Distinctions

We love to celebrate our incredible students and amazing staff! Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, you'll be able to find all student and staff distinctions here on our website. Some of these distinctions will also be featured in our print Mehlville Messenger!

June 8, 2023
Lacrosse postseason awards - Oakville High School

Members of the Oakville High School lacrosse team received All-Conference honors for their performances this season:

- Lexi Ezell, senior: All-Conference First Team
- Tinuola Osikoya, senior: All-Conference First Team
- Madison Rhyne, senior: All-Conference First Team
- Leah Nance, senior: All-Conference Second Team
- Kylie Garavaglia, sophomore: All-Conference Second Team
- Chloe Housewright, junior: All-Conference Honorable Mention
- Olivia Bresler, sophomore: All-Conference Honorable Mention
- Katie Lato, sophomore: All-Conference Honorable Mention

June 7, 2023
Soccer postseason awards - Oakville High School

Nine members of the Oakville High School soccer team received All-District and All-Conference honors for their performances this season:

- Kylie Anderson, senior: Missouri Athletic Club All Star, All-Region team, All-District team, All-Conference First-Team
- Avery Bangert, senior: All-District team, All-Conference First Team
- Abby Wiedermann, junior: All-District Team, All-Conference First Team
- Riley Sahrhage, senior: All-District Team, All-Conference Second Team
- Grace Kestler, senior: Academic All-State team, All-Conference Second Team
- Sydney Baker, junior: All-Conference Second Team
- Sydney Hopson, freshman: All-Conference Second Team
- Sydney Ladage, senior: All-Conference Second Team
- Peyton Lee, senior: Conference Sportsmanship Award

June 7, 2023
Tennis All-Conference Team - Mehlville High School

Two members of the Mehlville High School tennis team earned All-Conference honors for their performance this season. Junior Edin Mumunovic was named to the All-Conference First Team in singles and the All-Conference First Team for doubles with his partner, sophomore Eric Pflasterer.

June 7, 2023
Cross Country Academic All-State honors: Oakville High School

Twelve members of the Oakville High School cross country were named to the Academic All-State team: Seniors Parker Fritsche, Emily Keck and Colton Miller; juniors Sydney Baker, Kyle Le and Maria Parisi; sophomores Emilie Brower, Kolton Kreisz and Jonathan Selph; and freshmen Elinor Kreisz, Zaina Musleh and Carter Oetting. All-Academic requirements include being nominated by their head coach, competing in a district- or state-level meet and having either a 25 or higher on the ACT, an 1150 or higher on the SAT or a 3.6 cumulative grade point average.

June 6, 2023
Southwest Area Chamber - Student of the Month
Charlotte Parcell, a senior at Oakville High School, was named Student of the Month for May by the Southwest Area Chamber of Commerce.

June 6, 2023
Washington University College Prep Program
Aidan Nguyen, a freshman at Mehlville High School, was accepted into the prestigious College Prep Program at Washington University. During the next three summers, Aidan will study in Wash U’s laboratories and studios, attend classes led by university staff and learn skills needed to thrive in college. Aidan is one of just 50 students accepted into the program for this summer.

May 31, 2023
State Choir Solo and Ensemble Competition

Mehlville High School junior Melia Oestreich, and freshmen Marissa Blackford and Hayley Oplt earned silver ratings at the State Choir Solo and Ensemble competition.

May 30, 2023
State Band Solo and Ensemble competition - Mehlville High School
MHS Band Students

Mehlville High School students performed at the State Band Solo and Ensemble Festival and received gold, silver and bronze ratings.

- Seniors Ella Burns, Amelia Hays, Sophie Herman and Carina Monti; sophomore Kayla Barrett; and freshman Nejra Sinanovic: Gold for their Woodwind Ensemble
- Seniors Vittoria Cafolla and Andrew Freeman; juniors Tyler Langford and Sam Herbig; and freshman Jason Rayborn: Gold for their Brass Quintet
- Seniors Ashon Crawford, Dylan Cross and Jacob Herbig; and juniors Sam Herbig, Lillian Le, Jeffrey McKay and Luke Mitchell: Gold for their Woodwind Septet
- Junior Tyler Langford: Gold in Trumpet Solo
- Freshman Eva Brown: Silver in French Horn Solo
- Senior Vanessa Miller; juniors Alyssa Luking and Andrew Klein; and freshman Kayla Jatala: Silver for their Flute Quintet
- Juniors Lillian Le and Luke Mitchell; and sophomore Nicolas Roeseler: Silver for their Saxophone Trio.
- Senior Evan McClusky and juniors Grace Brindley, Chloe Guthajr and Stefanie Wong: Bronze for their Clarinet Quartet

May 30, 2023
District Champion tennis partners
Oakville High School tennis doubles partners Danijel Blagojevic, a senior, and Josh Tiemann, a junior, won the Class 3 District 1 Championship to cap an undefeated run of 15-0 through that point in the season. The duo also medaled at state, finishing sixth in doubles. Additionally, the pair was named to the All-Conference First Team in doubles, with Tiemann also earning All-Conference First Team honors in singles and Blagojevic named All-Conference Second Team in singles.

May 30, 2023
Track and Field State Champion
Mason Meinershagen, a senior at Oakville High School, finished in first place in both the pole vault and high jump at the Class 5 State Championship.

May 26, 2023
Seal of Biliteracy - Mehlville High School

Estephanie Fabian and Chau Pham, seniors at Mehlville High School, earned the Distinguished Seal of Biliteracy from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This honor is given to students who score at the highest level of proficiency in English and at least one other language before high school graduation. Fabian earned her Seal in Spanish, while Pham earned hers in Vietnamese.

17 other Mehlville High School students also earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy by building a social-cultural portfolio, attending and participating in cultural events and proving they can speak, read and write fluently in multiple languages. Some colleges and universities will allow Hodzic and these students to have up to six credit hours allotted to them upon entry to college based on their competency and having the seal on their transcript.

Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish:
- Jonas Butler
- Lydia Clark
- Eamon Floyd
- Madelynn Green
- Eva Lopez
- Connor Love
- Collin Maloney
- Mikayla Murphey
- Adna Music
- Nathan Roberts
- Maddie Rosas
- Jolie Wells

Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in French
- Mia Hoormann
- Lillian Le
- Nela Suljic (also earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in Bosnian)
- Grahm Tapp
- Lydia Wheeler

May 26, 2023
'Ville Water Polo postseason awards

Members of the ‘Ville Water Polo team, comprised of students from both Mehlville High School and Oakville High School, were recognized for their play in the pool this season.

- Trent Batten, junior: All-District Second Team and All-Conference First Team
- Mallory Guentz, senior: All-District Second Team and All-Conference Second Team
- Ben Pantazo, junior: All-District Honorable Mention and All-Conference Second Team
- Kaylee Nguyen, junior: All-District Third Team and All-Conference Third Team
- Jake Pantazo, junior, and Alexa Matoushek, sophomore: All-Conference Third Team
- Coach Brett Walters: Conference Coach of the Year

May 22, 2023
Mehlville National Education Student of the Month - May 2023

Mehlville Early Childhood student Jimmy Garrison was named Student of the Month by the Mehlville National Education Association at the May meeting of the Mehlville Board of Education.

May 18, 2023
U.S. Presidential Scholars Program semifinalist
Lisa Hang, a senior at Mehlville High School, was named a semifinalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program in Career and Technical Education. Lisa is one of just 11 students from across Missouri to earn this distinction.

May 18, 2023
Elks Student of the Year
Deja Robinson, a senior at Oakville High School, was named Student of the Year by the Oakville Elks Lodge #2726.

May 18, 2023
Tops at Tech

Five Mehlville School District students were named Tops at Tech for their programs at South Tech High School.

- Owen Abikar, Mehlville High School senior: Floor layers middle apprenticeship
- Josh Bayer, Oakville High School junior: Firefighting
- Lorenzo Estigoy, Oakville High School senior: Electrical trades
- Gabby Pedraza, Oakville High School senior: Dental sciences
- Cole Woodard, Oakville High School senior: Emergency medical technician

May 17, 2023
CHADS Coalition Lighthouse Award
Laura Shelton, a counselor at Mehlville High School, received the Lighthouse Award from CHADS Coalition for being an outstanding partner and advocate for mental health and suicide prevention efforts.

May 17, 2023
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athletes

Collin Maloney, a senior at Mehlville High School, and Mason Meinershagen, a senior at Oakville High School, were named 2023 Scholar Athletes by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This honor is given to a student-athlete from each school in our area who excels in competition and in the classroom by lettering in at least one varsity sport and being in the top 25 percent of their graduating class.

May 17, 2023
Seal of Biliteracy - Oakville High School

Dzejlana Hodzic, a junior at Oakville High School, earned the Distinguished Seal of Biliteracy from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This honor is given to students who score at the highest level of proficiency in English and at least one other language before high school graduation. Hodzic earned the seal in Bosnian.

21 other Oakville High School students also earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy by building a social-cultural portfolio, attending and participating in cultural events and proving they can speak, read and write fluently in multiple languages. Some colleges and universities will allow Hodzic and these students to have up to six credit hours allotted to them upon entry to college based on their competency and having the seal on their transcript.

Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish (all students are seniors):

Nathan Alano
Ethan Chapman
Tammy Du
Rachel Granda
Isabelle Herrick
Songyul Kadymova
Thomas Kallaos
Lucy Keveen
Izzy Kordic
Lauren Magee
Kara Martin
Mason Meinershagen
Charlotte Parcell
Caitlyn Price
Madyson Rodgers
Emma Rushing
Jessica Schmidt
Megan Van Fleet
Hailey Veninga

Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in Chinese: Jing Zhou, junior

Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in Bosnian: Emir Mustajbegovic, senior

May 17, 2023
Girls basketball postseason awards - Mehlville High School

Several members of the Mehlville High School girls basketball team received All-District and All-Conference honors for their performances this season:

- Jenna O’Shea, senior: All-District Team, All-Conference First Team
- Gabi Moen, senior: All-Conference First Team
- Jess Castaldi, freshman: All-Conference Second Team
- Jas Peters, senior: Conference Sportsmanship Award

May 16, 2023
Academy of Science St. Louis Science Fair - Bernard Middle School

Bernard Middle School seventh-grader Asher Pleimann and eighth-grader Mary Wilson earned blue ribbons at the St. Louis Academy of Science Science Fair. Asher also won the Bayer Outstanding Science Award and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovation Challenge Certificate for his project “Best in Glow: The Effects of Temperature on Luminol.”

May 16, 2023
Band State Solo and Ensemble competition - Oakville High School

Oakville High School band students competed at the State Solo and Ensemble competition and earned gold, silver and bronze ratings:

- Seniors Samantha Brummett, Braden Ross, Luke Roth and Matthew Sippel; juniors Brendan Horn and J.D. Niedermann; and sophomore Erena Resuli: Gold in wind symphony percussion ensemble
- Seniors Rachel Davis, Kolden Lam and Micah Louvierre: Gold in clarinet trio
- Senior Jared Hasty: Gold in French horn solo
- Seniors Jared Hasty and Samuel Wescoat, and sophomore Gavin Wibbenmeyer: Gold in French horn trio
- Junior Brendan Horn: Gold in marimba solo
- Seniors Riley Hughes and Maxwell Jonak, and sophomore David White: Gold in trumpet trio
- Senior Deirdre Davis; sophomore Aidan Woerndle; and freshmen Alyssa Boehlje, Kendal Cook and Hunter Hilson: Silver in symphonic band percussion ensemble
- Senior Sam Brummett: Silver in marimba solo
- Freshmen Leah Mainini, Alyssa Musielak and Lyla Westbrook: Silver in flute trio
- Junior Rachel Kauffman: Bronze in clarinet

May 15, 2023
National Geography Challenge

Mehlville School District elementary and middle school STRETCH students competed and placed in their grade level of the National Geography Challenge.

Second place: Walker Hilbert (Hagemann Elementary), Logan Yarbrough (MOSAIC Elementary), Charline Sebunyenzi (Bierbaum), Lillian Spies (Point Elementary) and Colin Bennett (Trautwein Elementary)
Third place: Nolan Snelling and Jaxon Schnur (Point Elementary); Ellie Fitzhenry, Emilia Bianchi and Tyler Griffith (Hagemann Elementary); Sameem Mohabbat (Rogers Elementary); Harriet Templin (Oakville Elementary); Lauren Decker (Forder Elementary); Winston Miller (MOSAIC Elementary); Morgan Grotts, Anna Spaetti and Edmund Maledy (Trautwein Elementary); and Zach Chapman (Blades Elementary)
Third place: Darren Bennett, Huni Santiago and Addison Walkenbach (Washington Middle); Ryan Gavin (Bernard Middle); and Chase Williams and Charles Karleskint (Oakville Middle).
Third place: Elliott Parai (Washington Middle), and Addie Hebden, Corin White, Ben Wiegers (not pictured), Kyle Brand and Sidney Lee (Oakville Middle)

May 12, 2023
Choir State Solo and Ensemble Festival - Oakville High School

Oakville High School choir students competed at the State Solo and Ensemble contest and earned gold and silver ratings:
- Sophomores Kenzie Christopher, Mazie Menkhus, Erin O’Shea, Alex Vaughn, Anna Rohr and Margaret Schrader earned Gold for their Sophomore Sextet.
- Juniors Ava Chancellor, Ellie Dong, Hayden LaChance and Ryan Lisle; sophomores Logan Knecht, Mazie Menkhus and Erin O’Shea; and freshman Nolan Long earned Gold for their La Dancele Double Quartet
- Seniors Sarah Brutton and Mackenzie Earney; and junior Ava Chancellor earned Gold for their solo performances.
- Junior Hayden LaChance and freshman Nolan Long earned Silver for their solo performances.

May 11, 2023
Academy of Science St. Louis Science Fair - Oakville Elementary

Oakville Elementary School fifth-graders Lejla Balagic, Brogan Barmann, Avery Hasty, Ava Wiesehan, Connor Winski, Scarlet Yaacoub and James Zagarri earned blue ribbons at the Academy of Science St. Louis Science Fair.

May 11, 2023
Spring election judges - Oakville High School

Anna Brand, a senior at Oakville High School, served as an official election judge for the St. Louis County Election Board during the April 4 election. Juniors Ava Chancellor, Ellie Dong, Hanna Johannsdottir, Travis Norris and Olivia Roberds (not pictured) served as student election judges.

May 5, 2023
TSA Advisor of the Year
Dr. Jim Kreyling, a technology and engineering teacher at Oakville High School, was named Advisor of the Year by the Missouri Technology Student Association.

May 5, 2023
Spring election judges - Mehlville High School

During the April 4 election, Mehlville High School senior Emma Meyer served as an official election judge for the St. Louis County Election Board. Senior Amelia Hays; juniors Anela Abdijanovic, Alend Barwary, Vatan Sardaliyev; and sophomore Naomi Hays served as student election judges.

May 4, 2023
Breaking Traditions Award
Matt Sippel, a senior at Oakville High School, was selected as a regional winner of the Breaking Traditions Award from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This honor is given to outstanding students who are pursuing non-traditional career and technical pathways.

May 4, 2023
Missouri State Acting Program
Natalie Maddox, a junior at Mehlville High School, auditioned for and was accepted into the Missouri State Acting Conservatory program. Natalie is graduating a year early this spring to begin her studies.

May 2, 2023
All-Conference wrestlers - Mehlville High School

Members of the Mehlville High School wrestling team were named to the All-Conference team for their performance this season. Senior Caleb Gardner and junior Devon Scott earned All-Conference First Team honors. Junior Keshon Scott and freshman Timothy Andrus were named to the All-Conference Second Team.

May 1, 2023
Missouri Council of Social Studies Teacher of the Year
Dan Lamping, a social studies teacher at Mehlville High School, was named the High School Missouri Council of Social Studies Teacher of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year.

May 1, 2023
Award-winning state journalists - Oakville High School

Oakville High School journalism students were recognized with Best of Show, All-Missouri and Superior ratings by the Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Association at the University of Missouri’s J-Day.

- Junior Sawyer Bess was one of ten students from across the state selected for the MIJA All-State Team. This honor is given to students who have proven themselves to be indispensable to their school media teams.
- Seniors Layla Halilbasic and Belma Mujakic were named members of the MIJA Honor Roll. Students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and at least two years of producing high-quality work as a member of student media.
- Mujakic also led three sessions during the conference focusing on editorial leadership and utilizing social media.
- Halilbasic, Mujakic and senior Hailey Veninga received Best of Show for Yearbook Overall Theme/Concept.
- Mujakic, Veninga, seniors Skyler Brennan and Tony Schupp, and juniors Elise Norton and Emma Neuhoff received Best of Show of Yearbook Portrait/People Package.
- Mujakic, seniors Aston Eschbacher and Megan Van Fleet, and juniors Kimora Brooks and Ari Brown received All Missouri for Yearbook Traditional Package (Student Life).
- Juniors Jaina Eckhard andd Delaney Murphy received a Superior rating for Broadcast/Online Human Interest Feature.
- Bess, senior Katie Schroeder and junior Mason Bader received a Superior rating for Broadcast/Online Feature Package.
- Schroeder received a Superior rating for Newspaper Sports Reporting.

April 28, 2023
MNEA Students of the Month - April 2023

The Mehlville National Education Association named Isabella Guerrero, a fourth-grader at Hagemann Elementary School, and Azito Ahmad-Gol, a senior at Mehlville High School, as its Students of the Month for April 2023.

April 28, 2023
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Wohlwend Elementary School

Wohlwend Elementary School fifth-grader Austin Berkel, fourth-grader Aaliyah Stumborg, third-grader Saila Abandelwa and second-grader Tristan Krickler were named Terrific Kids by the Kiwanis Club of St. Louis County. These students were nominated for the honor by their teachers.

April 28, 2023
Award-winning state journalists - Mehlville High School Mehlville Media J-Day students

Mehlville High School Media journalism students were recognized with superior and all-Missouri ratings by the Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Association at the University of Missouri’s J-Day.

- Seniors Senita Galijasevic and Ajla Husi; junior Izzy Wilder; and sophomore Denis Linhorst received All Missouri for their online sports package “Alumni Creates Futsal League.”
- The Mehlville Today broadcast received a rating of superior in the newsmagazine category for broadcasting. The program is produced by seniors Jada Banks, Emma Esmerovic, Livi Roberts, Nela Suljic, Cameron Ulmer, Madison Ulrich and Emily Worthmore.
- Senior Jordan Muschamp earned a superior rating for social media in both the TikTok and Instagram categories.
- Seniors Caleb Gardner, Adna Pekmez and Vanessa Vaughn received superior for their spotlight feature package “Worthmore Reveals Career Path and Struggles.”
- Seniors Jada Banks, Merisa Celebic, Senita Galijasevic, Lejla Mujkic, Adna Pekmez, Aldijana Selimovic, Farzana Sharifi, Nela Suljic, Cameron Ulmer and Emily Worthmore were named to the Missouri Journalism Honor Roll for having a GPA of 3.5 of higher and producing high-quality work in student media for two years.

April 28, 2023
FCCLA State STAR Events - Oakville High School

Oakville High School FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) students medaled in State STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) Events competition:

- Aman Lueker (senior): Gold in Teach and Train
- Emery Nelson (sophomore): Gold in Chapter Service Project
- Abby Wiedermann (junior): Gold in Fashion Construction
- Annabelle Phillips (senior) and Kim Tran (junior): Silver in Event Planning
- Matt Sippel (senior): Silver in Career Investigation

In addition to those competing, sophomore Ash Buschhorn and junior Travis Norris worked as volunteers and event judges.

April 26, 2023
MSBA Master and Advanced Certification

Mehlville School District Board President Peggy Hassler and Secretary Patrick McKelvey achieved both Master and Advanced Certification in the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) Certified Board Member program. All elected school board members are required by state law to complete an 18.5-hour training program. To obtain both Master and Advanced Certification, board members must earn an additional 24 training credits, complete annual refresher training, read four books related to school board service, attend at least four MSBA regional or statewide events and write two essays relating their study to their board service.

April 26, 2023
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Trautwein Elementary School
Trautwein Elementary Terrific Kids

Trautwein Elementary School students Stella Grogan (second grade), Olivia Lodge (third grade), Sebastian Cruz Cruz (fourth grade) and Amina Mesic (fifth grade) were named Terrific Kids by the Kiwanis Club of South County.

April 26, 2023
MNEA School Bell Award
Mehlville School District Superintendent Dr. Chris Gaines, who is retiring later this year, received the School Bell Award from the Mehlville National Education Association for his eight years of service to the district's students, staff and families.

April 25, 2023
Special School District Rosemary Zander Award
Dylan Kaiser, a second-grade student at Blades Elementary School, received the Special School District of St. Louis County Rosemary Zander Award. Dylan was nominated by his teacher for the empathy he shows his classmates and the hard work he has done since he started as a kindergartener.

April 20, 2023
State HOSA Conference - Mehlville High School

Mehlville High School HOSA - Future Health Professionals students placed at the HOSA State Leadership Conference and are advancing to the international level of competition.

Seniors Merisa Celebic, Paula Dang, Lejla Mujkic and Aldijana Selimovic placed first in Health Education.
Senior Klevis Dajko placed first on the Nutrition Exam and second on the Health Care Issues Exam.
Seniors Lisa Hang and Rachel Trosky, and juniors Lydia Clark, Lucy Fister, Amy Escamilla, Bri Hong and Nerma Hrsic placed second in Parliamentary Procedure.
Senior Rachel Trosky placed fourth on the Leadership Exam.
Sophomore Morgan Ulrich placed fourth in Sports Medicine.
Junior Lucy Fister was elected to the Missouri State Officer Team as Vice President, beating out 14 other candidates for the role.
Senior Lisa Hang will continue to serve on the Missouri State Officer Team as the Post Secondary Vice President.

April 18, 2023
District Solo and Ensemble Choir Festival - Oakville High School

Oakville High School choir students competed at the District Solo and Ensemble Choir Festival and are advancing to the state level after earning an exemplary rating. Seniors Sarah Brutton and Mackenzie Earney; juniors Ava Chancellor and Hayden LaChance; and freshman Nolan Long scored exemplary in vocal solo. The La Dancele ensemble comprised of juniors Ava Chancellor, Ellie Dong, Hayden LaChance and Ryan Lisle; sophomores Mazie Menkhus, Erin O'Shea and Logan Knecht; and freshman Nolan Long also earned an exemplary rating. Also advancing to state are sophomores Kenzie Christopher, Mazie Menkhus, Erin O'Shea, Anna Rohr, Maggie Schrader and Alex Vaughn for their Sophomore Sextet ensemble.

April 17, 2023
St. Louis Teen Talent Competition
Mehlville High School junior Kyleigh McCourt was one of fourteen finalists from across the St. Louis region to compete in the 13th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition at the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Saturday, April 8. McCourt, who is a member of the national champion Mehlville Majorettes, did baton twirling as her talent.

April 14, 2023
Academic All-State honors - Mehlville High School Track and Cross Country

Mehlville High School student-athletes received Academic All-State honors from the Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association. Students honored include seniors Michael Jones and Evan McClusky; juniors Amy Escamilla and Chris Pesselato; and sophomores Kayla Barrett, Allison Miller, Natalie O'Brien, Dominic Ramos and Lindsey Roberts. All-Academic requirements including being nominated by their head coach, competing in a district- or state-level meet and having either a 25 or higher on the ACT, a 1150 or higher on the SAT or a 3.6 cumulative grade point average.

April 14, 2023
Postseason boys basketball awards - Oakville High School
Members of the Oakville High School boys basketball team received postseason awards for their performance this season. Senior Tommy Hennessy was named to the All-District team and the All-Conference first team. Senior Colby Noblitt was named to the All-District team and the All-Conference second team. Senior Samuel Wescoat received the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

April 13, 2023
St. Louis Dairy Council National School Breakfast Week
Hagemann Elementary School's School Food and Nutrition Services staff was named the winner of the St. Louis Dairy Council's National School Breakfast Week contest. The staff organized activities for students eating breakfast that week around the theme of "Construction."

April 13, 2023
Missouri 100 Scholars

Mehlville High School senior Lisa Hang was selected for the Missouri Scholars 100, a statewide program that honors 100 of the state's top academic students in each graduating class. Selection is based on a formula using the student's grade point average and ACT/SAT scores, as well as their involvement in school. Mehlville High School senior Ian Furgeson and Oakville High School seniors Rachel Granda and Jessica Schmidt were named Missouri Scholars 100 Honorable Mention.

April 12, 2023
District Solo and Small Ensemble Choir Festival - Mehlville High School

Mehlville High School junior Melia Oestreich, and freshmen Marissa Blackford and Hayley Oplt earned an exemplary rating at the District Solo and Small Ensemble and Choir Festival. All three vocalists will compete at the state at the end of April.

April 11, 2023
Transportation department safety inspection

The Mehlville School District transportation department received a perfect score of 100 on an inspection of 104 buses by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. They also received a perfect score on a surprise inspection of 30 buses in the fall.

April 11, 2023
District Band Solo and Ensemble Festival - Oakville High School

Oakville High School student musicians performed at the District Band Solo and Ensemble Festival and earned an exemplary rating. These students will perform at the state competition in April.

Flute Trio: Freshmen Leah Mainini, Alyssa Musielak, and Lyla Westbrook
Keyboard Mallet Solo: Junior Brendan Horn
Keyboard Mallet Solo: Senior Samantha Brummett
Keyboard Mallet Solo: Freshman Scott Janson
Trumpet Trio: Seniors Riley Hughes and Maxwell Jonak; and sophomore David White
French Horn Trio: Seniors Jared Hasty and Samuel Wescoat; and sophomore Gavin Wibbenmeyer
French Horn Solo: Senior Jared Hasty
Clarinet Trio: Seniors Rachael Davis, Kolden Lam and Kenneth Louvierre
Percussion Ensemble: Senior Deirdre Davis; sophomore Aidan Woerndle; and freshmen Alyssa Boehlje, Kendal Cook and Hunter Hilson
Percussion Ensemble: Seniors Samantha Brummett, Braden Ross, Luke Roth and Matthew Sippel; juniors Brendan Horn and J.D. Niedermann; and sophomore Erena Resuli
Clarinet Solo: Junior Rachel Kauffman

April 11, 2023
All-Conference swimmers and divers - Mehlville High School
MHS girls swimming and diving

Members of the Mehlville High School girls swimming and diving team were named to the All-Conference teams for their performance this season.

Katelyn Burch, senior: All-Conference first team for diving
Lucy Maxey, senior: All-Conference first team for 100-yard breaststroke, second team for 200-yard IM
Nerma Hrsic, junior: All-Conference first team for 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke
Sara Boric, senior: All-Conference second team for 50-yard freestyle
Allison Lakebrink, junior: All-Conference second-team for 100-yard butterfly
Allison Miller, sophomore: All-Conference second team for 500-yard freestyle
All-Conference first team for 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay; Maxey, Boric, Lakebrink and Hrsic

April 10, 2023
District Band Solo and Ensemble Festival - Mehlville High School
MHS Band students

Mehlville High School student musicians performed at the District Band Solo and Ensemble Festival and received an exemplary rating. These students will compete at the state level in April.

Clarinet Quartet: Senior Evan McClusky and juniors Grace Brindley, Chloe Guthajr and Stefanie Wong
French Horn Solo: Freshman Eva Brown
Woodwind Septet: Seniors Ashon Crawford, Dylan Cross and Jacob Herbig; and juniors Sam Herbig, Lillian Le, Jeffrey McKay and Luke Mitchell
Woodwind Ensemble: Seniors Ella Burns, Amelia Hays, Sophie Herman and Carina Monti; and freshman Nejra Sinanovic
Brass Quintet: Seniors Andrew Freeman and Vittoria Cafolla; juniors Tyler Langford, and Sam Herbig; and freshman Jason Rayborn
Flute Quintet: Senior Vanessa Miller; juniors Alyssa Luking and Andrew Klein; and freshman Kayla Jatala
Saxophone Trio: Juniors Lillian Le and Luke Mitchell; and sophomore Nicolas Roeseler
Trumpet Solo: Tyler Langford

April 6, 2023
Marie Curie Scholarship/Award
Oakville High School senior Anamaria Wilson received the Marie Curie Scholarship/Award from the College of St. Mary. As part of her scholarship, Anamaria will work with the head of the school’s biology department on a project during the next four years that they will present at a national conference during her senior year. She’ll also receive an internship at a medical lab facility during her junior year and a previous award winner/alumni as a mentor in college.

April 5, 2023
Boys Basketball All-Conference Team - Mehlville High School

Members of the Mehlville High School boys basketball team were named to the All-Conference team:

Brady Sights, sophomore: Suburban Red All-Conference first team
Aron DeRoy, junior: Suburban Red All-Conference second team
Marcus Jacobs, sophomore: Suburban Red All-Conference honorable mention team
Matthew Wolf, senior: Suburban Red Sportsmanship Award

April 5, 2023
National Gold Council of Excellence - Buerkle Middle School

The Buerkle Middle School Student Council received the National Gold Council of Excellence award from the National Student Council. They also received the Missouri Association of Student Councils Gold Honor Council Award. These honors are given to student councils that have comprehensive programs related to school spirit, community service, student recognition and leadership training. The Buerkle Student Council was also selected as the Second Vice President of the Gateway region of MASC. This is the highest office a middle school can earn.

March 30, 2023
Gateway Action Chess Tournament
Mehlville High School sophomore Sanel Brka earned second place in the 2023 Gateway Action Chess Tournament in his first-ever chess competition.

March 28, 2023
Mehlville NEA Students of the Month - March MNEA Students of the Month

Blades Elementary School fifth-grader Josephine Wescoat and Point Elementary School fifth-grader Brock Curcuru were named Students of the Month by the Mehlville National Education Association.

March 17, 2023
DECA State Finalists - Mehlville High School
Mehlville High School DECA students competed at the state competition, with three advancing to the finals of their competition and one advancing to the international conference later this spring. Senior Ella Burns was a finalist in Food Marketing Series and will compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in April. Senior Ian Furgeson and junior Abigail Bowman were finalists in Team Decision Buying and Merchandising.

March 16, 2023
Home Visitor of the Year Award
Beasley Elementary School kindergarten teacher Amanda Berhorst was nominated for the 2023 Home Visitor of the Year Award at the Early Educators Appreciation Event for her work with the HOME WORKS program.

March 16, 2023
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Rogers Elementary School
Rogers Elementary School Terrific Kids recipients

Rogers Elementary second-grader Mustafa Musleh, third-grader Madelyn Lucas, fourth-grader Josephine Nguyen and fifth-grader E.J. Kroener were named Terrific Kids by the Kiwanis Club of South County.

March 15, 2023
FIRST Robotics competition
MHS Robotics team

Mehlville High School Robotics students finished in third place out of 43 teams at the St. Louis Regional for FIRST Robotics. The team designed, built and programmed a robot that picked up cubes and cones to score points across the field. Team members include seniors Azito Ahmad-Gol, Jonas Butler, Amel Didic, Hayden Holsapple, Mia Hoormann and Ramo Iriskic; junior Gavin Wood; sophomores Henry Fister and Eric Pflasterer; and freshmen Owen Rooks and Leo Santana.

March 14, 2023
Boys wrestling postseason awards - Oakville High School
OHS Boys Wrestling

Several members of the Oakville High School wrestling team received postseason awards for their performances this season:

Ethan Venable, junior: Third Place State Finalist, Conference Co-Wrestler of the Year, First Team All Conference
Gokkhan Yurdanidze, freshman: State Qualifier, Conference Newcomer of the Year, Honorable Mention All Conference
Tyler Updike, senior: State Qualifier, First Team All Conference
Amad Soufi, senior: State Qualifier, Second Team All Conference
Alishan Akhmedov, senior: First Team All Conference
Josh Bayer, junior: Honorable Mention All Conference
Aden Davis, senior: Honorable Mention All Conference
Justin Venable, senior: Honorable Mention All Conference
De'Shawn Treadwell, sophomore: Honorable Mention All Conference
Brendan Strickland, freshman: Conference Sportsmanship Award

March 13, 2023
State Champion twirlers

The Mehlville High School Majorettes earned first place in dance twirl at the Missouri state twirling championships. Team members include seniors Emma Bradford, Lauren Cagle, Miles King and Hannah Wiszkon; juniors Paige Kilper, Emma Hemmelgarn, Cadence Hernandez, Kyleigh McCourt and Alaina Phillips; and freshmen Amila Filipovic and Lilly Burch. The Majorettes are coached by Emily Hawkins.

March 10, 2023
Girls swimming postseason awards - Oakville High School
Oakville High School junior Kaylee Nguyen received the Conference Sportsmanship Award for swimming.

March 10, 2023
Outstanding Beginning Teachers

Mehlville High School English-language arts teacher Kelly Newton and Bernard Middle School social studies teacher Robert Summers were named Outstanding Beginning Teachers by the Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE). All recipients must be in their first or second year of teaching and are nominated by their college.

March 10, 2023
Girls wrestling postseason awards - Oakville High School
OHS girls wrestling award winners

Members of the Oakville High School girls wrestling team received postseason awards for their performances this year:

Zamya Woods-Johnson, freshman - 2nd Team All Conference, Newcomer of the Year
Talia Reed, sophomore - 2nd Team All Conference
Aydan Squires, junior - 2nd Team All Conference
Kennidy Anderson, sophomore - 2nd Team All Conference
Annalise Brown, junior - Honorable Mention All Conference
Maddy St. John, junior - Conference Sportsmanship Award

March 10, 2023
Special School District Building Block winner
Mehlville High School paraprofessional Nancy Daake received the Special School District Building Block Award. This honor is given to paraprofessionals who make a significant impact in their school community. They are nominated by coworkers and students' families.

March 10, 2023
Speech and Debate State Qualifiers
OHS Speech State Qualifiers

Oakville High School senior Courtney Kreyling and sophomore Sara Brand qualified for the Missouri State Speech and Debate competition because of their performance at the regional level. Kreyling took first place in Prose in the Eastern Missouri District, which includes all schools in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County.

March 10, 2023
Girls basketball postseason awards - Oakville High School
OHS girls basketball conference winners

Members of Oakville High School basketball team received postseason accolades for their performances this season:

Addie Czuppon, junior - All-District Team, Conference Player of the Year
Sami Simokaitis, junior - All-District Team, 1st Team All Conference
Sarah Hinkamp, senior - 2nd Team All Conference
Rylie Sahrhage, senior - Honorable Mention All Conference
Whitney Lamprich, senior - Conference Sportsmanship Award
Laura Bishop - Conference Coach of the Year

The Oakville High School girls basketball team also finished as the Conference Champions.

March 8, 2023
Softball Academic All-State Team
OHS Softball All-Academic Team

Oakville High School softball players were named to the Academic All-State Team. Honorees include seniors Mary Tutwiler, Lilly Kahle and Madison Rhyne; and sophomores Evelyn Bagley, Paige Hughes, Cassidy Welch and Amelia Wiesler.

February 28, 2023
Young Artists' Showcase - Oakville High School

Artwork created by Oakville High School seniors Megan Corson (not pictured), Gavin Moore, Presley VanGaasbeek and Hailey Veninga; juniors Kat Bucholtz, Bailey Huether, Tim McNamara and Delaney Murphy; sophomores Maddy Kurtz and Erena Resuli; and freshman Kylie Russo was selected for the St. Louis Artists' Guild Young Artists' Showcase. Three students also won awards for their work. Veninga received the Clay and Eugene Jordan Prize. Kurtz earned the St. Louis Community College Forest Park Gallery of Contemporary Art Prize. Corson won Honorable Mention St. Louis Artists' Guild.

February 28, 2023
Western Illinois University High School Honor Band

Mehlville High School seniors Tori Cafolla and Daniel Koogler, and juniors Sam Herbig, Tyler Langford and Luke Mitchell were selected to participate in the Western Illinois University High School Honor Band.

February 28, 2023
Windy 500 competition

Mehlville High School Project Lead the Way juniors Kyleigh McCourt, Chris Pesselato and Gavin Wood, and sophomores Allison Miller and Morgan Ulrich earned first place in presentation at the Windy 500 competition. At the competition hosted by the engineering and technology department at St Louis Community College, teams of five students were given a challenge to create a vehicle with at least two wheels that was propelled by fans down two different courses. The students were given 2.75 hours to design, document, test, build, retest, and rebuild the vehicles.

February 28, 2023
Young Artists' Showcase - Mehlville High School

Artwork created by Mehlville High School juniors Grace Brindley, Austyn Hartis and Endi Rizvic was selected for the St. Louis Artists' Guild Young Artists' Showcase.

February 27, 2023
Glory Award recipients - Oakville Middle School
OMS Glory Award recipients

14 Oakville Middle School students were recognized at the Mehlville Board of Education Meeting on February 23 as recipients of the Glory of Missouri Award, demonstrating one of 14 virtues. The following students were recognized: Knowledge - Sidney Lee, Liberty - Nathan Czuppon, Equality - Ramsay Markus, Law - Clark Bader, Justice - Madison Donze, Fraternity - Josiah Williams, Education - Katie Jacobs, Progress - Melinda Bajric, Honor - Paige Heitz, Truth - Corin White, Virtue - Jack Navin, Temperance - Michael Scheffer, Enterprise - Chloe Ruth, Charity - Madelyn Vandeven.

February 27, 2023
Mehlville NEA Student of the Month - February
MNEA Student of the Month

The Mehlville National Education Association named Oakville Middle School eighth-grader Sam Caira as a Student of the Month for February at the Mehlville Board of Education meeting on February 23.

February 27, 2023
Outstanding Washington Middle School students
WMS BOE honorees

Two Washington Middle School students were recognized at the Mehlville Board of Education meeting on February 23. Eighth-grade student Alexis Timmerman was honored for being the South County Kiwanis Outstanding Student. Eighth-grade student Jesse Serra was recognized with the Mehlville National Education Association Student of the Month Award.

February 24, 2023
SkillsUSA district winners
Skills USA medalists

Two Mehlville School District students medaled at the district-level of the SkillsUSA competition through their programs at South Tech High School. Trace Foster, a senior at Oakville High School, received a bronze medal in Welding. Logan White, a senior at Mehlville High School, earned a bronze medal in Web & Computer Programming.

February 23, 2023
Oakville High School FBLA state qualifiers
OHS FBLA state qualifiers

Oakville High School students competed at the district level for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), with fourteen advancing to the state level of competition this spring.

Natalie Baker, senior (Journalism)
Cameron Clobes, senior (Business Calculations)
Aidan Curcuru, senior (Accounting 2)
Ronald Farelas, senior (Accounting)
Grace Kestler, senior (Business Law)
Grace Lickteig, senior (Insurance and Risk Management)
Ayanna Lyons, freshman (Introduction to Financial Math)
Kara Martin, senior (Advertising, Business Communications)
Owen Mellinger, sophomore (Introduction to Business Concepts)
Belma Mujakic, senior (Journalism)
Bryce Nicolay, senior (Supply Chain Management)
Victoria Reynolds, senior (Client Services)
Logan Scholz, sophomore (Introduction to Business Concepts)
Addisyn Weiskopf, graduated at semester and attending Missouri State (Human Resource Management)

February 23, 2023
DECA State Qualifiers

Mehlville High School and Oakville High School DECA students recently competed at the district level, with students from both schools advancing to the state level of competition.

Mehlville High School:

Anela Abdijanovic, junior (Automotive Services Marketing)
Abigail Bowman, junior (Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making)
Anastasija Buvka, senior (Business Finance)
Hena Bukva, sophomore (Principles of Finance)
Ella Burns, senior (Food Marketing Series)
Ian Furgeson, senior (Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making)
William Parish, junior (According Applications Individual Series)

Oakville High School:

Jack Bishop and Kyle Hyde, seniors (Financial Services Team Decision Making)
Ronaldo Farelas, senior (Accounting Applications Individual Series)
Brooke Fagyal and Alex Vaughn, sophomores (Hospitality Services Team Decision Making)
Claudi Granda and Molly Hagemann, seniors (Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research Paper)
Grace Kestler and Molly Hitt, seniors (Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making)
Grace Lickteig and Lexie Pattrin, seniors (Business Services Operations Research Paper)
Kara Martin, senior (Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling)
Leah Nance and Gabrielle Stitch, seniors (Start-Up Business Plan)
Brice Nicolay, senior (Innovation Plan Paper; Entrepreneurship Individual Series)
Grace Proctor, senior (Apparel and Accessories Marketing Series)
Victoria Reynolds (Retail Merchandising Series

February 22, 2023
Wrestling District Champion
Mehlville High School senior Anna Valleroy finished as the district champion in her weight class for girls wrestling and advanced to state.

February 21, 2023
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Oakville Elementary School
Oakville Elementary Terrific Kids

Oakville Elementary School second grader Daphne Haasis, third grader Rosalie Fegan, fourth grader Marcus Montalvo and fifth grader Isabella Cruz were named Terrific Kids by the Kiwanis Club of South County.

February 21, 2023
National Merit Scholarship Finalists
Lisa Hang and Thomas Kallaos

Mehlville High School senior Lisa Hang and Oakville High School senior Thomas Kallaos are National Merit Scholarship Finalists. They were selected based on their SAT scores, high academic achievement and extracurricular/volunteer activities.

February 13, 2023
Kiwanis Outstanding Student - Bernard Middle School
The Kiwanis Club of South County named Bernard Middle School eighth-grade student Payton Rutledge as the school's Outstanding Student.

February 13, 2023
Affton-Lemay Chamber of Commerce Exceptional Educator
Mehlville High School science and Project Lead the Way teacher Kristin Busch was named an Exceptional Educator by the Affton-Lemay Chamber of Commerce.

February 13, 2023
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Point Elementary School
Point Elementary Terrific Kids

The Kiwanis Club of South County named Point Elementary School fifth grader Lucy Florek, fourth grader Sophia Hopkins, third grader Furkan Ozyurt and second grader Adeline Reinhold as Terrific Kids.

February 4, 2023
MNEA Students of the Month - February
February 2023 MNEA Students of the Month

The Mehlville National Education Association recognized SCOPE senior Mikayla Foster and Oakville Elementary School fourth grader Petey Mondello as its Students of the Month in February.

February 3, 2023
LifeChanger of the Year Award
Mehlville High School college and career counselor Beth Neighbors is the recipient of the 2022-2023 LifeChanger of the Year Award. This honor is given to K-12 employees nationwide who make a beneficial difference in the lives of students, create a positive school atmosphere and demonstrate leadership in their school or district. Watch a video about her award.

February 1, 2023
Missouri State University Athletics Hall of Fame
Oakville High School science teacher Sarah Guenther has been selected for induction into the Missouri State University Athletics Hall of Fame in the class of 2023. Guenther, who coaches the girls soccer team at OHS, is known as one of the best defenders in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference. During her time with the Bears, Guenther won the MVC Defensive Player of the Year Award twice. She was also named a NSCAA Scholar All-American two times, among other accolades.

January 27, 2023
Missouri Football Coaches Association Hands Team
Oakville High School senior Will McIver was named to the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hands Team. This honor is given to student-athletes who embrace volunteerism and civic involvement, in addition to embodying the spirit of teamwork and giving back. Only eleven students from across the state are selected to receive this honor.

January 27, 2023
S.M. Wilson's SKILLED Award
Oakville High School senior Bryce Nicolay received S.M. Wilson's SKILLED Award for his work with his classmates in the STL CAPS Global Business & Entrepreneurship course. Bryce and his team developed a "Contributing with Composting" program that introduced kids to STEAM concepts while reducing landfill use, reducing climate change contributors and creating rich soil to use for gardening.

January 27, 2023
OHS junior Ethan Venable

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Athlete of the Week
Oakville High School junior Ethan Venable was named a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Athlete of the Week for his wrestling performance at the Fort Zumwalt South Invitational. Ethan won the tournament championship, his fifth tournament win this year.

Jan. 23, 2022
MNEA Students of the Month - January
Mehlville NEA students of the month

The Mehlville National Education Association recognized two Students of the Month for January: Bierbaum Elementary fourth-grade student Kylee Taylor and Beasley Elementary third-grade student Mikayla Abram.

Jan. 17, 2023
Missouri State Acting Program
At the 2023 Missouri Thespian Conference, Mehlville High School senior Cameron Ulmer participated in the Senior Scholarship Auditions. Cameron was accepted to Missouri State University's prestigious Acting Program and was called back to meet with at least ten other colleges following the audition.

Jan. 13, 2023
SIUE Bi-State Festival Honor Band
Mehlville High School band students

Mehlville High School seniors Jacob Herbig and Daniel Koogler; juniors Sam Herbig, Tyler Langford and Luke Mitchell; and freshman Eva Brown were selected for the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Bi-State Festival Honor Band.

Jan. 12, 2023
Oakville High School FCCLA Regional Gold Winners OHS FCCLA Regional Gold students

Oakville High School FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leads of America) students competed in the regional-level of the STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) Events, earned a gold rating and will advance to the state-level.
- Aman Lueker (senior): Gold in Teach or Train category
- Annabelle Phillips (senior) and Kim Tran (junior): Gold in Event Management category
- Abby Wiedermann (junior): Gold in Fashion Construction category
- Emery Nelson (sophomore): Gold in Chapter Service Project category
- Matthew Sippel (junior): Gold in Career Investigation category

Jan. 5, 2023
National Speech and Debate Honor Society
MHS Speech and Debate Honor Society

Mehlville High School sophomore Adelisa Durmic and senior Ian Furgeson surpassed the required amount of competition points for induction into the National Speech and Debate Honor Society.

Jan. 5, 2023
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - MOSAIC Elementary School
MOSAIC Elementary Terrific Kids

The Kiwanis Club of South County named Stella Hawley (second grade), Garrett Spears (third grade), Brody Bielik (fouth grade) and Sydney Cothron (fifth grade) as Terrific Kids at MOSAIC Elementary School.

Jan. 3, 2023
St. Louis Writers Guild Young Writers Awards
At Home seventh-grade student Collin Farquhar earned third place in the St. Louis Writers Guild Young Writers Awards for his submission "The Poster Shop".

Jan. 3, 2023
Peach Bowl Awards - Oakville High School
Oakville High School Band at the Peach Bowl

The Oakville High School Band earned several awards during the Peach Bowl Festival in Atlanta, including Concert Band First Place Gold Rating, Marching Guard 1st Place Gold Rating, Field Show Grand Champions, Best Guard in Parade and Fourth Place in Parade.

Dec. 16, 2022
MNEA Students of the Month - December
MNEA December Students of the Month

The Mehlville National Education Association recognized three students of the month for December at the Mehlville Board of Education meeting: Oakville High School freshman Ella Roth, Trautwein Elementary fourth grader Sage Brummet and Wohlwend Elementary third grader Noah Sanchez.

Dec. 15, 2022
Student Election Judges - Mehlville High School
MHS Student Election Judges

Mehlville High School seniors Amelia Hays and Evan McClusky; juniors Grace Brindley, Chloe Gutjahr, William Parish, Chris Pesselato, Grahm Tapp and Stefanie Wong; and sophomore Naomi Hays were commended for their excellent service as student election judges by the St. Louis County Election Board. These students checked-in voters, managed voter lines and addressed technology issues to help operations run smoothly at the polls.

Dec. 15, 2022
YMCA Youth and Government Conference
YMCA Youth and Government students

Oakville High School students recently participated in the YMCA Youth and Government Conference, and two students received recognition at the event. Junior Travis Norris was awarded Best Collaboration on a Bill, while junior Sawyer Bess was awarded Most Dedicated Delegate for Media.

Dec. 6, 2022
Old Newsboys Day Publication for St. Louis Post Dispatch
Mehlville High School seniors Nela Suljic and Emily Worthmore, who are members of Mehlville Media, each had an article selected for publication in the Old Newsboys Day edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This edition of the paper features articles written by high school students in our area. Read their articles.

Dec. 6, 2022
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Hagemann Elementary School
Hagemann Terrific Kids

The Kiwanis Club of South County named fifth-grader Quynh Trinh, fourth-grader Lara Barwary, third-grader Aleen Alashari and second-grader Zoe Seibel as Terrific Kids at Hagemann Elementary School.

Dec. 5, 2022
All-State Band

Three Oakville High School and one Mehlville High School band student were named to the Missouri All-State Band. OHS senior Jared Hasty earned the third-highest score in the state among French horn players. OHS senior Thomas Kallaos was named an alternate at trombone. MHS junior Sam Herbig (trumpet) and OHS junior Rachel Kauffman (clarinet) received an Honorable Mention distinction.

Nov. 30, 2022
Student Election Judges - Oakville High School

22 Oakville High School students were commended for their excellent service as student election judges by the St. Louis County Election Board. These students checked-in voters, managed voter lines and addressed technology issues to help operations run smoothly at the polls.

Senior Ronaldo Farelas served as full-fledged Election Judge.
Seniors Nathan Alano, Alex Corp, Thomas Kallaos and Madison Tatham (not pictured)
Juniors Mason Bader, Alex Deters (not pictured), Britney Du, Joey Effinger, Ally Funkhouser, Elle Haefner, Caroline Klos, Emily La, Libby Oelzen, Lucas Ottoline, Olivia Roberds, Sami Simokaitis, Katie Tymkew and Hayden Wohlstadter
Sophomores Emilie Brower, Neila Hasic (not pictured) and Selma Omercehaic

Nov. 30, 2022
Soccer Postseason Honors - Mehlville High School
MHS soccer postseason awards

Four members of the Mehlville High School soccer team received accolades for their performance this season. Senior Will Raftery was named to the All-Region, All-District, 1st Team All-Conference teams. Will was also named to the St. Louis University High All-Tournament Team. Senior Cade Harper was named 1st Team All-Conference, while senior Owen Foppe was named 2nd Team All-Conference. Senior Eamon Floyd received the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Nov. 29, 2022
Tennis Postseason Honors - Oakville High School
Oakville High School sophomore Michelle Gruden was named 1st Team All-Conference in singles tennis. Gruden was also named 2nd Team All-Conference for doubles with her partner, junior Mia Nusinovic.

Nov. 29, 2022
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Bierbaum Elementary School
Bierbaum Terrific Kids

Bierbaum Elementary School students Ava McDonald (second grade), Leyla Aliyeva (third grade) Andy Karahodzic (fourth grade) and Yaman Alnabki (fifth grade) were named Terrific Kids by the Kiwanis Club of South County.

Nov. 29, 2022
Soccer Postseason Awards - Oakville High School
OHS soccer award-winners

Oakville High School seniors Mohammed Al-Kenani and Isaac Lillard, and junior Sam Lurkins were named All-District and 1st Team All-Conference. Additionally, seniors Parker Flens and Zach Pommer, and juniors Mirza Selimovic and Will Hanak were named 2nd Team All-Conference. Senior Emir Mustajbegovic received the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Nov. 29, 2022
Swimming Postseason Awards - Oakville High School
OHS swimming All-Conference

Oakville High School seniors Aidan Baker, Max Sullivan and Devin Townsend; juniors Trent Batten, Ben Pantazo, Jake Pantazo and Brayden Zimmerman; sophomores Ben Govero and Amar Nuhanovic; and freshman Ethan Le were named to the All-Conference team for swimming. Batten, B. Pantazo, J. Pantazo and Sullivan were state finalists in both 200 Medley Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay.

Nov. 29, 2022
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Forder Elementary School
Forder Elementary Terrific Kids

Forder Elementary School students Yadi Suegrim (second grade), AnnMarie Boyer (third grade), Marli Cobbs (fourth grade) and Shane Flieger (fifth grade) were named Terrific Kids by the Kiwanis Club of South County.

Nov. 18, 2022
MNEA Student of the Month - November
MNEA November Student of the Month

The Mehlville National Education Association (MNEA) honored Melanie Wong, a fifth-grade student at MOSAIC Elementary School, as its Student of the Month for November. Melanie was recognized for being a helpful, kind and motivated student.

Nov. 18, 2022
Award-Winning Student Journalists - Oakville High School
OHS journalism students

Oakville High School journalism students received awards for their work on the yearbook and Tiger TV. At the Journalism Education Association (JEA) National Student Media Contest, Senior Layla Halilbasic earned a Superior rating for Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life. This is the highest possible rating, earned by only 75 students across the country. Senior Belma Mujakic earned an Honorable Mention rating for Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics. The yearbook also placed seventh in Best in Show for High School Yearbook/224-278 pages at the National Scholastic Press Association Best of Show Awards. Halilbasic, Mujakic and senior Lejla Pozegic served as editors-in-chief.

Additionally, junior Sawyer Bess earned an Excellent rating for Video Package Editing from JEA, while senior Katie Schroeder earned an Honorable Mention rating for Broadcast Newswriting.

Nov. 18, 2022
Football Postseason Awards - Oakville High School
OHS football All-Conference players

Members of the Oakville High School football team received All-District and All-Conference honors for their performance on the field this season.

Jack Bishop: Brandon Burlsworth Character Award, 3rd Team All-State, 1st Team All-District, Co-Conference Lineman of the Year and 1st Team All-Conference OL
Ethan Venable: 3rd Team All-State, 1st Team All-District, 1st Team All-Conference RB, 1st Team All-Conference DL, Conference Sportsmanship Award
Drew Lanzarini: 1st Team All-District 1st Team All-Conference KR, 2nd Team All-Conference WR
Josh Baranovic: 1st Team All-District, 1st Team All-Conference DB
Nadeem Jalali: 2nd Team All-District, 1st Team All-Conference SLASH
Riley Hughes: 2nd Team All-District, 2nd Team All-Conference OL
Emir Mustabegovic: 1st Team All-Conference K
Joey Bradley: 2nd Team All-Conference QB
Will McIver: 2nd Team All-Conference LB
Will Michel: 2nd Team All-Conference LB
Damien Moore: 2nd Team All-Conference RB
Joe Romano: 2nd Team All-Conference DB
Terrell Cook: Honorable Mention All-Conference DL
Chase Forbus: Honorable Mention All-Conference OL
Zach Hough: Honorable Mention All-Conference WR
Mihkel Johnson: Honorable Mention All-Conference DL
Jonathan Weissman: Honorable Mention All-Conference DL
Keaton Wodicker: Honorable Mention All-Conference OL

Nov. 17, 2022
Missouri All State Children's Choir
Elementary All-State Choir Students

Bierbaum Elementary School fourth-grade students Belma Karic, Jacquez Le and Philip Rolfe, and Rogers Elementary School fourth-grade student Brooklyn Newsome were selected to the Missouri All-State Children's Choir.

Nov. 17, 2022
High School Heisman - Oakville High School
Oakville High School senior Madelyn Winter was named a High School Heisman recipient. This distinction is given to student-athletes who succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

Nov. 16, 2022
Football Postseason Awards - Mehlville High School
MHS football team All-Conference

Several members of the Mehlville High School football team received postseason accolades for their performance this year. Junior Josh Winston was recognized for his play on both sides of the ball, earning 1st Team All-Conference honors as a tight end and as a linebacker. Senior Jonathan O'Shea was also named 1st Team All-Conference. Four members of the Panthers defense earned 2nd Team All-Conference honors. Those players are seniors Gabe Scott and Michael Stephan, and juniors Kaleb Gucciardo and Mason Nienhaus. Senior Reed Freemyer earned the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Nov. 15, 2022
St. Louis All-Suburban Band - Oakville High School
OHS All-Suburban Band students

Five members of the Oakville High School Band auditioned and earned a spot in the St. Louis All-Suburban Band. Seniors Jared Hasty and Thomas Kallaos, and juniors Rachel Kauffman, C.J. Ottenlips and David White are now qualified to audition for Missouri's All-State Band.

Nov. 15, 2022
Softball Postseason Awards - Mehlville High School
MHS Softball postseason awards

Members of the Mehlville High School softball racked up All-Region, All-District and All Conference honors for their play on the diamond this season. Sophomore Lily Douglas was named 1st Team All-Region, 1st Team All-District and 1st Team All-Conference, in addition to being named Suburban Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Senior Emily Vassolo and sophomore Claire Parish were each named 2nd Team All-Region, 1st Team All-District and 1st Team All-Conference. Senior Gabi Moen earned 2nd Team All-District and 1st Team All-Conference Honors.
MHS softball coach Tim Ode

Seniors Madison Anderson and Taylor Trevisano, and sophomores Rylie Harper and Morgan Ulrich were named 2nd Team-All Conference. Sophomore Nichole Goebel earned the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Head softball coach Tim Ode was also awarded for the Panthers' tremendous season with Conference Coach of the Year honors.

Nov. 15, 2022
Volleyball Postseason Awards - Oakville High School
OHS Volleyball award-winners

Several members of the Oakville High School volleyball team received postseason accolades for their performance on the court this season. Sophomore Nina Cillo and junior Addie Czuppon were each named 1st Team All-District and 1st Team All-Conference. Junior Sami Simokaitis was named 2nd Team All-District and 2nd Team All-Conference. Senior Caitlyn Price and freshman Izzie Rysanek round out the All-District team with 2nd Team honors. Senior Lexi Rysanek was also named Conference Sportswoman of the Year.

Nov. 14, 2022
Volleyball Postseason Awards - Mehlville High School
MHS volleyball All-Conference recipients

Two members of the Mehlville High School volleyball team received postseason honors for their play this season. Freshman Addie Mask was named 2nd Team All-Conference, while junior Nerma Hrsic received the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Nov. 14, 2022
Kiwanis Terrific Kids - Blades Elementary School

The Kiwanis Club of South County celebrated four Blades Elementary School students as Terrific Kids. Recipients include second grader Gus Engel, third grader Lilly Kate Smith, fourth grader Ari Maloku and fifth grader Adna Bosnjak.

Nov. 11, 2022
St. Louis All-Suburban Band - Mehlville High School
MHS All-Suburban Band students

Mehlville High School junior Tyler Langford was named to the St. Louis All-Suburban Band. Additionally, freshman Eva Brown and juniors Sam Herbig and Luke Mitchell were named alternates. This distinction qualifies all four students to audition for Missouri's All-State Band.

Nov. 10, 2022
Distinguished Principal Award
Rogers Elementary School principal Dr. Patrick Keenoy received the Distinguished Principal award from the St. Louis Suburban Elementary Principals Association (SLESPA). This award recognizes elementary and middle school principals who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character and climate for the students, families and staff in their learning communities. Learn more.

Nov. 10, 2022
Mehlville High School Tennis All-Conference

Five members of the Mehlville High School tennis team earned All-Conference honors. Junior Stephanie Wong was named 1st Team All-Conference in singles, as well as 1st Team All-Conference in doubles with her partner junior Alaina Johnson. Doubles partners junior Emily Wilder and sophomore Annabelle Meyer were named 2nd Team All-Conference. Senior Rachel Trosky earned the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Nov. 9, 2022
High School All-State Choir

Oakville High School junior Ava Chancellor and seniors Sarah Brutton, Mackenzie Earney and Madelyn Winter were named to the Missouri All-State Choir.

Nov. 9, 2022
High School Heisman - Mehlville High School
Mehlville High School seniors Jenna O'Shea and Matt Wolf were named High School Heisman recipients. This distinction is given to student-athletes who succeed on the field, in the classroom and in their community. In addition to being chosen to represent MHS, Matt was also chosen to represent the entire state as Missouri's High School Heisman.

Nov. 4, 2022
Middle School All Suburban Honor Band

Students from all four Mehlville School District middle schools were selected to the St. Louis All-Suburban Honor Band.

Bernard Middle School: Soma Baban, Landon Cernich, Sopia Nelson, Everett Rayborn, Gabe Skinner, Elijah Skinner and Mary Wilson
Buerkle Middle School: Sakura Henry and Zaide Rosse
Oakville Middle School: Reid Akers, Noah Cates, Ramsay Markus, Michael Scheffer and Corin White
Washington Middle School: Cedar Fitzpatrick and Elliott Parai

Nov. 1, 2022
Oakville High School softball postseason honors

Several members of the Oakville High School softball team received honors for their play this season:

Mary Tutwiler (senior) - 1st Team All State, 1st Team All Region, 1st Team All District, Conference Suburban Yellow Pool Player of the Year
Addie Frank (freshman) - 2nd Team All State, 1st Team All Region, 1st Team All District, 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All Metro
Lily Kahle (senior) - 2nd Team All Region, 1st Team All District, 1st Team All Conference
Amelia Wiesler (sophomore) - 2nd Team All Region, 1st Team All District, 1st Team All Conference
Madison Rhyne (senior) - 2nd Team All Region, 1st Team All District, 1st Team All Conference, 3rd Team All Metro
Savannah Hesse (senior) - 2nd Team All District, 2nd Team All Conference, Conference Sportsmanship Award
Morgan Kovach (sophomore) - 2nd Team All District, 2nd Team All Conference
Reagan Kemp (sophomore) - Honorable Mention All Conference
Lexi Kahle (sophomore) - Honorable Mention All Conference

Oct. 31, 2022
All-Conference Girls Field Hockey - Oakville High School
Oakville High School senior Grace Kestler was named 1st Team All-Conference in field hockey. Additionally, senior Deja Robinson was named 2nd Team All-Conference.

Oct. 28, 2022
All-Conference Girls Golf - Oakville High School
OHS All-Conference girls golf

Several members of the girls golf team at Oakville High School received postseason honors for their play this season. Seniors Sarah Hinkamp and Ana Wilson were named 1st Team All-Conference. Seniors Avery Bangert and Gracie Lickteig were named 2nd Team All Conference.

Oct. 26, 2022
Kiwanis Club Terrific Kids - Beasley Elementary Beasley Elementary Terrific Kids

Beasley Elementary School second-grade student Mia Barajas, third-grade student Alyssa Alexander, fourth-grade student Elmina Ganibegovic and fifth-grade student Eamon Davis were named Terrific Kids by the Kiwanis Club of South County.

Oct. 26, 2022
The Lions Club Peace Poster Contest
Bernard Middle School eighth-grade students Lily King and Caylie Armistead finished first and second in the Lion's Club Peace Poster Contest. Lily's poster earned her $100, and her work will move on the international level with an opportunity to win $5,000. Caylie's second-place finish earned her $50.

Oct. 24, 2022
Emerson Excellence in Teaching
Jenn Rich, an English language arts teacher at Oakville Middle School, was named Mehlville School District's Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award recipient for the 2022-2023 school year. This award is presented annually to teachers in the St. Louis area who are examples of excellence in the field of education.

Oct. 19, 2022
EXTRA CREDIT on Stage at Powell
Jen Garrison Brown, Washington Middle School band director; Emily Fiasco, Buerkle Middle School and Washington Middle School assistant band director; James Hahn, Buerkle Middle School band director; and Kriste Ludwig, Blades Elementary School music teacher; were selected to rehearse and perform with members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. On Oct. 7, they joined other music educators from our area to perform with SLSO in a free concert called EXTRA CREDIT on Stage at Powell.

Oct. 18, 2022
St. Louis All Suburban Choir - Mehlville High School
Mehlville High School junior Melia Oestreich was named to the St. Louis All-Suburban Choir.

Oct. 17, 2022
Missouri Highway Patrol inspection

The Mehlville School District Transportation Department received a 100% on their inspection from the Missouri Highway Patrol. This involves a surprise visit from an inspector who reviews around 30 buses in the district's fleet.

Oct. 12, 2022
Mercy Sports Medicine Athlete of the Month
Will Raftery, a senior on the Mehlville High School soccer team, was named a Mercy Sports Medicine Athlete of the Month for September. Recipients are nominated by coaches and selected by a committee.

Oct. 12, 2022
District champion golfer
Mehlville High School freshman Eva Brown shot an even-par 71 at the Class 3 District 1 girls golf tournament to finish as the individual district champion. Brown was five shots ahead of the second-place finisher. Additionally, finished as the Class 3 runner-up at the state tournament, finishing just 1 stroke behind the leader.

Eva was also named 1st Team All-Metro.

Oct. 10, 2022
Opera Theater St. Louis Artists in Training program
Oakville High School junior Ava Chancellor was selected for the 2022-23 Opera Theater St. Louis Artists in Training program. Ava will have the opportunity to study voice with college professors and perform in recitals and masterclasses with world-renowned opera performers. She is one of just twenty students from across the region accepted to the program.

Oct. 10, 2022
St. Louis All Suburban Choir - Oakville High School

Eleven Oakville High School students were selected to the St. Louis All-Suburban Choir. Honorees include seniors Sarah Brutton, Ellie Dong, Mackenzie Earney, Ryan Lisle, and Madelyn Winter; junior Ava Chancellor; and sophomores Wyatt Cary, Kenzie Christopher, Mazie Menkhus, Amy Menz and Maggie Schrader. Brutton, Chancellor, Earney, Winter and Lisle also qualified to audition for Missouri All State Choir in November.

Sept. 27, 2022
National Merit Scholarship Honorees

Three Mehlville School District seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship program. Lisa Hang, Mehlville High School, and Thomas Kallaos, Oakville High School, were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. This honor was received by only 16,000 high school seniors from across the country and qualifies them to advance to the next round of the competition. Additionally, Luke Roth, Oakville High School, was named a National Merit Commended Scholar. These awards were based on their performance on the PSAT during their junior year.

Sept. 21, 2022
Chamber of Commerce Students of the Month
Mehlville High School senior Ella Burns and Oakville High School senior Tommy Hennessy were named the Southwest Area Chamber of Commerce's students of the month for September.

Sept. 17, 2022
Mehlville NEA Students of the Month

Buerkle Middle School seventh-grader Logan Brotherton and Forder Elementary School fifth-grader Emma Stuckel were named Mehlville NEA's students of the month for September.

Sept. 16, 2022
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Athlete of the Week
Mehlville High School sophomore Lily Douglas was named a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Athlete of the Week! In 3 games, Lily, who plays for the Panthers softball team, stuck out 45 batters while also recording a pair of multi-hit games at the plate. This is the second consecutive season that Lily has been named Athlete of the Week

Sept. 12, 2022
National Hispanic Recognition Award
Oakville High School senior Ronaldo Farelas received the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA) from College Board. To be eligible for College Board's National Recognition Programs, students must have a 3.5 GPA or higher, score in the top 10% of their state on the PSAT, and earn a score of 3 or higher on two or more Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

Aug. 30, 2022
Excellent primary election judges
Three Oakville High School students worked as student election judges for the primary election on Aug. 2, and were recognized for their excellent service by the St. Louis County Election Board. Congratulations to seniors Nathan Alano, Alex Corp and Thomas Kallaos.

Aug. 29, 2022
Truman Book Trailers contest winners
Oakville Middle School eighth-grade students Addie Hebden, Paige Heitz, Payton Miller, and Jack Navin competed in the Truman Book Trailers contest and had their entries selected for display on the Missouri Association of School Librarians website! The competition involved reading a book and creating a one minute video trailer to promote it. View the winning entries.

Aug. 18, 2022
Missouri Teacher of the Year semi-finalist
Josh Groh, a third-grade teacher at Oakville Elementary School, was named a semi-finalist for the 2023 Missouri Teacher of the Year award. This distinction was earned by just 17 teachers from across the state. Mr. Groh was previously named a Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year for the St. Louis region, Mehlville School District Teacher of the Year and Oakville Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Aug. 10, 2022
Missouri Retired Teachers Association grant recipient
Valerie Hoette, speech and language pathologist for Mehlville Early Childhood, received a classroom grant of $500 from the Missouri Retired Teachers Association (MRTA). Hoette was awarded the grant to support a phonological program she's launching this year to remediate severe to profound speech disorders in children ages 3 to 5. The goal of the program, Mehlville Phonology-Articulation-Listening Skills (PALS), is to provide a more intensive model of therapy services to help students overall speech development process more quickly.

July 25, 2022
National Champion baton twirlers
The Mehlville High School Majorettes were named national champions in both the High School Dance Twirl and High School Halftime categories at the America's Youth on Parade national baton twirling championships hosted at the University of Notre Dame. Team members include class of 2022 graduate Jenna Carter; seniors Emma Bradford, Lauren Cagle, Miles King, Shelby Knobbe and Hannah Wiszkon; and juniors Emma Hemmelgarn, Cadence Hernandez, Paige Kilper, Kyleigh McCourt and Alaina Phillips. The Oakville High School Tiger Twirlers also finished Top 5 in the country!

July 19, 2022
Jeopardy! Champion
Emily Fiasco, a graduate of Mehlville High School and current assistant band director at Buerkle Middle School and Washington Middle School, achieved a lifelong dream of appearing on Jeopardy! Mrs. Fiasco appeared in four episodes, winning the daily championship three times. Her total winnings over the four episodes was more than $88,000.

July 8, 2022
HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference
Current and former Mehlville High School students were honored at the HOSA - Future Health Professionals Leadership Conference. Alex Norrenberns, a class of 2022 graduate, was recognized as Missouri HOSA's Outstanding Leader. Kelly Tuong, a class of 2022 graduate was honored for documenting the MHS chapter's events in HOSA Happenings. Additionally, Emilee Goebel, a class of 2022 graduate, earned a spot on the stage for her performance on the health care issues exam, and Lisa Hang, a senior, served as a voting delegate to elect the new executive committee in her new role as Missouri HOSA vice president.

July 7, 2022
Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year
Josh Groh, a third-grade teacher at Oakville Elementary School, was named a Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year for the St. Louis region. This distinction is only given to ten teachers in our area and qualifies Mr. Groh to submit an application for Missouri State Teacher of the Year. During the 2021-2022 school year, Mr. Groh was named Oakville Elementary Teacher of the Year and Mehlville School District Teacher of the Year.

July 6, 2022
SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference
Zachary Hendrix, a senior at Mehlville High School, traveled to Atlanta with other students from South Tech for the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Zach and his partner earned a bronze medal in a contest against other coders and designers from schools nationwide. The competition involved a job interview, a coding and design exam, and an 8-hour website build.