LOA PLAYERS DOMINATE 2021 REGION 8-A PUBLIC ALL-REGION TEAM ROSTER INCLUDING PLAYER OF THE YEAR DESTINY MCCLENDON

Greensboro, Ga. (March 15, 2021) – The success of the Lady Titan varsity basketball team’s 2021 season was evident in the selection of seven players to the Region 8-A Public All-Region Team. In addition, senior Destiny McClendon was named Player of the Year and Head Coach Kevin Furtado is the region Coach of the Year.

The Lady Titans recorded a 25-1 overall record this season with its only loss coming in the Elite Eight round of the GHSA Girls State Basketball Tournament with a 53-57 loss to Clinch County on the road. McClendon and the team also celebrated her 2000th career point milestone this season.

LOA team members named to the Region 8-A Public All-Region Team are:

First Team: Destiny McClendon (Player of the Year), Piper Bosart

Second Team: Hannah Heinen, Georgia Bosart

Honorable Mention: Kensi Stevens, Jada Williams, Kala Jo Ogletree

“This has been a historic season for the Lady Titan Basketball team,” said Coach Furtado. “Our #Rowtheboat culture took off this season culminating in a 25-1 overall record, Region 8A Championship and a 21-0 regular season. Even though we were defeated in the Elite 8 by a very strong Clinch County team, we represented the community of Lake Oconee Academy with dignity, grace and class. I absolutely love these kids and they will go down as one of the best teams in school history.

“We were very honored to have two 1st team players in Piper Bosart and Player of the Year Destiny McClendon. They were the backbone of our program and got us to this point of success. Our 2nd team All-Region players Georgia Bosart and Hannah Heinen gave us consistent scoring and defense throughout the season, and as a freshman and a sophomore they have a bright future. Our honorable mention candidates Kensi Stevens, Kala Jo Ogletree, and Jada Williams filled their team roles with unbelievable effort and tenacity.”

“I want to congratulate Coach Kevin Furtado on being named Region 8-A Public Coach of the Year,” said LOA Athletic Director Chris Ingle. “The region is full of great coaches, and this is truly an honor for him and his program. He led the LOA girls basketball team to an unprecedented undefeated regular season and on to the Region Championship. He is truly an outstanding coach, leader, and teacher for the students of Lake Oconee Academy. You simply will not find a more passionate example of a basketball coach. He is the definition of ‘All In.’ We could not be prouder that he is a Titan.”

Photo: 8-A Public All-Region Team members are (left to right) Kala Jo Ogletree, Kensi Stevens, Georgia Bosart, Piper Bosart, Hannah Heinen, Destiny McClendon, and Jada Williams.

Photo: 8-A Public All-Region Coach of the Year Kevin Furtado.

LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY’S ARIE’UNA LONG RECEIVES 2021 GEORGIA YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD

Greensboro, Ga. (March 9, 2021) – Lake Oconee Academy student Arie’una Long has been selected as a top 21 youth leader by 21st Century Leaders, a Georgia-based non-profit youth leadership and talent development program for high school students from diverse backgrounds. Long is one of 21 students from across Georgia chosen for their significant impact on their schools, communities and beyond.

21st Century Leaders (21CL) brings together business and civic leaders to raise support for 21CL’s year-round leadership programs for high school students and members of 21CL. The students nominated for the Georgia Youth Leadership Award were carefully chosen by a 28-member selection committee comprised of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 under 40 members, who also serve as mentors to the 21CL students and 21CL Board of Directors, corporate volunteers, alumni and student peers.

Long, currently a junior, started attending Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) in Pre-K. She is the daughter of the late Reginald Long, Sr. and Audra Lawrence-Long, and the sibling of Reginald Long, Jr. She has a passion for music and has been honored with the LOA Band Achievement and the LOA Band Musicianship award during her high school years. Long’s goal is to pursue a career in the music business. As an A/B honor roll student, Long has challenged herself academically by completing four dual enrollment courses and seven AP® courses, all for potential college credit hours. She has participated in the Girl Scouts, Beta Club and is a REACH Scholarship recipient. In 2020, she started her own business, Mystical Kreations, selling bracelets, anklets, keychains and self-defense keychains.

“Arie'una's consistent demeanor and work ethic have remained steadfast,” said Dr. Jody Worth, LOA’s Chief Academic Officer. “As a school community, we are so proud of her accomplishments and personal growth.”    

Long will attend a virtual celebration originating in Atlanta with other student leaders on Thursday, March 25, 2021, where she will receive a $500 grant.

LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY THEATRE WINS BACK-TO-BACK GHSA ONE-ACT PLAY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES

Greensboro, Ga. (February 15, 2021) – Lake Oconee Academy’s high school theatre troupe won the GHSA Class A Public State One-Act Play Competition for the second year in a row at Crisp County High School in Cordele, Ga., on Saturday, February 13. The troupe won the competition in 2019-2020 with the musical Quilters and placed 2nd in 2018 with All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  

This year the troupe took on a completely new project entitled Life Changers, an original musical with script and songs all written by cast, crew, and staff members. The show follows three characters struggling with life who each stumble upon an app that promises to make life better for them. Upon downloading it, they are sucked into a world in which they must realize the burdens they carry, face their inner demons, and ultimately examine themselves to find the beauty within.  

The process began back in September 2020 when students auditioned for this generative project.  The group initially selected a source text, The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Drawing upon concepts and themes from the text, the students began to write original poems, short stories, and internal dialogue scenes.  After combining various original pieces, they worked to create storylines for each of the three main characters. For the next few months, the cast and crew added to the script with facilitation from their director and guest artist/creative consultant, Henry Scott. Original songs were also added, including 1993, with music and lyrics by Remi Baker and Helen Garcia-Carreras, This Old Guitar, with music and lyrics by Elisa Garcia-Carreras, and I Don’t Know Where to Go From Here with music and lyrics by Henry Scott.

At the state competition, LOA’s show competed against five other plays and musicals from Irwin County High School, Bryan County High School, Dublin High School, Furlow Charter School, and Georgia Military College Prep. All-Star Cast Awards were given to Gabrielle Gruszynski for her role as Dolce, one of the “app-keepers” and Elisa Garcia-Carreras for her portrayal of Casey, a girl who lost her father in a military accident. The three judges gave the show scores of 94, 98, and 98. Life Changers was also selected as a feature show for the 2021 Virtual Georgia Thespian Conference (ThesCon) to be held virtually February 25-27, 2021.  

Cast and crew members include:  Remi Baker, Walker Cannon, Elisha Copeland, Shelby Davis, Julia Kate Dixon, Elisa Garcia-Carreras, Gabrielle Gruszynski, Lauren Harris, Kyra Jackson, Genna Lawson, Rylie McDonald, Tamia Miley-Williams, and Jacob Moore. Live music was provided by Mary Lynn Luke and Helen Garcia-Carreras. The show was directed by Lora Garcia-Carreras with assistant director, Kelly Ingle.  For more on LOA’s state championship win, follow @LOATheatre on Facebook and Instagram. 

LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY WELCOMES DREW ANTHONY AS ITS FIRST HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

Greensboro, Ga. (February 10, 2021) – Lake Oconee Academy is pleased to welcome Drew Anthony to the new football and athletics staff for the upcoming school year.  Anthony will serve as the Head football coach and will oversee the development of the initial 1st-12th grade football programs at the school.  He will teach various high school Social Studies classes including Advanced Placement Government and Economics.  He brings with him 27 years of coaching experience in the Georgia High School Association as well as an extensive background in teaching Social Studies, Special Education, and Physical Education.

Anthony is relocating to the Lake Oconee area from St. Mary’s, GA where he served as assistant football coach as well as the Special Teams Coordinator and Academic Athletic Coordinator for Camden County High School, a perennial football powerhouse. Prior to that, he served as the Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends coach at Buford High School for 14 years.  During his time at Buford, Anthony won Assistant Coach of the Year as well as 13 Region Championships and eight State Championships.  He also coached Track and Field and produced a State Champion in shot put and discus.   Early in his career, he coached at Washington-Wilkes High School and Cedar Shoals High School, where he served as Offensive Coordinator.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Coach Anthony.  We had many great candidates that expressed interest in the opportunity to build a football program at LOA.  Coach Anthony was a great fit for us because of his wealth of experience in high level academic and football environments,” said LOA Athletic Director Chris Ingle. “He is a person of high character and integrity that coaches for the right reasons.  He will be an active and engaged role model in our community.  I am very confident that the young men of the new football program at LOA will be better because he coaches them. ”

Anthony and his wife Lyndi, an Oncology nurse, have three children J.T. (10), Abi (8), and Nate (6).  Coach Anthony credits his family and others for this opportunity.  “I am thrilled to have been chosen to lead the Lake Oconee Academy Football program.  I would like to thank Dr. Tucker, Mark Lipscomb, and Chris Ingle for giving me the chance to start a program from scratch.  I would also like to thank all of the coaches who helped me throughout my career including Jeff Herron, Scott Wilkins, Butch Brooks, Curtis Williams, Dexter Wood, Jess Simpson, Bob Sphire and Welton Coffey,“ said Coach Anthony.  “Most importantly, I would like to thank my wife and children for their love and support.  I could not be the person that I am without them.”

“The educational opportunities at LOA for my children are what first drew me to the school,” said Anthony. “The challenge of starting a new program, the opportunity to teach Social Studies, and the engagement with the LOA community were my motivation to accept the job as Head Football Coach. Our goal for the football  program will be to strive for excellence in everything we do - academically, socially, and athletically.  We will build the program through education-based concepts including character education, relationship building, cutting edge strength and speed development, and the fundamentals of football.”

“During our search process, Coach Anthony showed the type of commitment and enthusiasm that it takes to start a new athletic program. His experience in some of the best football programs in the state, including his success at Buford High School will be invaluable to our football team.  However, what truly set him apart was his passion for teaching and helping students achieve the highest level of academic success.  We look forward to him arriving on campus and are very pleased to have him as part of our faculty,” stated Dr. Tucker.

LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY ANNOUNCES NEXT PHASE OF CAMPUS EXPANSION

New Arts Building and Soccer/Football Facility

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Greensboro, Ga. (December 17, 2020) – The Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) Board of Governors and the Lake Oconee Academy Foundation announced today that the school will be moving forward with the construction of a new arts building and the redesign of the Tucker Park softball field into a soccer and football facility.

In a video announcement released to LOA families, students, and friends at 1:35 p.m. today, LOA CEO Dr. Tucker explained the next phase of controlled growth to further enhance the educational and extracurricular experience for LOA students.

“The LOA Board of Governors and the LOA Foundation Board have worked to ensure LOA students not only have an unsurpassed academic experience, but also have access to an array of extracurricular options,” said Dr. Tucker. “These options are diverse and help us meet the needs of each student.”

The arts facility will meet the needs of LOA’s robust arts programs and provide the additional classroom space necessary to complete the campus with four classes per grade level through grade 12.  The arts building, which will be positioned on the high school campus, is scheduled to be completed by the end of the 2021-22 school year.

The redesign of Tucker Park into a soccer and football facility will be the new home of the highly successful boys’ and girls’ soccer teams and the home of the new Lake Oconee Academy Titan football program. Construction is expected to begin this winter with completion in the late spring or early summer, in time for a portion of the spring soccer season and the start of football in the fall of 2021.

“The arts building has been a priority since the completion of the other high school buildings because the arts touch so many students at LOA in a positive way,” said LOA Board of Governors Chairman Mark Lipscomb. “Combining a home field for the soccer teams and starting a football program will have a positive impact on school spirit and pride. The future at LOA continues to be exciting."

SENIOR LAUREN ELEY NAMED GHSA AREA 8A/AA VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Greensboro, Ga. (December 3, 2020) – Lake Oconee Academy senior Lauren Eley has been named the GHSA Area 8A/AA Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2020 season.

Eley has been a powerful presence for the Lady Titans since her freshman year. As an outside hitter, and in only 52 sets due to COVID-19 match cancellations, she amassed 170 kills (ranked 1st in Area), 3.3 kills per set (ranked 1st in Area), 68 service aces (2nd in Area), 12 blocks (4th in Area), and 124 digs (7th in Area). She has been nominated as an All-Area player for multiple seasons and is a two-year team captain.

"I am so very proud that Lauren was named Area Player of the Year,” said Head Coach Chris Ingle. “She is being recognized by the Area coaches not only for the outstanding year that she had but for her entire high school career. Her stats speak for themselves as she was at the top of the standings in several categories. However, the things that set her apart are her fierce competitiveness, her work ethic, and her servant leadership. She will forever be a cornerstone of the volleyball program at Lake Oconee Academy."

 Photo credits: Volleyball - Justin Hubbard, Senior Formal: Jennifer Collins

LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS POST TOP-5 FINISHES IN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Greensboro, Ga. (November 9, 2020) – On Saturday, November 7, 2020, the Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) boys and girls varsity cross country teams traveled to Carrollton High School to compete in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 1A-Public State Championships. The girls team notched an overall fourth place finish and the boys team posted an overall fifth place finish.

The Titan ladies were led by standout first team all-state runner sophomore Jane Monachello who finished sixth place overall with a time of 22:44 for the 5K race. Next to finish for LOA was freshman Emma Coleman in 29th place followed closely by freshman Lea Eley in 32nd, sophomore Kensi Stevens 34th and freshman Anika Imhof 49th. There were 141 competitors in the girls race.

The Titans were led by their captain junior Ty Wood who finished 5th place overall with a time of 18:28 for the 5K race. Ty’s time earned him the title of a first team all-state runner for the second year in a row. Senior Jack Miller came in next with a 15th place finish. Additional team members junior Joshua Wilson placed 33rd, senior Dylan Stewart 35th, sophomore Sumner Coleman 69th, senior Logan Fedelem 72nd, and sophomore Justin Zahler 76th. There were 25 teams and 167 runners competing in the boys race.

“Both teams performed very well in tough, slow, muddy conditions,” said head coach Tom Imhof. “I was very proud of how they overcame adversity this season, and were flexible and patient throughout. We are looking forward to a strong season in 2021.”

Photos: The LOA varsity girls cross country team finished 4th place in the state championship meet. The team is (left to right): Assistant Coach Carina Sauter, Emma Coleman, Lea Eley, Jane Monachello, Anika Imhof, Whitley Cannon and head coach Tom Imhof. Not pictured: Kensi Stevens.

The LOA varsity boys cross country team placed fifth in the state at the championship meet. The team is (left to right) Ty Wood, Jack Miller, Joshua Wilson, Dylan Stewart, Logan Fedelem, Justin Zahler, Sumner Coleman, Mason Honea and Jefferson Amaya.

Emma Coleman & Jane Monachello

Ty Wood

LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY SENIOR LANE HERNDON RECEIVES FULL FOUR-YEAR SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO THROUGH THE 2019 QUESTBRIDGE NATIONAL COLLEGE MATCH PROGRAM

Greensboro, Ga. (December 9, 2019) – Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) is proud to announce that senior Lane Herndon has been awarded a full four-year scholarship to attend The University of Chicago through QuestBridge, a national program that connects high-achieving, low-income  high school seniors with scholarships to the nation’s leading colleges. 

In 2019, approximately 15,000 high school seniors applied for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship and 5,842 students were selected as finalists. Of these finalists, 1,127 outstanding students were selected as scholarship recipients. QuestBridge applicants can choose to list up to a dozen colleges with which to obtain a possible match. Out of the finalists, about 19% match to a school from their list. Lane carefully researched her schools and was selected for her first choice school, an incredible accomplishment. This rigorous selection process allows the best and brightest to attend one of 40 highly prestigious research universities and liberal arts colleges in the United States, regardless of a family’s financial background. The 40 partner schools include Ivy League schools such as Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, and equally impressive schools such as Stanford, Emory, Rice, Vanderbilt and Duke, to name a few.  

Lane intends to study Creative Writing at the University of Chicago which has one of the top creative writing programs in the country. As a QuestBridge Match/Odyssey Scholar, her scholarship covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses. The University of Chicago is a highly-selective private university in the Hyde Park area of Chicago with approximately 6,300 undergraduate students. It ranks among the world’s most well-respected institutions of higher education.  

 Lane has been a consistently stellar student at LOA and will be graduating near the top of her class. Her work ethic, focus and determination have been evident throughout her high school years.  She is a leader, and was instrumental in the startup of the new literary magazine at LOA, The Archetype, which features poetry, prose and art. She is the Editor and was involved with the publishing as well.  Lane was selected as a Governor’s Honors Program participant in Visual Arts last summer, a program she credits with helping her find her voice and self-confidence.  She has received numerous accolades and honors during her time at LOA.  She is a member of National Honor Society, Beta Club, and Student Government Association and is recognized as an AP® Scholar with Distinction.  

“Lane's acceptance and scholarship to UChicago stands as a highlight of my career,” said Caroline St. John, Lane’s longtime English and Creative Writing teacher.  “It could not happen to a more worthy student.  Watching her blossom as a writer these last few years ranks as one of my life's highest honors. I expect to see her work on a bookstore shelf one day. She has the makings of greatness.”

“Lane has achieved so much in her high school years because she is intellectually curious and eager to learn,” said Cheryl Lenenski, LOA’s College and Career Counselor. “She continually challenges herself and that is the mark of a true scholar. While her impact here at Lake Oconee Academy has been great, she will continue to do important work as she takes the next steps toward her future, one that is incredibly bright.”

LOA senior Lane Herndon receives a full four-year scholarship to the University of Chicago through the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship program.