Spartan Spotlight with senior Danie Kelso

Danie Kelso

Clubs & Activities
Track and Field (4 years)
Cross Country (1 year)
Bible Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
One older and one younger sister

Hobbies:
Reading and running

Favorite SJO memories:
She said her greatest memories at SJO centers around track and field. During her freshman year, her 4 X 400 M relay advanced to State, which was an unbelievable moment for her. During her junior year, her 4 X 200 M relay placed first at IHSA State Track & Field Finals, which was incredible, she added.

Favorite classes:
U.S. History and Anatomy and Physiology

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Stierwalt at St. Joseph Grade School, Mr. Risley at St. Joseph Middle School, and Mrs. Stacey Kietzman and Mr. Marshall Schacht at SJO.

College:
Millikin University majoring in nursing

Collegiate Sport:
She will join the Big Blue NCAA Div. III track & field program this fall

Advice to future SJO students:
Do not take anything for granted.



Track & Field Career Bests

60 Meter Dash8.71
100 Meter Dash13.82
200 Meter Dash29.45
400 Meter Dash1:04.9
800 Meter Run2:41.45
2 Mile18:17.0
3 Mile23:44.0
5k27:00.0
4X200 Relay1:47.35
4X400 Relay4:32.12

Danie Kelso and SJO sprinters rise to the top of the podium in 2019

Above: Kelso, with Spartan teammates Atleigh Hamilton, Hailey Birt and Maclayne Taylor pose for photos at the top of the Class 1A podium after winning the title race at the 2019 Illinois High School Association Track & Field State Finals on Saturday, May 18, in Charleston. The program finish the state meet in a two-way tie for third with St. Teresa.

Below: Kelso fires out of the blocks in her relay squad's 4x200 prelim at the 2019 state track meet. Along with fellow junior Hailey Birt, sophomore Atleigh Hamilton and senior Maclayne Taylor the Spartans dominated their heat with 1:45.07 finish to qualify for Saturday's finals. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Danie Kelso fires out of the blocks at state track




Text provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.


Rowland makes DACC Honor's List

St. Joseph resident Libby Rowland was named to Danville Area Community College's Spring 2020 Honor's List.

In order to earn Honors List recognition eligible students must carry a class load of 12 or more credit hours and have a B+ (3.5) grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

This is the second consecutive semester the 2019 SJO graduate has made the list.


SJO celebrates Class of 2020 scholarship winners

This year's Honors Night was celebrated in a different format. Due to the state restrictions on large gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced this year's award winners via video made available on YouTube.

"Even though we are not together in our gym and there were several scholarships that were not able to be given this year, the following is an amazing representation of how intelligent and talented our young people are," said SJO principal Gary Page in his introduction.

Watch the video below to learn about the 21 scholarships earned by the Class of 2020.

SJO Class of 2020 Scholarship
Award Winners

Jenna Schaefer
Chamber of Commerce Scholarship
Illinois State Scholarship
National Merit Scholarship Letter of Commendation

Tristan Fuqua
St. Joseph Masonic Foundation Scholarship

Hannah Rajlich
Papa Pridemore Memorial Scholarship
Illinois State Scholar

Taddy Pettit
Papa Pridemore Memorial Scholarship

Jenna Albrecht
C-U Optimist Club Scholarship
American Legion Award
Lexi Barbour Memorial Scholarship

Lindsey Aden
FFA Alumni Scholarships
Illinois State Scholar
Anderson's Scholarship
Farm Bureau Womens Committee Scholarship
Champaign County Farm Bureau Scholarship
National Merit Scholarship Letter of Commendation

Mallory Ames
FFA Alumni Scholarships
Illinois State Scholar
Bayer Fund Farmers Grow Ag Leaders Scholarship
Ag Future of America Scholarship
Vincent O’Greene Memorial Scholarship

Brodie Sullivan
FFA Alumni Scholarships

Katelyn Berry
Illinois State Scholar
Daughters of the American Revolution

Emily Bigger
Illinois State Scholar

Ginny Bytnar
Illinois State Scholar

Andrea Cunningham
Illinois State Scholar

Faith Dahman
Illinois State Scholar

Hannah Dukeman
Illinois State Scholar
Illini Prairie Conference Scholar Athlete

Erica Guelfi
Illinois State Scholar
John Phillips Sousa Award
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship
The National Merit Scholarship

Ava Mills
Illinois State Scholar

Eric Poe
Illinois State Scholar

Kenly Taylor
Illinois State Scholar

Stephanie Trame
Illinois State Scholar

Isabelle Vliet
Illinois State Scholar

Zoey Witruk
Illinois State Scholar

Brayden Weaver
Sons of the American Revolution
Illini Prairie Conference Scholar Athlete

Payton Cain
American Legion Award

Danie Kelso
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship

Eliza Lewis
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship

Nathan Maier
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship

Cody Johnston
St. Joseph Youth Baseball Little League Scholarship

Brendan Cooperider
St. Joseph Youth Baseball Little League Scholarship

Kendall Ayers
National Choral Award

Joshua Sexton
National Band Director’s Award

Rylee Stahl
Tammy Walsh Memorial Scholarship

Anna Wentzloff
Tammy Walsh Memorial Scholarship
St. Joseph Masonic Foundation Scholarship

Zach Seeley
Army



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