Unity fall semester honor roll students

TOLONO -- Students who achived a grade point average of 3.75 or better at Unity High School earn High Honor Roll recognition. Students earning a GPA of 3.20 to 3.74 are recognized as Honor students.

Senior High Honor Roll

Zayne Bonner
Grace Frye
Elise Johnson
Marie Baxley
Katelyn Allen
Shelbee Taylor
Annabelle Jokisch
Sydney Olson
Isabella Warner
Delaney Kamradt
Allyson England
Kaitlyn Reedy
Sara Steffens
Emma Bleecher
Lauryn Kennedy
Elise Swanstrom
Thomas Cler
Taylor Henry
Sarah Butler
Payton Kaiser
Erika Steinman
Malia Fairbanks
Alaina Scroggins
Taylor Cloud
Kelley Street
Samantha Ruggieri
Nolan Miller
Tyler Hensch
Carli Keller
Allison Shonkwiler
Hailey Flesch, Evelyn Eastin, Krystal Crossin
Tavius Hosley, Addison Montgomery
Grace Renfrow
Destiny Williamson
Madeline Reed
Savannah Alagna
Anna Burgoni
Shaelynn Carrier
Nolan Decker
Marshall Church

Senior Honor Roll

Ivy Wright
Phillip Hartke
Bridget Henry
Harper Hancock
Grace Brock
Calli Chandler
Macie Knudsen
Bailey Rice
Cole Newell
Riah Inman
Hanna Mataya
Carson Kleparski
Dillon Rutledge
Ryan Cole
Cameron Marvin
Claire Markstahler
Joseph Thompson
William Thompson
Carson Willard
Alida Maggio
Cameran Hansen
Nathan Weakley
Clayton Jamison
Christopher Conley
Christian Hite
Joel Neverman
Sophia Darnall
Blake Kimball
Anna Wodtka
Cody Broadfoot
Tristania Hansen
Grant Albaugh
Lucas Sommers

Junior High Honor Roll

Erin Lopez
Caleb Amias
Sophia Stierwalt
Sarah Rink
Brendan Graven
Raena Stierwalt
Kaitlyn Schweighart
Dylan Moore
Rachel Aders
Calvin Baxley
Mary Bryant
Jacob Maxwell
Anna Clark
Lauren Miller
Roger Holben
Andrew Mowrer
Avery White
Ellen Ping
Abigail Pieczynski
Annah Cloin
Emmalee Atkins
Ava Vasey
Audrey Remole
Julie Ping
Emily Anderlik

Junior Honor Roll

Ian Russell
Hunter Duncan
Mason Perry
Andrew Manrique
Emmilia Tiemann
Tyler Liffick Worrell
Jayce McGraw
Haylen Handal
Jolie Meyer
Kayla Nelson
Cale Rawdin
Annabelle Steg
Maria Buffo
Paige Farney
Lauren Cooke
Anthony Chaney
Lillian Montgomery
Kara Young
Logan Allen
Reece Sarver
Kiersten Reasor
Natalie Weller
Madison Loftsgaard
Anna Hamilton
Alivia Renfroe
Peyton Weckle
Garrett Wingler
Brandon Goyne
Boden Franklin
Bobby Kirkland

Sophomore High Honor Roll

Eden Johnson
Anna Polonus
Ava Price
Carsyn Smith
Madysen York
Lily Steffens
Shelby Hoel
Olivia Shike
Erica Woodard
Katelyn Moore
Rebecca Carter
Cassidy Keller
Jocelyn LeFaivre
Aubrey Sanders
Natalie Ellars
Analyse Carter
Caelyn Kleparski
Desire De Los Santos
Tanner Chilton
Isaac Ruggieri
Abigail Woolcott
Tatum Meyer
Briana Ritchie
Madison Henry
Lauren Neverman
Taylor Drennan
Dalton Oneill
Margaret Ingleman
Breanna Weller
Andrew Thomas
Logan Siuts
Caroline Jamison
Eric Miebach
Reagan Little
Ruby Tarr
Brooke Hewing
Henry Thomas
Meredith Reed
Brock Suding
Brenlee Dalton
Connor Cahill
Evelyn Albaugh
Jeremy Wells
Castillo Sanchez
Emberly Yeazel
Michael Porter
Piper Steele
Kamryn Edenburn
Bridget Vazquez
Maci Richmond

Sophomore Honor Roll

Bailey Grob
Nathan Bleecher
Bayleigh Jones
Dean Niswonger
Emma Plackett
Kendra Cromwell
Gabriel Howard
McKayla Schendel
August Niehaus
Zachary Lorbiecki
Kate Thomas
Carson Parker
Trevor McCarter
Aubrey Schaefer
Jay Saunders
Tanner Wells
Rylee Richardson
Gillian Rice
Sophia Wozencraft
Brooklyn Haas
Ava Holladay
Emma Fish
Darren Weckle
Keaton Roether
Thayden Root
Bryson Weaver
Grant Siuts
Carly Scroggins
Alexis Ritchie
Kolton Wells
Sebastian Allen
Trevor O'Bryan
Mason Davis

Freshman High Honor Roll

Joseph Temple
Ashley Rennels
Faith Hall
Avery Watson
Catharine Ford
Molly Baxley
Ashlyn Denney
Alex Mowrer
Ryan Robinson
Savannah Rubin
Camryn Reedy
Kade Dubson
Elle Cheely
Madelyn Darnall
Chloey Duitsman
Paige Brewer
Ryan Rink
Rylee Refisteck
Lauren Hellmer
Jordan Daugherty
Lindsey Johnson
Daniel Stein
Ava Fenter
Sophia Hartke
Meagan Rothe
Kadence Goff
Josephine Cler
Lindy Bates
Hunter Eastin
Lydia Rossi
Dallas Hollingsworth
Lauren Shaw
Kolton Black
Wyatt Huffstutler
Tessah Williams
McKinley Weller
Sophia Beckett
Sophia Frye
Gracie Meharry

Freshman Honor Roll

Ava Davis
Ezekiel De Los Santos
Reigna Price
Emily Decker
Noah Bryant
Brady Parr
Michael Bromley
Nolan Wishall
Paige Garretson
Estella Dodd
Caleb Hoewing
Bentten Cain
Alexis Gady
Gavin Weaver
Emmerson Bailey
Cohl Boatright
Lindsey Lewis
Logan Zumbahlen
Taylor Prough
Maddie Wheeling
Austin Mikeworth
Makayla Nonman
Riley McNeely
Grant Steinman
Jacob Davidson
Kathryn Lancaster
Logan Church
Brianna Blakley

SJO wrestling team nearly wins half their matches at dual meet

BISMARCK -- The St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling squad notched seven individual wins in their road match at Bismarck-Henning on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for the Spartans to shoot past the Blue Devils on their way to a 47-38 final score.

Emmit Holt earned four points for SJO after he racked up a 14-0 major decision over Bismarck-Henning's Landon Toellner in the 113-pound weight class.

Lexi Wirth was on the mat twice for the Spartans at 120-pounds. She was pinned on the boys' side of the card in 53-seconds by Grahm Abbed in 53 seconds. In her second match of the evening, Wirth stuck Gianna Ingargiola after five minutes and 18 seconds. The victory closed the team-score deficit and put SJO behind by two points at 12-10.

Holden Brazelton (126-lbs), Garrett Denhart (138-lbs), and Matt Falls (145-lbs), also won their Tuesday night matches, contributing 15 points toward the final team score.

Spartans' Hunter Ketchum (182-lbs) recorded a 33-second fall on freshman Tyson Smith, and Owen Birt won his 195-pound bout after pinning Blue Devils' Gavin Golden in the second period.

Box Score -


106 Pattison (BH) over Forfeit, (SJO) Forfeit
113 Holt, Emmitt (SJO) over Toellner (BH) Maj Dec 14-0
120 Abbed (BH) over Wirth, Lexi (SJO) Fall 0:43
120 Wirth, Lexi (SJO) over Ingargiols (BH) Fall 5:18
126 Brazelton, Holden (SJO) over Golden, A (BH) Tech Fall 20-3
132 Parish (BH) over Butts, Landen (SJO) Fall 2:00
138 Denhart, Garrett (SJO) over Carpenter (BH) Fall 2:27
145 Falls, Matt (SJO) over Gudauskus (BH) Maj Dec 12-3
152 Stevenson (BH) over Forfeit, (SJO)
160 Walton (BH) over Forfeit, (SJO) Forfeit
170 Godwin (BH) over Forfeit, (SJO) Forfeit
182 Ketchum, Hunter (SJO) over Smith (BH) Fall 0:33
195 Birt, Owen (SJO) over Golden, G (BH) Fall 1:16
220 Gnaden (BH) over Jones, Quincy (SJO) Fall 3:56
285 Wilson (BH) over Cotter, Austin (SJO)

Children with COVID-19-related MIS-C condition usually recover in months

This study details the cardiovascular complications or damage found during a three-month follow-up period to assess the short-term impact of MIS-C.


DALLAS -- Heart function recovery returned within three months in children who developed COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

MIS-C is a new illness identified during the COVID-19 pandemic that affects children about four to six weeks after exposure to COVID-19. The new condition has some overlapping symptoms with Kawasaki disease, however, MIS-C is associated with more profound inflammation. MIS-C can cause inflammation in different parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, kidneys and gastrointestinal organs. About 80%-85% of MIS-C cases across the U.S. and Europe have involved the heart’s left ventricle.


Photo: American Heart Assoc.

This study details the cardiovascular complications or damage found during a three-month follow-up period to assess the short-term impact of MIS-C. It also employs newer cardiac measurements, known as "strains," to assess heart function related to MIS-C. Strain testing is a more sensitive tool that can detect whether an area of the heart is deformed or if there are any subtle changes in heart function during cardiac contraction and relaxation.

"There is limited data at this time about how frequently and how long we should monitor heart function during the recovery state of MIS-C after the child leaves the hospital," said the study’s senior author Anirban Banerjee, M.D., a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and an attending cardiologist with the Cardiac Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, both in Philadelphia.

"Given that MIS-C was identified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, treatment protocols have not yet been standardized and follow-up care varies greatly, which may lead to confusion and anxiety among families of patients and their care team. Our research team hoped to provide some guidance and reduce the ambiguity on optimal care approaches, especially as it relates to sports participation," Banerjee added.

Researchers retroactively reviewed data on 60 children hospitalized with MIS-C due to COVID-19 exposure who were treated at two Philadelphia hospitals between April 2020 and January 2021. None of the children were initially diagnosed with COVID-19 before the onset of MIS-C symptoms. This group of children were 60% male, with an average age of 10 years. About 48% were Black children, 27% were white children, 15% were Hispanic children, 4% were Asian children and the race/ethnicity of 23% of the children was unknown. The participants were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and/or systemic steroids. Researchers reviewed echocardiographic and clinical data from medical records, including demographic factors, testing, treatment and hospital outcomes.

Data on another 60 children who had structurally normal hearts and did not have MIS-C or COVID-19 exposure served as control subjects. Their average age was 11.5 years, and 55% were male; 62% white children, 27% Black children, 7% Hispanic children, 3% Asian and 8% unknown. The control participants were divided into two groups: 60% had echocardiograms on file that were done prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 40% had echocardiograms under rigid COVID-19 protocols after October 2020.

For the children with MIS-C, researchers analyzed images of the heart taken at the initial hospitalization (acute phase) and examined additional imaging for a portion of the children who also had scans up to three additional times – one week after the first scan (subacute phase); at the one-month follow-up; and at a three or four-month follow-up. The children were screened using conventional echocardiography, speckle tracking echocardiography – an imaging technique that analyzes the motion of the heart tissue - and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for images of the heart.

The study found:

  • Based on echocardiogram imaging, systolic and diastolic function in the left ventricle and systolic function in the right ventricle improved quickly within the first week, followed by continued improvement and complete normalization by three months.
  • 81% of patients lost some contractile function in the left ventricle during the acute phase of illness, yet, by months three and four, contraction function had returned to normal.
  • MIS-C did not cause lasting coronary artery abnormalities. During the initial hospitalization, 70% of patients had evidence of some heart malfunction, however, all scans were normal by the three-month follow-up.
  • Using strain parameters to measure cardiac function, the results suggest that there is no subclinical cardiac dysfunction after three months.
  • "Recovery among these children was excellent," Banerjee said. "These results have important implications for our health care teams managing care for children with MIS-C. Our findings may also provide guidance for a gradual return to playing sports after cardiac clearance three to four months later. Tests needed for clearance include electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. We also recommend cardiac MRI for children who have highly abnormal baseline cardiac MRI during the acute stage or show evidence of continued severe left ventricle dysfunction."

    The study researchers note there are still important gaps in existing knowledge about MIS-C, since COVID-19 and MIS-C are both new illnesses. The most important question yet to answer is how these children are faring one to two years after their initial hospitalization.

    There are important limitations to note: the study was retrospective for clinical purposes and was not standardized for research. In addition, follow-up data was missing for some patients who dropped out of the study during follow-up stages. Banerjee explained that because both COVID-19 and MIS-C were newly discovered diseases, the timing of follow-up echocardiograms was somewhat arbitrary and driven by preference of different clinicians, rather than standard research protocol.

    "The strength of the study is that researchers performed a detailed, serial assessment of cardiac function over the initial three to four months of illness," according to AHA volunteer expert Kevin G. Friedman, M.D., a member of the American Heart Association’s Young Hearts Council and the AHA’s Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease Committee, an attending physician in pediatric cardiology at Boston Children’s Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston.

    "This study provides additional evidence that myocardial involvement is transient and may not lead to long-term abnormalities in left ventricular diastolic or systolic function," Friedman said. "Although cardiac involvement in the acute stage of illness is common, it is reassuring that all patients recovered normal cardiac function within about one week. This data tells us that, fortunately, lasting heart injury is very uncommon in MIS-C. Even in those patients with significant cardiac abnormalities in the acute phase of illness, these changes resolved by 3-4 months."

    Co-authors of the study are Daisuke Matsubara, M.D., Ph.D.; Joyce Chang, M.D., M.S.C.E.; Hunter L. Kauffman, B.S.; Yan Wang, R.D.C.S.; Sumekala Nadaraj, M.D.; Chandni Patel, M.D.; Stephen M. Paridon, M.D.; Mark A. Fogel, M.D.; and Michael D. Quartermain, M.D..

    ** Editor's note: This story was updated on Jan. 20 due to new information from the American Heart Association. The story initally said "During the initial hospitalization, 7% of patients had evidence of some heart malfunction". That number was suppose to be "70%".


    Photos this week


    The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team hosted Oakwood-Salt Fork in their home season opener on Monday. After a strong start, the Spartans fell after a strong second-half rally by the Comets, falling 5-1. Here are 33 photos from the game.