Eagles Fans - The 2011 Basketball season is off to a great start under the leadership of our new basketball coach, Chip Stroud. We would like to invite you to join us for an evening with Coach Stroud on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in the upper lobby of the Semmes Gym. During our time with Coach Stroud, he will give us insight into the 2011-2012 Episcopal Basketball season. After meeting with Coach Stroud, please join us as our special guests where we will watch the Eagles take on Eagle's View Academy from special seats in the bleachers at 7:30. RSVP by November 29th to Heather Newman Johnson '90.

The Cross Country boys team was runner-up at the FHSAA 2A District 3 Championships meet at Bishop Kenny yesterday. The Episcopal girls team earned third place and also had the individual District champion and runner-up. The teams will advance to Regionals which are next Saturday at Alligator Park in Lake City.

Recently, the prevalence of heat-related illness among high school athletes has brought about an awareness of the potential dangers associated with environmental conditions. In order to maintain the health of our athletes during times of exposure to heat illness, Episcopal School of Jacksonville has implemented several guidelines to reduce the effect of these high-risk environments. Prevention, recognition, and proper treatment of exertional heat illness are some of the closely followed recommendations set by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program (JSMP).

The Episcopal Varsity and Junior Varsity Cheerleaders prepared for the upcoming fall sports season by attending Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Cheer Camp, and placed in several competitions!

Schedules for fall team sports are now available on the Episcopal website, so be sure to mark your calendar for dates to cheer for the Eagles!

Episcopal's Class of 2011 has fifteen students who have committed to play a sport at the collegiate level! A full list is available on the Episcopal website.

Episcopal junior Matthew Hinson will be traveling to Lima, Peru in early May to represent the United States in an international weightlifting competition. Matthew is one of only eight males in the United States to qualify for the International Weightlifting Federation Youth World Championships. This will be Matthew’s first time lifting for Team USA.

Ben Wilson’s Eagle Scout service project helped a church that has been helping the Episcopal crew team for many years. Ben’s project, to improve the playground at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and install a flag pole, was a way to say thank you to the church for hosting Episcopal’s local crew regattas over time.

Both Boys and Girls Track & Field teams will have members competing at States this weekend after the Boys finished second and the Girls fourth in the Region. Many individual and Episcopal records were broken in different events, and four students were Regional Champions!

The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team is currently 8-4 and playoff bound!

“Our current success is due to having more varsity-level experienced players who are strong role models for the young new ones, who include nine 7th graders (the only 7th graders to play varsity girls lacrosse in the Northeast Florida region),” said head coach Noelle MacDougall. “Our standards have been raised immensely since our year of inception three seasons ago.”

The Varsity Baseball team will host Breast Cancer Awareness Night on March 18 at 7 p.m. during their game against Ponte Vedra High School. This is the second year the two teams have hosted this special night during their game.

Players will wear special jerseys and survivors and families of those lost to breast cancer will be honored. Local sports talk station 1010XL and radio host Frank Frangie are promoting the game. Please plan to attend!

Episcopal’s track and field team participated in a track meet at the University of North Florida this weekend. The boys team finished second out of 24 participating schools and the girls team finished seventh. The following are top record leaders in the state right now: Josh McCombs (110 and 300 Hurdles), Garrett Scantling (high jump, pole vault and triple jump), Emily Smithwick (pole vault), Nikki Vandervelde (triple jump) and Nicole Greene (triple jump), and the Boys 4 x 400 sprint medley relay team.

Caroline Bateh’s participation in the Florida Swimming Senior Championships two weeks ago on Episcopal’s AmberJax team earned her a time of 2:03.96 for the 200 yard backstroke. Last week she learned that time placed her as the eleventh fastest 15-year old in the country! She is also ranked 30th in the country for her time in the 100 yard backstroke.

Seniors Michael Kilcullen and Stephen Baisden from the Varsity Boys Soccer team and Caroline Adkins and Katie Bauman from the Varsity Girls Soccer team have been selected to participate in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Senior All-Star game for Northeast Florida!

Episcopal Junior and Varsity Football player Shakeel Rashad has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina for 2012. Shak made his decision Thursday morning. Shak will graduate from Episcopal in December of 2011 and enroll at UNC in January of 2012.

Junior Shakeel Rashad's decision to commit to the University of North Carolina for the 2012 football season is featured in today's Times Union.

The Boys Varsity Soccer 5-0 win over Crescent City last night for Region 1-3A is featured today in the Palatka Daily News. Congratulations to the team (17-6-5) , who will play at Bolles on Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the Regional Semi-finals.

Episcopal hosted a pep rally and National Signing Day event for its entire student body today in the Semmes Gymnasium to celebrate its spring sports teams and for the seven seniors who plan to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level after graduation.

The boys soccer team earned the chance to play for the District 3-3A championship with a 2-1 victory over visiting Fernandina Beach in the semi-final match on Thursday night.

The Boys Varsity Basketball team is celebrating three great successive wins over the past week – at home against Raines (61-54) and Ribault (48-43) and away against Bolles (55-32). When Episcopal defeated them Raines, Ribault and Bolles were ranked eleventh, eighth and fifth, respectively. The team has won all of its past nine games, and has an overall record of 11-3.

The Florida Times Union published a short story on Episcopal’s Amberjax Swim Team and the City of Jacksonville’s Department of Recreation and Community Services (JaxParks) partnering to send 100 area youth between the ages of 5 and 18 to the 2011JaxParks Swim Classic, being held this weekend, January 14-16, 2011 at Cecil Aquatic Center.

Episcopal’s Varsity Cheerleaders competed at the FHSAA state cheerleading competition held in Crestview, Fla., on December 10, 2010 and won first place!

Despite an inclement weather delay and a muddy course, Episcopal’s girls and boys Cross Country teams competed impressively yesterday in the 2A District 2 competition, performing so well the teams will advanced to the Regional meet next Saturday.

Episcopal’s Varsity Girl’s Volleyball defeated Keystone Heights Wednesday November 3, 26-24, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, to advance to this year’s Regional Semifinals!

Episcopal Senior Catherine Bauman has a 4.07 GPA, over 100 hours of community service, and six Varsity sports letters. For all that she’s accomplished on and off the field, First Coast News named Katie their Athlete of the Week on Wednesday, October 27. She appeared on First Coast News during the station’s 11 p.m. broadcast.

As the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee reviews a bill to create concussion standards for high school athletes (H.R. 6172 Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2010), Episcopal High School is at the forefront of ensuring the safety of its students on the playing field, especially of those in contact sports.

Episcopal Junior and Varsity Football player Shakeel Rashad has received verbal scholarships offers from five Division I schools, including Wake Forest University, the University of Central Florida, the University of North Carolina, the University of Maryland and the University of South Carolina.

Episcopal's Varsity Cheer Squad raised more than $800 selling pink cupcakes at the October 14 Junior Varsity Football game against Bishop Kenny. Donna Deegan made an appearance at the game and had her picture taken with the cheer squad.

Episcopal has been voted News 4 Varsity Football Game of the Week with University Christian! Come support the Eagles tonight at University Christian in your Episcopal apparel!

Varsity Girls Volleyball honored Coach John Dwyer Thursday during their match against St. Johns Country Day School for achieving his 100th win as an Episcopal Coach.The team plays Yulee High School at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, October 5, and the team will be holding a bake sale during a match to raise money for the Susan G. Komen and Epilepsy foundations.

A new mural on the wall of the Semmes Memorial Gym lobby welcomes athletes, Episcopal High School fans, and visitors. The “Episcopal E” was painted by local artist Daniel C. Heslep, who also painted the Episcopal High School Eagle mascot on the wall inside the gym.

Dillon Woods’ Second Place Finish at Florida State Golf Association Junior Boys Championship Foreshadows Solid Season for Varsity Boys Golf Team

Episcopal’s new Girls’ Basketball Program Director and Head Coach Rachel Mitchell has many years experience on the court and as a coach, including playing at the college level and coaching high school.

Sixteen Episcopal students were selected for their spring sport accomplishments.

Episcopal High School graduate B.J. LaRosa ‘06 joined the professional baseball ranks this past Tuesday when the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him during the 23^rd round (pick 712). Story continues...

Also, a special thanks goes out to Mike Jones and the rest of the crew for continuing to take care of the field and the softball program.

Hundreds of supporters came out to the Booster Tailgate on Friday, January 29 before the boys varsity basketball game against Bolles. The event included burgers, ice cream sundaes, fire pits, and tons of support for our boys. The cheerleaders and Mr. Day fired up the standing room only crowd by their rousing announcement of the starting lineups. Story continues...

Nine seniors were honored on February 3 during National Signing Day for their commitments to continue their sports in college. Click here to see coverage from Channel 4, and here to see video from First Coast News. Congratulations to the following athletes:

• Christian Addison, Virginia Military Institute/lacrosse
• Nick Branholm, Trinity College/lacrosse
• Theresa Diederich, University of Alabama/soccer
• Endea Ellison, University of South Carolina Aiken/volleyball
• Stefan Furris, Sewanee: The University of the South/football
• Calvin Orth, The Citadel/baseball
• Tyler Parkinson, Florida Southern College/lacrosse
• Justin Russell, The Citadel/baseball
• Paige Shirley, Air Force Academy/track

The Episcopal boys varsity soccer team is in the midst of the biggest week of their season: district week. While other teams around town were busy getting in extra practice time this past weekend, the Episcopal boys took a different approach. On Saturday evening, the Episcopal boys soccer team volunteered for the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville. The boys helped organize a group of 60 special needs children into four teams for a night of soccer and fun. The event, which took place at Patton Park off of Hodges Boulevard, included a pot-luck picnic afterwards with all the participants. Coach Andy Kidd said of the event, "The experience our team had with the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville was unbelievable. I would argue that our boys learned more from the special needs children than they could ever learn from us." The Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville sponsors several events and activities throughout the year. For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit www.dsaj.org.

The Eagles start their regular season on November 12 at home against district 4-3A foe Yulee at 7:00 p.m. The girls varsity is also taking on Yulee on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

The Eagles take on Bishop Kenny at home this Friday, November 13, in the team's final game of the season and Senior Night. To vote for the game to be Channel 4's Game of the Week, click here.

During an October Chapel service, the wrestling team announced plans to raise college funds for two young athletes, Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton, who rely on one another for friendship and support. Dartanyon has suffered from Leber’s Disease, a condition causing chronic visual loss, for most of his life, and is legally blind. That did not stop him from carrying his wrestling teammate and best friend, Leroy, on his back to and from every wrestling match they competed in this past season. At age eleven, Leroy lost his left leg below the knee, and his right leg below the hip, when he was struck by a train on his way to school. The two were inseparable through their season—the wrestler with no legs being carried by the one who cannot see.

The bond between the two young men has prompted a remarkable reaction regarding their future hopes to continue their educational goals. Each has been accepted to college, but needs help with tuition and the associated costs of pursuing a degree. (story continues)

In support of the sixth-annual Row for the Cure Jacksonville, the Episcopal crew team—led by Coxswain Alayna Bradley '11—will be hosting several "pink sales," in support of the Susan G. Komen North Florida Row for the Cure, a project in which rowers from Episcopal and greater Jacksonville work together to support the fight against breast cancer. These pink sales will take place each day, starting on Monday, October 26, through Thursday, November 19.

Endea Ellison '10 has been named Athlete of the Week by www.viewmysport.com. Endea is an outside hitter on the Eagles varsity volleyball team. Endea will receive a $25 gift card to Sports Authority from Compass Bank for her selection. To view her profile, click here.

First Coast News recognized Episcopal’s varsity volleyball team during the game against Creekside High School on Wednesday night. The game and an earlier bake sale helped to raise $1000 for the Mammogram Hotline, which provides free screenings to women on the First Coast. Read the full story online here.

As part of the team’s second-annual game in support of breast cancer research, the varsity volleyball team hosted a bake sale, earning $560 in two days, and sported pink uniforms during their game against Creekside High School on Wednesday night. With the help of the Creekside team and additional donations from fans during the game, the team will give the earnings—totaling $1,000—to the Mammogram Hotline. The team plans to continue its tradition of service by holding a canned-food drive in November, during regional competition. Story continues on next page.

For the second consecutive year, Episcopal’s girls varsity volleyball team will team up with Creekside High School to support breast cancer research. The Episcopal squad will sport pink uniforms for their Wednesday, September 30, match, and will raise funds with a school-wide bake sale.

The Giants recently announced that they have signed eight players to their practice squad, including free agent—and former Episcopal football star—safety Sha’reff Rashad. Giants Secondary/Safeties Coach David Merritt commented on Sha’reff’s performance during rookie camp in an interview posted on the team’s website: “He did well. Coming in here the kid was known to have a high test score and he proved that and more. He was able to make all of the coverage calls and adjustments. Not only make them but did it with conviction…This kid is very bright, athletic…He came here to the Giants and we're very, very happy.” (story continues)

This summer, Episcopal’s varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders attended a camp at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona. The teams stole the show during competitions! The JV team took first place in the dance competition, and third in the cheer competition, and the varsity team took first place after performing a home dance routine. Additionally, Sarah Chandler ’11 was announced an All-American Cheerleader, giving her the opportunity to perform at a later date in either Europe or Hawaii. (Story continues)

First Coast News turned its attention to Episcopal's pole vault program by featuring Coach Crandall and his Episcopal Summer Pole Vault Camp in a newscast this week. The story also focused on our 2009 state champion Paige Shirley '10, who pole vaulted 11' 6" for the title. Continue to the next page to read more and to view the video.

The girls crew freshman eight boat finished in sixth place at the Scholastic Rowing Association National Championship, held in Mercer, New Jersey. After an undefeated season in Florida, which included winning the Florida Scholastic State Championships, the girls traveled to nationals. They won their heat on Friday and placed third in the semifinal on Saturday to qualify for the finals. The boat finished with a time of 6:00.237, against 25 of the nation's best rowing teams.

Twelve members of Episcopal's Class of 2009 will continue their sports career at a college or university in the fall. To see a list of schools the students will be attending, continue to the next page.