Trinity students grab top awards at Lutheran tourney

The Lutheran Elementary School Tournament is quite the experience for students in the Northwest.

The tournament covers the gamut, including music, art, math, science, drama, writing, knowledge bowl, spelling, chess, basketball and swimming.

In February, 37 sixth- through eighth-graders from Trinity Lutheran School in Kalispell traveled to Concordia Lutheran University in Oregon to compete with more than a 1,000 students.

“The preparation in fundraising, practice and organization involves great effort from September to February, but the benefits are tremendous and sometimes life-changing,” Trinity Lutheran School Principal Bill Stark said. “Students get to experience life on a college campus, they worship together, they develop new friendships, they hone their skills and they experience high levels of competition in their fields.”

Trinity’s girls basketball team took first place. Team members include Emma Anderson, Mariah Dickey, Annie Jensen, Emma Ritter, Madison Morken, Megan Eckert, Aubry Grame, Kali Hedges, Kelly Henriksson, Linsey Waugh and Sage Vanterpool.

Swimming results are as follows: Emma Anderson, 25-meter freestyle, 1; 50-meter freestyle, 1; 25-meter backstroke, 2; Keigan Knutson, 50 breaststroke, 3; 25 breaststroke, 5; Libby Reiner, 50 breaststroke, 6; and Levi Waugh, 50 breaststroke, 3.

The school’s drama team won top honors for best performance. Members of the team include Mariah Dickey, Annie Jensen, Madison Morken, Drew Dickey, Matthew Glimm, Aubry Grame, Nolan Holste, Molly Sutherland, Raney Sutherland, Levi Waugh, Linsey Waugh and Megan Eckert.

Musicians who placed in the first division for solo performances are as follows: Drew Dickey (percussion); Rylee Houser (alto saxophone); Matthew Koenig (trumpet); Kylie Munsinger (flute). On piano were Matthew Glimm, Matthew Koenig, Kyler Knutson, Kylie Munsinger, Annette Van Allen. First division ensembles included James Schnee and Keigan Knutson (trumpet duo) and Faith Eberhart, Kylie Munsinger and Annette Van Allen (flute trio).

First division vocal soloists were Megan Eckert, Matthew Glimm, Aubry Grame, Kali Hedges, Rylee Houser, Emma Jensen, Kyler Knutson, Levi Waugh and Jarrod Wutke. Vocal ensembles were Aubry Grame and Matthew Glimm; and Molly Sutherland and Linsey Waugh.

In the seventh-grade spelling bee Annie Jensen placed second. In art, blue ribbons went to Annette Van Allen, Madison Morken, Megan Eckert, Matthew Glimm and Kali Hedges

Glimm was selected as Trinity’s “Champion of Character” this year.

Compiled by Inter Lake reporter Hilary Matheson.