Achievements

• Marmion Academy’s Flannigan Rifles JROTC Military Drill Team took home a win from the Purdue University Army ROTC Drill Meet on Feb. 2. Led by seniors Cmdr. Thomas Stoecker of Aurora and Executive Officer Jon Medernach of Aurora, the 61-member team won the coveted “Commander’s Cup” for the eighth consecutive year.

The team participated in 16 events during the day long competition earning six first place trophies, three second place trophies and four third place trophies.

In the armed individual drill review events, cadets perform rifle and marching drill. In the armed individual drill review squad division, Marmion’s squad under the command of sophomore Andrew Schroeder of Batavia earned a first place trophy.

The exhibition events included both armed and unarmed competitions. In the armed competition the platoon led by senior Nick Zuccarini of Geneva took the first place trophy.

In individual events, Michael Meszaros of Batavia earned a second place trophy. Nick Zuccarini of Geneva and Peter Tate of St. Charles placed second in duet competition.

In addition to the team events, Purdue’s Army ROTC concluded the day’s competition with an exercise commonly known as “Knockout.” This type of competition tests a cadet’s ability to execute commands given in rapid succession by a drill sergeant.

Several hundred cadets competed against each other. In the individual drill review armed Knockout, Marmion juniors Ryan Hoffman of Sugar Grove, Jared Meyers of Batavia and Ralph Palmeri of St. Charles placed fourth, fifth and 10th. Sophomores Andrew Slade of St. Charles and Ryan Roth of Sugar Grove placed second and sixth respectively. In the unarmed individual drill review Knockout, Slade earned a seventh place finish.

• Joanna Zefron of Geneva was one of 12 students from Millikin University’s student organization, BreakAway, who spent part of her winter break working at an orphanage in the Dominican Republican.

• Evan Bravos of St. Charles sang the role of Mr. Page, husband to one of two scheming wives, in Lawrence University’s March production of the comic opera, “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Bravos is the son of Angelo and Cynthia Bravos of St. Charles and a 2006 graduate of St. Charles North High School.

• The AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T Inc., has announced awards of nearly $260,000 in college scholarships to 104 children of AT&T employees in Illinois. Local recipients include Michelle Garon of Batavia, Kori Saner of Geneva, Joshua Eassa of St. Charles, Kelsey Kanies of St. Charles and Christopher Billquist of St. Charles. Students renewing their scholarships include Kimberly Duncan of Batavia, Lauren Mudrak of Batavia, Evan Breedlove of St. Charles and Mary McCauley of Geneva.

Students attending two-year colleges will each receive a $1,500 scholarship; those attending four-year colleges or universities will each receive a $2,500 scholarship; and those attending military academies will receive a one-time honorarium of $2,000 from the AT&T Foundation.