2024-2025 FINE ARTS AWARDS

After winning the state title last year, RCS faced new challenges in the contest being a full month earlier this year, as well as changing classifications from 3A to 4A, which more than doubled the number of competitive teams. Facing the stiffest competition to date, RCS students rose to the challenge, encouraged each other, never gave up, and, as a team, RCS was the STATE CHAMPION out of all TAPPS 4A schools in a decisive 35-point victory. This is the third time RCS has been named the State Champion in this contest which garners with it 10 Henderson Cup points. RCS was also the State Champion in Speech and in Academics. Additionally, senior Gili Gould was named the “Virginia Wirth Distinguished Speaker" award for the second year in a row for being the top speech competitor in the state. It was an amazing time of teamwork, friendship, service, and triumph as this 36-member team represented their school and their Savior well.

TAPPS 2025 4A State Academic/Speech/Debate Championship Results:

OVERALL: STATE CHAMPIONS (Back-to-Back)

SPEECH: STATE CHAMPIONS

ACADEMICS: STATE CHAMPIONS

Virginia Wirth Distinguished Speaker (All-Around Best State Speech Competitor):  

Gili Gould

Poetry Interpretation:

Gili Gould--Gold Medal (3-time State Champion) 

Katherine Burleson--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

Solo Acting:

Gili Gould--Gold Medal (State Champion) 

Ava Swank--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

Prose Interpretation:

Gili Gould--Gold Medal (3-time State Champion) 

Ava Swank--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

Duet Acting: 

Ava Swank & Anjelica Swank--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

Katherine Burleson & Evan Cassels--5th Place

Gili Gould & Eden Miller--7th Place

Original Oratory:

Rachel Spurgeon--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

Isaac LaRovere--6th Place 

Eliora Prause--8th Place

Persuasive Speaking: 

Rachel Spurgeon--5th Place

Spelling:

RJ Buzek--Gold Medal (State Champion) 

Ryan Hamilton--5th Place

Spanish:

David Gomez----Gold Medal (State Champion)

Itzayana Garcia--4th Place

Ready Writing:

Hannah Bridwell--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

Calculator:

Graham Freeman--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

Number Sense:

Graham Freeman--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

Literary Criticism: 

Hannah Bridwell--4th Place

Social Studies:

William Salter--4th Place

Ryan Hamilton--7th Place

Advanced Math:

Graham Freeman--5th place

TAPPS Math:

Daniel Hartman--6th Place

Science:

Ben Buntrock--7th Place

Graham Freeman--8th Place

Yearbook:

4th Place

TAPPS State Art Awards:

Debbie Nonmacher- State Champion Short Film

Izzy Hartman - 4th place Color Drawing

Eliora Prause - 5th place Computer Rendered Art

Ivy Williams - 7th place Relief

TAPPS State Field Band & Drumline Results:

FIELD BAND: First Division Superior Rating

5th Place in Field Band

DRUMLINE:  First Division Superior Rating

3rd Place in Drumline

TAPPS State Band Results:

ALL First Division Superior Rating

  • State PSIA medalists:

    2nd STORYTELLING:

    Rebecca Spurgeon        FIRST PLACE  (State Champion)

    1st STORYTELLING:

    Cashner Arnold         SIXTH PLACE 

    5th PROSE INTERPRETATION:

    Kenzie Wood               FIRST PLACE  (State Champion)

    6th PROSE INTERPRETATION:

    Richard Salter         FIRST PLACE  (State Champion)

    7/8 PROSE INTERPRETATION:

    Tindall May:               SECOND PLACE  (State Runner-Up)

    Anjelica Swank:       FIFTH PLACE

    MODERN ORATORY:

    Mallory Herrera   THIRD PLACE

    IMPROMPTU SPEAKING:

    Sarah Powell   THIRD PLACE

    VOCABULARY 5:

    Anna Buntrock   THIRD PLACE

    MUSIC MEMORY 6:

    Preston Geil   FOURTH PLACE

    DICTIONARY SKILLS 7:

    Isaac LaRovere FIFTH PLACE

  • OVERALL: STATE CHAMPIONS

    SPEECH: STATE CHAMPIONS

    ACADEMICS: STATE CHAMPIONS

    INDIVIDUAL RESULTS:

    Jeff Shelton Distinguished Academic Student (All-Around Best State Academic Competitor):  

    Matthew Grimm  & Trevor Manning (tie)

    Prose Interpretation:

    Anna Fisher--Gold Medal (State Champion) 

    Chloe Geil--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

    Abby Turney--5th Place

    Poetry Interpretation:

    Chloe Geil--Gold Medal (State Champion) 

    Abby Turney--5th Place

    Sam Olivares--6th Place

    Duet Acting: 

    Austin Cappleman & Maddy Beth Newell--Silver Medal (State Runner-up) 

    Abby Turney & Anna Fisher--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

    Chloe Geil & Jaeden Johnson--4th Place

    Solo Acting:

    Ellie Tewell--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

    Abby Turney--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

    Chloe Geil--7th Place

    Literary Criticism: 

    Tyler Tewell--Gold Medal (State Champion) 

    Lauren Culwell--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

    Ready Writing:

    Isabel Fisher---Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

    Alexis Swain--4th Place

    Advanced Math:

    Matthew Grimm----Gold Medal (State Champion) 

    Trevor Manning--4th Place

    Allie Vasseur--6th Place

    Science:

    Matthew Grimm----Gold Medal (State Champion) 

    Trevor Manning--5th Place

    Mathematics:

    Sam Swain----Bronze Medal (3rd place) 

    Current Events:

    Lauren Culwell--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

    Curtis Higginbotham--6th Place

    LD Debate:

    Kassidy Mentze--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

    Alexis Swain--5th Place 

    Number Sense:

    Trevor Manning--Silver Medal (State Runner-up)

    Jonathan Vuong--8th Place

    Original Oratory:

    Breah Ellison--Bronze Medal (3rd place)

    Alexis Swain--5th Place

    Curtis Higginbotham--8th Place

    Spelling:

    Jonathan Vuong--Bronze Medal (3rd place) 

    Thea Buntrock--6th Place 

    Persuasive Speaking: 

    Alexis Swain--4th Place 

    Kassidy Mentze--6th Place 

    Austin Cappleman--8th Place

    Social Studies:

    Thomas Gehrke--7th Place 

    Spanish:

    Trevor Manning--7th Place (tie)

    Alex Smith--7th Place (tie)

    Calculator:

    Trevor Manning--7th Place 

    James Sanchez--8th Place

  • POETRY INTERPRETATION:

    Katherine Burleson:   FIRST PLACE (State Champion)

    Ava Swank:       THIRD PLACE

    Gili Gould:       FOURTH PLACE

    MODERN ORATORY:

    Maggie Herrera:   SECOND PLACE (State Runner-Up)

    Lilly Burk:   THIRD PLACE

    IMPROMPTU SPEAKING:

    Rachel Spurgeon:       FOURTH PLACE

  • District Competition - 1st Place

    TAPPS Division II State Competition - 2nd Place

    Honorable Mention All-Star Cast:

    • Curtis Higginbotham

    • Anna Fisher

    • Sam Olivares

    All-Star Crew:

    • Ainsley Filip and Lauren Culwell

  • District Competition - 1st Place

    Individual Awards:   

    • Best Actor: Jaeden Johnson 

    • Best Actress: Abby Turney 

    All-Star Crew:

    • Samantha Strange

    Honorable Mention All-Star Cast:

    • Jackson Wynn

    • Anna Fisher

    • Austin Cappleman

    TAPPS State Competition

    Individual Awards

    • All-Star Cast

      • Abby Turney 

      • Chloe Geil

    Honorable Mention Cast

    • Jaeden Johnson

    All-Star Crew

    • Samantha Strange

    • TAPPS Academics, Speech, Debate Overall State Runner-up

    • TAPPS Speech State Runner-up

    • TAPPS All-Around Best State Speech Competitor

    • TAPPS All-Around Best State Academic Competitor

    • TAPPS Solo Acting State Champion

    • TAPPS Mathematics State Champion

    • TAPPS Advanced Mathematics State Champion

    • TAPPS Physics State Champion

    • TAPPS Solo Acting State Runner-up

    • TAPPS Prose Interpretation State Runner-up

    • TAPPS Duet Acting State Runner-up

    • TAPPS Poetry Interpretation State Runner-up

    • TAPPS Current Events State Runner-up