National Merit Winners

Seven LHS seniors were recognized in the National Merit Scholar program for the exceptional PSAT scores they received last fall.

In the 2015 program, seniors Kyle Berkley, Jacob DiVilbiss and Nina Friesen were recognized as Commended Students. They scored in the top 5 percent of the 1.5 million other juniors taking the 2013 PSAT.

The commended students will be honored for their academic achievements, but they won’t continue in the 2015 scholarship competition.

“I wasn’t surprised because I knew I wasn’t a semifinalist because Mr. [Jason] Litche told me I was probably going to get a commended,” Friesen said. “But it was really nice to get the little certificate.”

Seniors Joo Young Lee, Brian Chang, Mikhayla Sheeley and Emily Murphy made it to the semifinals. Finalists in the program receive scholarship money and will be announced in February.

“The potential scholarship money will help me pay for my tuition,” Lee said. “Any help with finances for college is so valuable… This experience has taught me that hard work and dedication really do pay off.”

Royals go to Playoffs

The Kansas City Royals played in the first playoff game since 1985 on Sept. 30.

At that must-win game, the Royals and the Oakland Athletics were tied 5-5 in the 9th inning. In the 12th, Royals won by a run. The final score was 9-8.

“I was pretty surprised,” sophomore Cameron Stussie said. “My mom came in and woke me up. I thought it was a dream till I woke up the next morning and saw the actual box score.”

Then, the Royals took on the Los Angeles Angels, and the Royals swept the series. They were off to a strong start in the American League Championship Series, winning their first two games against the Baltimore Orioles.

“Their biggest strengths are pitching and their defense is amazing,” special education teacher Brandon Lytle said. “They’re also scrappy. It seems they are good at fighting back and overcoming odds. Every time I think they’re going to lose and every time I think the season is over, they somehow get a winning streak.”