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Hicks Gets Gold Medal At High Desert Classic

By Joaquin Aguilar-Flores, KFCS

Note: For full galleries from the High Desert Classic and the Henley Freeze, go to the KFCS Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Klamath.Falls.City.Schools

Senior Levi Hicks stood tall this past week for Klamath Union wrestling after competing in the High Desert Classic at Mazama High School this last Saturday, and at the Basin Best wrestling tournament at Henley High School this past Wednesday.

In the championship match of 144-pound weight class at the High Desert Classic, Hicks faced a familiar foe in Lakeview High School sophomore, Steven Anderson.

Hicks had the pressure put on him by Anderson, who had an impressive takedown to startle Klamath Union’s top wrestler.

Hicks was able to take control of the match when he took down Anderson, and with one foot just inside the circle, was able to win with a pin at 3:27.

“He had a takedown which concerned me for a second. I just kind of ran him (Anderson) over with a knee pick. I qualified and was the No. 2 seed last year. Our new coach (Chase Hewitt) was a pretty good wrestler in Pennsylvania and has been a great coach to wrestle with,” Hicks said. “I think there is a good chance I can win it all this year or at least be in the finals (of the state tournament). I want to work hard and get one percent better everyday.

At the High Desert Classic, KU senior Kevin Willyard also had a strong showing and finished in second place in the 138 pound weight class.

In their respective weight classes, the following KU wrestlers also had a strong showing.

Griffin Johnson - 5th place

Luis Meza Bravo - 5th place

Chris Stromberg - 5th place

Carlos Garcia - 6th place

Bryan Sanchez - 6th place

At the Basin Best wrestling tournament, Klamath Union took third overall as a team. Hicks took home the most outstanding wrestler award.

Klamath Union‘s top wrestlers at Basin Best wrestling tournament

Levi Hicks - 1st place

Chris Stromberg - 1st place

Kevin Willyard - 1st place

Carlos Garcia - 1st place

Griffin Johnson - 2nd place

Bryan Sanchez - 3rd place

“We have a bunch of first year wrestlers and I think we finished third or fourth in this tournament so that is one of the highest finishes we have had in years at this tournament at Mazama. I think this is going to be a great year for us,” Hicks said.

KU Swimming On Top At Henley Freeze

Klamath Union boys and girls swimming ended up winning the Henley Freeze overall this past Saturday at the Ella Redkey Municipal Pool.

Top finishers for KU included:

Gretchen Lindecamp - women's 100 breaststroke winner, member of the women's second place and first place 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Elsie Baumann - women's 200 freestyle third place, member of the women's second place and first place 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Hazel Squibb - women's 50 freestyle third place and women's 100 freestyle fourth place; member of the women's second place and first place 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Max Hendricks - winner of men's 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke, member of the two men's winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Kamron Bouma - fourth place in men's 20 freestyle and winner of men's 100 butterfly, member of the two men's winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Jack Jensen - fifth place in men's 200 IM and member of the two men's winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Wyatt Jensen - third place in men's 100 breaststroke and member of the two men's winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

KU swimming interviews after Henley Freeze event:

"I think we have a lot of room to grow and get those good personal records. I would like to go to state and make it to finals this year in as many events as I can,” Kamron Bouma said.

“We did a lot more meets this year so we are getting a little more comfortable with competition. I am hoping to win a few events in districts and get some medals and hopefully make it to finals in state with one of our relays,” Jack Jensen said.

“I think not only do we push ourselves hard in practice but we push each other as hard in practice and that helps a lot with getting good times and getting in shape. I have been going for the school record in the 100 back, which I am pretty close. I think we can get it by the end of the year. My PR is two seconds off the record. I am at 1:03 and the school record is at 1:01,” Max Hendricks said.

“I swam breaststroke right before our relay so I was kind of cooked but I thought we did great in our relays. It was a different event than last year. Last year there was two inches of snow and we were doing snow angels after,” Wyatt Jensen said

“I think we had a little of an advantage because we practice outdoors everyday and are used to this weather; we are keeping our muscles warm while we practice. I want to get a subminute for my 100 freestyle and around a 1:25 for my 100 breastroke by the end of my swimming career … hopefully faster than that,” Gretchen Lindecamp said.

“I think it was cool to show off that this is our pool and where we practice. The competition was great and I am really happy with what we did. I hope we can make it to state and have a few swimmers go, even if that is not us just supporting them. We broke two school records last year so maybe one day get to that point again,” Elsie Baumann said.

“I think (Heather) Shaffer is an amazing coach and she really pushes us so I think that is really what helps us succeed. I just want to get faster times, PR and get stronger and keep perfecting my stroke,” Hazel Squibb said.

Show Us Your Spirit, KU!

KU family, we’re on a mission to win the OSAA #1 Student Section Video Contest, and we need YOU to make it happen!

We're calling on all students, parents, and fans to send in your smartphone videos that capture the heart and soul of KU school spirit. Whether it's epic crowd moments, acts of incredible sportsmanship, or anything else that screams KU pride, we want to see it!

We need videos from:
KU Swim Team, Pep Band, Wrestling Team, Boys, Cheer Squad, Boys and Girls Basketball, Hockey Team

If you’ve got a clip from this season, send it our way! Just email your videos to Dan Stearns at stearnsd@kfalls.k12.or.us by March 1st.

But wait, there’s more! If our video is selected by OSAA, the winner is decided by public video views. That means we’ll need your help again to share the video far and wide to rack up those views!

First place wins a banner for our gym – let’s bring it home, KU! Anyone that submits a video clip that ends up in our final video submission, will receive a prize.

So, get those phones out, find those clips, and let’s show the world what KU spirit is all about!

Roosevelt STEAM Night

Mills Donated Hats By Bernie Woods

KFCS Board Members Recognized

Available in hard copy or digital version—read it your way!

Check it out here: https://www.pelspress.com/copy-of-newest-release

KFCS High School Options Information

Community Awareness Information Concerning the Ponderosa Middle School Building

As we look towards the future of our community, I want to bring to your attention a critical need that we must address to ensure the success and readiness of our students: the replacement of Ponderosa Middle School.

Klamath Falls is on the cusp of growth, and we need to be prepared to meet the educational demands of our expanding population. Last year, during our community conversations, we received a clear message: our community wants our youth to be life and career-ready. Specifically, there is a strong desire for more hands-on, applied learning opportunities, such as Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Effective career-ready programs must begin with robust middle school initiatives. During the Board’s visit to California last year, we saw firsthand the exceptional programs at Mad Tech Middle, which serve as an inspiring model for what we can achieve here. These programs are essential for setting our students on a successful path through high school and beyond.

Our district is diligently working to build these programs at the high school level and forge strong connections to postgraduate destinations like the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) and Klamath Community College (KCC). However, to truly accelerate our students along this track, we need a middle school that supports and enhances these efforts. Unfortunately, the current Ponderosa Middle School is outdated and does not meet the needs of our evolving educational goals.

The urgency of this need cannot be overstated. While the current middle school building is safe, our engineers have indicated that it could become unusable at any time because it is located on an active fault line. Our trusted advisors and the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee have unanimously agreed that the time to act is now.

We estimate the budget for replacing Ponderosa Middle School to be around $120 million. This number may fluctuate slightly up or down as we consider incorporating other essential items, such as security upgrades and early learning facility support, into the overall bond. We may also determine that we can build at a lower cost depending on what year we decide to call a bond election to support the possible project in the future.

Replacing Ponderosa Middle School is not just about updating a building; it is about investing in the future of our community and ensuring that our youth have the tools and opportunities they need to succeed in life and their careers.

We appreciate your continued support and engagement as we take these crucial steps forward. Together, we can create an educational environment that prepares our students for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

Over the next year, we will engage more with our stakeholders about Ponderosa. We will also schedule tours of the building for the community to see the current facility.

We do want to be very clear that we have not set any date for a potential Bond election. We just want to make sure our community is aware that we are working on a solution to replace Ponderosa on a different site that does not have an active fault line on it.

For anyone who has any questions about his message please e-mail Keith A. Brown at brownk@kfalls.k12.or.us.