The Marion High School Class of 2020 made an impressive mark on our school and community. As we celebrate their graduation, we've gathered some of their most notable accomplishments. Take a look:
Academic achievements
- All-time record for college credits earned: 4,368
- Advanced Placement courses completed: 274
- More than a dozen members of the Class of 2020 had already earned AP Scholar honors before their senior year! Click here to review the awards reflecting work done in the 2018-19 school year; the Class of 2020 members are those labeled seniors. (The 2019-20 awards will be announced in the coming months.)
- Marion High School has consistently surpassed state, national, and global passing rates for AP exams. Click here to see some of the recent stats (at the bottom of the linked page).
- Industry certifications earned: 39
- Hours of community service logged: 3,000+
- Grant County 2020 Lilly Scholarship winner: Tristan Galeon
- Grant County's only 2020 National Merit Scholar Finalist: Madeline Stiles
- Indiana Braille Challenge Regional Champion: Allisia Jones (https://www.marion.k12.in.us/mhs-senior-wins-indiana-regional-braille-challenge)
- Valedictorian: Isak Lagerkvist
- Salutatorian: Camille Case
- Every year, Marion High School honors seniors who have earned a GPA of 3.5 or above at the 3.5 Banquet. This year, the event was held virtually due to COVID-19. Click here to view this special video!
Arts achievements
2020 ISSMA Solo & Ensemble awards earned by Class of 2020 members
Vocal competition:
- Mark Evans, District gold medal, State gold medal with distinction
- John Flowers, District gold medal, State gold medal
- Ellie Greene, District gold medal
- Austin Guess, District gold medal, State gold medal
- Myles Kohn, District gold medal
- Day’Trell McClung, District gold medal, State silver medal
- Kabriel Robinson, District gold medal, State gold medal
- Anna Shigley, District gold medal, State gold medal with distinction
Piano competition:
- Tristan Galeon, District gold medal, State gold medal with distinction
Instrumental competition:
- Abigail Baird, District silver medal
- Saralena Bergsma, 3 District gold medals, 2 State gold medals and silver medal
- Madison Crisp, District gold medal, State gold medal
- Allison Faulkner, District gold medal, State gold medal
- John Flowers, District silver medal
- Austin Guess, 2 District gold medals, State gold medal and silver medal
- Shawntaia Matherly, District silver medal
>> Click here for more details about Solo & Ensemble awards
ISSMA group competition awards
- Choir: Gold, 2018; 2020 competition was canceled due to COVID-19
- Jazz Choir: Gold, 2019, 2020
- Concert Band: Gold, 2017, 2018, 2019; 2020 competition was canceled due to COVID-19
- Jazz Band: Gold, 2017-2018, 2019, 2020
ISSMA Marching Band
In 2020, the Marching Giants earned their first Gold in at least 15 years!
Scholastic Art Awards
- Kira Humes, 2 Gold Keys, 2 Silver Keys, 3 Honorable Mentions
- Emily Phillippe, 1 Gold Key, 2 Silver Keys, 3 Honorable Mentions
- Jade Wood, 3 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key
>> Click here for more details about Scholastic Art Awards, and to view winning artwork
Athletic achievements
Basketball
- Boys basketball team earned MHS's 70th Sectional Championship (remainder of tournament was canceled due to COVID-19)
- Boys basketball player Jakylen "JK" Thomas, two-time All-NCC 1st Team honoree and All-State Team Honorable Mention honoree, is the team's #7 all-time scorer
- Girls basketball player RaShaya Kyle is a two-time All-NCC 1st Team honoree, an IBCA/Subway All-State honoree, is the team's all-time leading scorer and all-time leading rebounder, and was named an Indiana All-Star
- Girls basketball player Ella Vermilion, two-time All-NCC 1st Team honoree, is the team's #18 all-time scorer
Bowling
- Bowling team was Sectional Champion
- Riley Russel was Regional Champion
Cheer
- UCA Cheer All-Stars: Jazlyne McKillip and Trinity Moore
Cross Country
- All-NCC 1st Team: Surafel Fry
Football
- IFCA All-State: Juan Carlos Ramirez, Jakylen "JK" Thomas
- All-NCC 1st Team: Brendon Martin, Juan Carlos Ramirez, Keshaun Taylor, Jakylen "JK" Thomas
- All-NCC 2nd Team: Antonio Brown and D'Angelo Jones
JROTC
- Senior Marion High School JROTC Cadet Josiah Hamilton was also awarded a U.S. Army’s three-year ROTC Scholarship
- The Marion High School JROTC Air Rifle Teams continued to achieve excellence throughout the 2019-20 season. Notable accomplishments include qualifying for the JROTC National Championship (Precision Category) for the fourth year in a row. Senior Levi Hofmann won the Indiana JROTC Air Rifle Marksmanship State Championship for a second time (after winning the Runner-Up Championship two times before that). And Josiah Hamilton was the Indiana American Legion State Champion (Precision Category)
- In the 2019-20 school year, the Marion High School JROTC Raider Team competed in five regional competitions during the regular season. They consistently finished in the top three. They were the Indiana State Raider Runner-Up Champions and also the Army Raider National Runner-Up Champions (small school category) and finished an amazing 5th place overall in the nation (regardless of school size).
- The Marion High School JROTC Drill and Color Guard Teams competed in several very tough competitions around the Midwest in the 2019-20 season, facing off against current and past National Champions and many of the top 20 JROTC programs in the country (of the more than 1,500 JROTC high school programs & military academies). MHS brought home three first-place finishes, four second-place finishes, and three third-place finishes this school year. Two members of the MHS Class of 2020 led the way for these prestigious teams: Drill Commander CDT MSG Tyron Rice and Color Guard Commander CDT LT Joanna Hidalgo both did a fantastic job. The teams improved all season long and continue to improve each year.
Soccer
- Girls soccer player Taylor Kitts is the team's all-time leading scorer
- Girls soccer seniors named to All-NCC 1st Team: Taylor Kitts, Cathryn Riggs, Ella Vermilion
- Boys soccer seniors named to All-NCC 1st Team: Kevin Guy, Isak Lagerkvist
Tennis
- Boys tennis team was Regional Champion
- Boys tennis seniors named to All-Academic Team: Tristan Galeon, Nihal Nagesh, Caleb Spitzer
- Boys tennis senior named to All-NCC 1st Team: Noah Lyons
(Girls tennis plays in spring season, which was canceled due to COVID-19.)
Wrestling
- Senior advanced to semi-state: Daylen Johnson
- Senior Garrett Scher named to IHSWCA Senior Academic All-State 1st Team. Garrett ranked #2 in the state among senior wrestlers, with a 4.72 GPA.
- Senior Taylor Garriott named IHSWCA Senior Academic All-State Honorable Mention
>> Click here to go to our Class of 2020 celebration page, where you can view the virtual graduation ceremony and more!