NEW SCHOOL RECORD
Our 4×800 relay team won the state championship this spring for the second time. Earlier in the season at the Dogwood Track Classic, hosted at UVA, the four ran a 8:11.12 to top the 48-year-old record by 13 seconds! EMS runners from L-R are Jakob Gerlach ’23, Adam Rhodes ’25, Luga Samson ’25, and Jedrek Sneary ’25. The 1975 team included Darrell Zook ’76, pictured with the team as coach for Broadway High School runners. Zook’s teammates in 1975 were Kenny Layman ’76, Byron Brenneman ’76, and Don Martin ’75.
Ryan Slonaker ’24, was the individual VISAA DIII state golf champion for the third consecutive year.
Sarah Drooger ’24 was named Blue Ridge Area Conference Player of the Year and First Team All VISAA state team.
EMS News
Fifth graders choose a cooperative project as part of the peacebuilding curriculum to leave for the school. The class of ’30 worked with each other, other grade levels, teachers, and parents to purchase, install, and dedicate a volleyball and Newcomb net, a cooperative catch and throw game.
Erika Gascho was named middle school principal and will also work with EMS’ growing Learning Support Services program.
She taught 5th grade at EMS since 2018 and special education for Harrisonburg City Schools earlier.
Maria Archer added principalship for grades 6-8 for the past five years. Next year, she will return to focus on K-5 exclusively, which she has led since ’05. Seventh grade students thanked her during the last chapel. Left to right: Simon Blosser, Ila Hackman, Eve Bixler, and Teo Diener.
