A middle school swim team that would bridge the gap between the Paris Swim Team and the Henry County High School Swim Team has been approved by the county’s board of education.
At its March 8 meeting, the board unanimously approved a request from swimming coach Jessica Hart to establish a Henry County Middle School swim team, starting with the 2025-26 school year.
The team will be coached by Hart, who also coaches the Paris and HCHS teams. Like those teams, the middle school team would be formed under the auspices of the Middle Tennessee High School Swimming Association, and in partnership with the Paris Swim Team, which already counts several middle-school-aged swimmers among its members.
Operational costs will come from the swimmers’ club dues, with no funding required from the school system.
It will operate as a cooperative between Harrelson, Henry and Lakewood schools. Like the high school team, competing under the name of Henry County Middle School will allow the team’s swimmers to compete for qualifying times in the Middle School Championship.
“In addition, establishing a middle school program would support the long-term growth and sustainability of the high school swim team,” Hart stated in a letter to the board. “Many young swimmers tend to drop the sport during middle school, either to try other sports or step away from athletics altogether. This initiative would serve as a bridge, keeping our elementary-level swimmers engaged and committed through middle school and into high school.”
In other business, the board:
• Approved a budget of $35.9 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
According to an overview by Leah Watkins, county director of schools, the system has budgeted for a 4% pay increase for support and certified staff. For example, the starting salary for a beginning teacher with no experience would be $49,124.
It also budgets for an anticipated rise in health care insurance rates.
“We don’t have those numbers yet, but we are planning to be able to absorb the insurance increase up to 7% if that were to pass, so that our rate of insurance pay doesn’t change to our employees,” Watkins said.
The system also expects to see an increase in revenues from a pending partnership with Dyersburg State Community College. The college, which currently conducts classes in the Central Community Service Center on Jones Bend Road, hopes to use the Grove School campus for classes after the county’s 9th-grade students move from there to Henry County High School at the start of the next school year. The county school system would still retain ownership, Watkins said.
She also reminded the board that the debt for high school construction hadn’t been completed, the system would no longer receive the $775,000 in wheel tax funds for that purpose after the tax sunsets on June 30.
• Saw Watkins honored as Northwest Tennessee’s Superintendent of the Year by the state’s school superintendents organization.
Gary Lilly, executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS), made the trip from Nashville to present the award.
“I know you all know this, but Dr. Watkins is respected throughout the state as an excellent leader with vision, as an expert in pedagogy who not only stays abreast of the current research and best practices, but also applies it,” he said.
Candidates are nominated based on criteria set by the American Association of School Administrators, including leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.
Watkins is one of two state representatives on the AASA governing board, serves as chairman of the Northwest Superintendents Study Council and sits on the Executive Study Council’s board of directors.
“You can tell how much I respect and admire Dr. Watkins, but I had nothing to do with this,” Lilly said. “She was selected for this honor by her peers in the region, and I think that means even more.”
Watkins will be among the regional candidates eligible for the state superintendent of the year award, which will be selected in September.
Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Lola Gitlin
Lola Gitlin won the 3,000-meter race by more than 12 seconds at Cornell’s Southern Tier Invitational as she clocked a time of 10:37.55. Gitlin’s time is good for 24th nationally.
Women’s Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week – Lily Seyfert
Lily Seyfert placed third in the shot put at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational with a mark of 12.72 meters, which is just shy of her top mark of 12.78 this season (17th in Division III). Seyfert also finished third in the weight throw at 16.20 meters and ranks eighth in the country after that performance.
Men’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Raphael Campanile
Raphael Campanile placed fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 4.50 meters at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational on Saturday and currently ranks 25th in Division III with that performance.
HONOR ROLL
Matthew Zenker totaled 44 points on 18-of-31 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals in a 1-1 week for Ithaca. Zenker netted 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a 101-72 win over RIT and followed up with 24 points and eight rebounds as he shot 10-of-15 from the floor in a loss to Union.
Junior forward McNamara delivered a pair of strong performances despite setbacks against RIT and Union. Against the Tigers, she was flawless from the floor, going 3-for-3 while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. She carried that momentum into the Union matchup, coming just shy of her first career double-double with nine points and eight boards.
Shenandoah University men’s volleyball freshman Simon Bellenbaum was named the ODAC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The York, Pennsylvania, native accumulated six solo blocks and eight digs in SU’s two matches against Randolph and Regent, with three blocks in each game and five digs versus the Royals.
Boys’ basketball: Sherando 48, Strasburg 44
STEPHENS CITY — Sherando defeated Strasburg for its fourth straight win on Monday. The Warriors are 9-4.
Girls’ basketball: Strasburg 39, Sherando 29
STRASBURG — Strasburg completed a season sweep with a win over Sherando on Monday.
The Warriors (3-11) trailed 18-7 after one quarter, 23-10 at the half and 29-22 after three quarters.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two Keene State College student-athletes honored by the Little East Conference for their achievements accomplished for the week of January 5-11.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Freshman diver Keegan Johnson (Durham, N.H.) was named the LEC Diver of the Week and the Rookie Diver of the Week from his dives across the Owls’ final two home meets this season over the past weekend. Against Eastern Connecticut State University, Johnson placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 129.75 on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning against Norwich University, he placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 141.38 and first in the 3M diving with a score of 170.31.
Johnson and the Owls return to action for a double-dual meet against Brandeis University and Bridgewater State University on Saturday, January 17 at 12:00 PM.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Senior Eden Damis (Nashua, N.H.) was named the LEC Field Athlete of the Week from his performance at the Middlebury Snowflake Invitational on Saturday for the Owls. In the long jump, Damis posted a mark of 14.00 in the triple just for a new personal record in his final attempt of the day. His mark became the 21st best mark in NCAA Division III on the season, just one position for qualifying for nationals later this season.
Damis and the Owls return to action at the Panther Invitational I at Plymouth State University on Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 AM.
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its women’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
LUCIA GARCIA-BELTRAN • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley Central
Garcia-Beltran earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 60 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior sprinter and Rutgers transfer clocked a time of 7.63 seconds, which ranks fifth in NCAA Division III.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
SARAH SCEPKOWSKI • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Garwood, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson
Scepkowski claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after clearing 1.60 meters in the high jump at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior’s mark ranks 20th in NCAA Division III and stands as one of the top performances in the conference this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
AMELIA VITALE • Farmingdale State College
Freshman • Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge
Vitale was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after posting a time of 2:30.87 in the 800 meters at the Spartan Invitational. The freshman’s performance represents the top mark in the event thus far in the NJAC this season and establishes her as the conference’s early leader in the middle-distance event.
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its men’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11.
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
MAXIM RYCHKOV • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville
Rychkov earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 400 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore clocked a time of 47.95 seconds, which ranks sixth in Division III. Rychkov’s record-breaking performance also leads both the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region in the event.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
BRADEN PAULMENN • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Monmouth Junction, NJ/South Brunswick
Paulmenn claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after a strong showing in two throwing events at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore recorded a mark of 15.38 meters in the shot put (third place) and 13.98 meters in the weight throw (fourth place). His weight throw mark ranks third in the NJAC and 10th in the Metro Region. Paulmenn also owns the second-best shot put mark in the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region and is 26th in Division III.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
VICTOR AKINBOBOYE • The College of New Jersey
Freshman • Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty
Akinboboye was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after clocking a time of 35.54 seconds in the 300 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The freshman’s performance ranks 18th in Division III and establishes him as one of the top first-year sprinters in the conference.
Oldani had a match-high and career-high 10 digs in BYU’s season opener Friday night in Provo. He added another three digs on Saturday. Oldani also had five blocks over the two matches, as the Cougars started the season 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season.
Oldani is one of three transfers from Grand Canyon on this season’s BYU squad. He was a key contributor as a freshman last season for the Antelopes and has picked up where he left off with the Cougars.
Oldani and the No. 8 Cougars won in back-to-back sweeps last weekend over Saint Francis and have two more home matches this Friday and Saturday, as No. 10 UC San Diego visits the Smith Fieldhouse.
