Aug 23, 2016
The 2016 Panther cross country is roaring to run.
Last year’s squad saw many highlights and records broken. The girls’ team set its best overall team score at the state meet. The boys came in with their second best team time in school history. But that was last year.
Senior Captain Shelby Sanchez will be a key member of this year’s team.
This year’s girl’s squad will be led by senior Captain Shelby Sanchez and school 3 mile record holder Alexis Martin. The girls are ready to put in the work to again improve the team’s time and score at the state meet. Alexis, who set the school record with a run of 21:24, has been working hard this summer by training on the hills of Highland Road Park and in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Alexis is in her 3rd year of competitive running, has set a goal of being the first Lady Panther to go under 20 minutes in the 3 mile race. Luckily, she has the teammates to help her accomplish that goal. Shelby finished last season with the team’s second best time, 22:45. Junior Melissa Grant is a new member of the team this year but has proven herself to be a talented runner and tough competitor. Having Shelby and Melissa on her heals at practice every day will be just the motivation Alexis will need to go under the 20 minute mark.
The return of Presley White from basic training with the U.S. Military will have her in great shape to begin her senior season. Presley is a talented runner, hurdler and all-around athlete. Senior Makenzey Heughan, who was sidelined most of last season due to medical issues, has had a great summer of workouts and looks to be returning to top form. Two other first year runners, sophomore Alexis Aucoin and freshman Aimee Martin, also had great summer workouts. Along with senior Lillian Khemmanyvong and junior Ashton Howard, the girls look to be a major part of the success of the Lady Panther squad this season.
The 2016 Boys squad has set high expectations on itself and comes full of confidence in their ability and a desire to put in the hard work that they know will help them to finish as one of the top 10 teams in the state. The squad is led by senior Khidhr Al-Mustafa. Khidhr has a personal record of 16:52 over a 3 mile course that is only 8 seconds behind the school record that was set in 2005. Khidhr had a great outdoor track season, qualifying for the regional meet in the 1600 and 4×400 meter relay. He has also spent his summer running in a summer track league, where he qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics in both the 2000 meter Steeplechase and 4X800 meter relay.
Senior Brandon Williams was also a part of the WHS 4×400 meter relay team at the regional meet. In his first season running cross country, Brandon posted a personal record of 18:26. After another year on the track and a great summer of work, “The Blur” is ready to get back to work and challenge Khidhr for the school record.
Alexis Martin looks to lead the Lady Panthers this year.
Two returning sophomores, Marshall Bayles and Coby Sanchez, are prepared to push those seniors every day in practice and in meets. Marshall is coming off an excellent freshman season where he improved his time from a 27:07 to 20:38. He has set a personal goal of going below 19 minutes in 2016. Coby suffered a leg fracture in the third week of the season but looks to be back in top form this year. In his 1st race of the 2015 season he posted a run of 20:13. Coby has plans of going sub 18 this season and in setting a new school record in the pole vault.
A great addition to the team this year is junior Saulomon John, who was not eligible in 2015 due to transfer rules. The good news: he’s eligible now! Saulomon posted a mark of 19:38 in a measured practice run last year and has a goal set of going under 18 minutes this season. He promises to be a key piece to the team’s success, along with seniors Darmar Galvan and Logan Fontenot, junior Joshua Stevens and sophomore JC Jett.
The boys and girls will see their first action of the season on Saturday, September 3rd, at 8 AM at Highland Road Park as we will participate in the St. Michaels Bayou Boogie Cross Country Meet.
Aug 23, 2016
Robotics teams from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas will be arriving at Woodlawn High School to bring relief supplies and support for their competitors at the fourth annual Dow Red Stick Rumble, an off-season FIRST® (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition and Festival sponsored by Dow Chemical and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
On August 27th, the gym of Woodlawn High School will be transformed into a medieval playing field where teams will compete with their 120lb robots to scale defenses and capture their opponent’s castle. Each high school team had only 6 weeks to work with mentors and coaches from their community to design and build their robot. The public is invited to attend, free of charge, to witness the spectacle of giant robots battling it out for their chance to win the Red Stick Rumble trophy and to tour the pits and see the magic of robot construction and repair.
Teams will also be bringing backpacks filled with school supplies, toiletries, and toys for those affected by the 2016 flood. Many teams are attending despite their members losing homes and properties in the rising waters. Some teams, like TorBotics from Hammond Magnet High School are competing even though their school was flooded.
“It’s not just about robots,” said Carolyn Arthurs, FIRST® Regional Director of Louisiana and Mississippi, “The fact that these students are coming together to support each other, when many of them are in desperate need themselves, embodies the true spirit of FIRST.”
Doors open to the public at 8AM with competition lasting until 4PM. Food will be provided by Newks and the Woodlawn High Snack Bar. Louisiana teams from Baton Rouge, Boutte, Duson, Hammond, Lafayette, New Orleans, Port Allen, and Slidell as well as teams from Texas and Mississippi will be in attendance.
As a Strategic Sponsor of FIRST® Robotics and the Title Sponsor of the Dow Red Stick Rumble, Dow Chemical is working through their Dow STEMtheGap™ initiative to improve the infrastructure of STEM throughout the state and nation.
FIRST® Robotics is an international youth organization that operates the FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST LEGO
League, FIRST LEGO League Jr., and FIRST Tech Challenge competitions. Founded by Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers, graduate of Louisiana Polytechnic Institute and Louisiana native, in 1989, its expressed goal is to develop ways to inspire students in engineering and technology fields.
Aug 19, 2016
Head Coach Malpica says that he is excited about the upcoming volleyball season. The Lady Panthers will look to build upon last season, which saw the team make it to the second round of the playoffs. The girls finished with a 21-17 record in 2015.
“We have two senior leaders, Kerri Williams and Myah Johnson, that come back with lots of experience. We will look for them to lead us back to the playoffs this year,” says Malpica. “We also have two underclassmen that are returning from our playoff run last year.”
Coach Malpica is clearly relying on the two seniors, Kerri and Myah, the most. Kerri will contribute from her outside hitter position, while Myah returns as the team’s setter.
“Kerri is our best all-around player. She is our best offensive and defensive player. She is very quick defensively and very powerful offensively. Myah is the quarterback of our team. We are counting on her to lead the offense and help us to score points,” says Coach Malpica.
“We have two juniors returning with two years experience playing varsity volleyball,” adds Coach Malpica. “Kennedi Barnes and Hannah Luker will help compliment our two returning seniors. Kennedi is our big middle blocker. We expect her to step up this year and lead us defensively. Hannah is one of our outside hitters, and we expect a lot from her this year also. Hannah has a lot of experience from playing club volleyball the last three or four years.”
Coach Malpica was also quick to speak about two new starters that have stepped up during early practices.
“Mercedes Pickens is a junior who is going to play outside hitter for us. She has done well through the first few practices and we look for her to contribute. Kyra Britton is an incoming freshman who we expect to start from day one. She will play middle blocker for us this season.”
With the recent flooding of our community, the Lady Panthers have had to reorganize their schedule. The girls have had to cancel all of their scrimmages that were scheduled, along with cancelling practices. Woodlawn will look to begin practice again on Monday, August 22nd at 2:30 pm. The Lady Panthers will then travel to Brusly on Tuesday for their Jamboree.
