens and Lizann Boyer, and Nell Covington and Cambelle Henderson.

All told, the Scots return the top six girls players from last year’s state championship run, all with the goal of a fourth straight team tennis state championship in 2019.

“We have a very deep team on the girls’ side, and we expect our two senior captains – Annika and Nell – to lead the squad throughout the year,” said Dan Holden, Highland Park tennis coach.

Since 2001, Highland Park has captured 15 state titles, including a stretch of seven straight from 2008 through 2014 and a current streak of three straight. Last year’s team run was especially impressive: The Scots finished with

H . P. G I R L S R O S T E R

COURTESY HPISD

FROM LEFT: Scots seniors Nell Covington and Ashlee Newton celebrate. a 23-0 record and lost only two individual matches during the playoffs.

How dominant is the tennis program at Highland Park? The mixed doubles teams of Cole Burnam and Katherine Petty, and Rhett Bailey and Ashlee Newton faced each other in the state semifinals last year. Burnam and Petty emerged the victors.

The girls side also has a group of much-improved athletes that Holden expects will

contribute to the varsity squad this season: juniors Lucy Tilden and Christiane Mandes, along with sophomore Isabella McElfresh, are expected to make a big splash on the squad in 2019.

Holden said that, aside from the state tournament, he has his eyes on a couple of 6A opponents that his Scots will face this season.

“We’ve always got a challenge with Plano West and Allen,” he said. “They are both

Player Hayden Bethea Lizanne Boyer Nell Covington Cambelle Henderson Annika Juergens Jourdan Krueger Christiane Mandes Isabella McElfresh Ashlee Newton Katherine Petty Eden Rogozinski Bella Roses Bridget Stammel Lucy Tilden

Class Junior Sophomore Senior Junior Senior Senior Junior Sophomore Senior Senior Freshman Sophomore Sophomore Junior

Momentum Grows for Decade-old Field Hockey Club

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

With so many elite athletic programs and diverse extracurricular activities from which students can choose, sometimes it’s difficult to find a niche at Highland Park.

Yet a decade into its existence, the school’s field hockey club continues to grow — even though it gets a fraction of the support of fellow fall sports football or volleyball, and still doesn’t have a regulation field for home games or even practices.

However, that’s fine with HP head coach Nici Bremer, who is happy to teach a game that she played competitively for 13 years in her native Germany.

“We’ll just play with what we’ve got,” said Bremer, whose squad works out daily on a grassy space also used for Highlander Band practices, even though the game is played on turf.

The Scots have about 40 girls in the

program at the varsity and junior varsity levels. As the only public-school program in the Dallas area, they take on more experienced private-school teams with feeder programs and more robust budgets.

Many of HP’s players migrated to field hockey after another sport wasn’t the right fit.

Several have never picked up a curved stick when they join. Some don’t know the rules.

That doesn’t matter to Bremer.

“Most of them don’t have experience. I don’t care,” she said. “Once they play, they kind of stick. Most of the girls want to continue.”

Bremer, who has lived in the Park Cities since 1999, was a founding member of the club as a parent before taking over as the coach a few years ago.

“I just love the sport and wanted to stay with it,” Bremer said. “It’s fun to see the development of the players. Our level of play is definitely going up.”

The highlights of HP’s schedule this season include a road trip to face Austin St. Andrew’s

on Sept. 28, and the annual “Pink Out” game on Oct. 4 at Parish Episcopal.

STICKY SPORT Some basics about field hockey: • Teams consist of 11 players per side, including the goalkeeper.

• The ball must be passed or dribbled down the field with the flat side of the stick.

• A goal is scored when an attacker hits the ball into the goal from within the striking circle.

• Players may not shield the ball using their body or stick. All players must have an equal chance to play the ball.

• If an infraction is committed by a defender within the shooting circle, the attacking team is awarded a penalty corner.

ROB GRAHAM

Charlotte McCullough makes a play.

SOURCE: MomsTeam.com

LADY SCOTS

OCTOBER 2019

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SPARKLING SCOTS SQUAD GIVES INCLUSION CHEERFUL FACES

By Tanika Turner People Newspapers

E

very year in February, the application process begins for acceptance to the Sparking Scots cheerleading squad. No one with special needs is turned away.

This squad, adopted by Highland Park High School as part of the varsity cheerleaders in 2013, is for special needs students in ninth through 12th grade.

The girls cheer at one game a week during football season and one basketball game per week after football season ends.

You can also catch them at pep rallies getting students excited about the upcoming game.

Each Sparkling Scot is paired with a mentor sister who has gone through an interview process.

Mary-Kyle McDonald, a speech pathologist at the high school, volunteers as a sponsor for the squad. After watching the girls perform, she decided to become involved.

“I have never witnessed an organization in school that spoke to me in that way,” she said.

FROM LEFT: Margaret Chambless and Mary-Kyle McDonald.

COURTESY HPISD

I would love to see programs like this at every high school.

Mary-Kyle McDonald The Sparkling Scots are a branch of the Sparkle Effect, a nonprofit created in 2008 to provide those with special needs a way to feel accepted, gain confidence, and be included in things that traditional high schoolers experience.

What began with just one school in Bettendorf, Iowa, has now expanded to 220 teams in 31 states according to Sparkle Effect’s website. The squads contain both students with and without disabilities. The three main goals of the Sparkle Effect are inclusivity, intensity, and immersion.

All girls involved in the program are treated as equals. There is a weekly practice

TOP: The Sparking Scots program pairs special needs students in grades ninth through 12th with their mentors on a cheerleading squad. BOTTOM, FRONT, FROM LEFT: Andrea Raiff, Lindsey Haag, Sarah Salaiz, and Jordan Ott. BACK ROW: Emily Morrow, Olivia Whann, Hollis Vaughan, Margaret Chambless, Brynnley Beckman, Ellie Bassett, Caroline Beverly, Sydney Cox, and Elizabeth Dalton.

requirement, and they participate in their school’s sports for both fall and winter seasons Margaret Chambless, a senior and the current captain of the Sparkling Scots, discovered her passion for working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities early on.

“I like that I can connect on a special level,” Chambless said. “I want to be an advocate for these special people.”

In previous years, before the creation of the Sparkle Effect, students with disabilities were often separated from their peers and did activities with others that were like themselves, organizers said. By including mentors who are students themselves, the Sparkle Effect has efficiently created an environment that makes those with disabilities feel included.

Not only does the program make those with disabilities feel included by having them perform at highly trafficked events, it allows the girls to dress the part as well.

Sparkle Effect provides all the uniforms, so the girls will not only feel good, they look good too. Thanks to a uniform grant, none of the ladies have to pay out of pocket to be properly outfitted in the traditional cheerleading uniform.

“I would love to see programs like this at every high school,” McDonald said. “It creates a culture that values diversity and kindness.”