First inning rally pushes Unity past Oakwood

TOLONO - Good things come in threes, especially for Jenna Adkins on Monday during the Rockets' home game against Oakwood.

With a smile on her face, Jenna Adkins heads to home plate after sending a bomb out to right field in the first inning to give the Rockets a 1-0 lead against visiting Oakwood.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Leading off for Unity (3-1) in the bottom of the first inning, Atkins crushed the third pitch, sending it over the right field fence. If it wasn't for the 25 m.p.h.-plus cross wind out of the southeast, the ball could have sailed another 10 yards past the vehicles parked on the other side of the fence.

"It's always a windy day at the Unity HS Softball field! However, last night was so odd," exclaimed Unity head coach Aimee Davis. "When I was hitting ground balls to the infield, the wind even had an influence on those and the direction they went after contact."

She pointed out that "fly balls were hard to read" due to the steady, unrelenting wind. It was amazing there weren't more errors than the one recorded by the Comets in the four-inning affair that ended 14-0 in favor of the Rockets.

"I do not think I have played or coached in a windier game than last night. It was wild," Davis said.

Adkins' homer was just the start. Unity tallied six more runs, the last courtesy of Atkins, whose single put Taylor Drennan across the plate for the final run of the inning.

Gracie Enos throws a pitch during the first innning. Despite throwing 25 strikes out of her 38 pitches, the senior suffered eight runs on eight hits against the Rockets.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

"When you can start the game with a leadoff homerun, that sets the tone for the rest of the game," Davis said.

Adkins finished the non-conference game with three hits in her three at-bats and booked three RBIs.

"Jenna had another great at-bat and hit the ball square. We need that from her, and she wants to have good outcomes up to bat," Davis said. "She's followed by solid hitters that get their jobs done."

The Rockets scattered a hit from nine different batters in the lineup. Grace Bickers, Sophia Beckett, and Reese Frye had two RBIs each.

"Our offensive lineup is a good one, and we are starting to see more consistency up and down, which is positive to see as a coach," Davis added. "Defensively, we have a solid pitching staff and an infield and outfield that play great supporting roles."

The Comets (1-3) mustered just three hits courtesy of Karleigh Nelson, Gracie Hanner, and Caydence Vermillion. Oakwood's only opportunity to score came in the top of the third inning, loading the bases with Olivia Fegett on third, Nelson on second, and Gracie Hanner on first.

With two outs already on the board, Gracie Enos popped out to Rockets' Ruby Tarr at shortstop, erasing the threat.

Lindy Bates earned the pitching win. The senior struck out five batters. Meanwhile, Vermillion took the loss for the Comets.

"This team is fun to watch and hungry to see success," Davis said. "They have worked long and hard to reach this point. They are ready to see what this season has to offer."

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Hanner leads Oakwood with 11 points in loss to North Vermillion

BISMARCK - Gracie Hanner scored a team-high 12 points for Oakwood in the third-place game at the 2024 Blue Devil Classic Basketball Tournament. Her effort with 11 points from teammate Caydence Vermillion, fell short against North Vermillion, resulting in a 41-36 holiday tournament loss on Saturday, December 28.

The Comets (6-14) were within striking range at the end of the third quarter, 34-31, but could not sustain enough momentum to push past the Falcons in the final quarter.

North Vermillion was paced by Nora Thomann's game-high 13 points. The freshman starter, named to the All-Tournament team, also recorded 14 rebounds and two blocks. Juniors Kera Dunham and Cadence Dunham (5 rebounds, 7 assists) rounded out the team's top three scorers with nine and eight points, respectively. Kera Dunham was also named All-Tournament.

Oakwood received strong defensive efforts from seniors Rylee Wright and Bella Bradford. The duo grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists each.

The Comets look to correct their three-game losing streak on Thursday in a conference road game at Chrisman (2-12) and play their next home contest on January 16 against Georgetown-Ridge Farm (8-5).

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Prep Hoops |Thursday Basketball Scores

Girls' Basketball

Attica 39
Oakwood 47

Caydence Vermillion hit seven three-pointers on her way to a team-high 23 points and 15 rebounds against the Red Ramblers. Gracie Hanner hauled in 11 rebounds of her own, finishing nine points and five assists for the Comets.

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Armstrong 27
Unity 36

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Unity 53
North Vermillion 54

Kera Dunham tallied 15 points and Nora Thomann, a freshman, contributed another 13 in the non-conference win for the Falcons. Thomann led her team with eight rebounds and three assists. Dunham credited with six steals and four assists.

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St. Joseph-Ogden 29
Bishop McNamara 41

The Spartans fall in State Farm Holiday Classic action at Normal West. Senior Katie Ericksen scored three treys to lead SJO's scoring effort with nine points.

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Boys' Basketball

Oakwood 37
Tuscola 94

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Harding Academy 52
Champaign Central 60

Maroons' Cayden Love shot 75% from the free throw line on his way to a team-high 16 points. Chris Bush and Luke Swanson nudged Central in the non-conference win with 13 points each. Love, a sophomore, collected four steals in the win.

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St. Joseph-Ogden 56
Winnebago 42

Coy Taylor led SJO's scoring effort with 19 points. Tanner Siems added another 14 points and Collin Thomey chipped in 10. The trio, frequent visitors to the free throw line, made 12 of their 17 attempts.

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Attention Coaches: Help us keep area basketball, wrestling, and competitive dance fans informed! Email us your team's game and match results for the Prep Sports Notebook. Please send us a clear photo of the scorebook or link to game results at sports@oursentinel.com.

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Prep Sport Notebook | Unity stays undefeated, SJO too much for Oakwood

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Unity 70 - Amstrong 20

Thirteen players contributed to a 50-point win over the host Trojans on Thursday for the still-undefeated Rockets (9-0). Henry Thomas was the game's leading scorer with 12 points. Dalton O'Neill finished with ten points, and sophomore Tre Hoggard rounded out the top scorers with eight points.

Kollin Asbury led Armstrong's effort with 12 points. The 6-foot-5 senior was two-for-four from the free-throw line.

The Rockets are back in action as the #1 seed at the Williamsville Holiday Tournament on Wednesday after Christmas. They face the #16 seed Havana at 9 am.

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Spartans win at home, Martinie scores 17

The St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team kept a lid on Oakwood's offense on Thursday to pick up their fifth win of the season. The Comets (4-9), who average 34 points per game, fell 53-23 to the Spartans.

Addisyn Martinie finished with 17 points, nine in the third quarter. Addison Frick added another 12 points on the scoreboard, and Addison Brooks drained three treys for nine points.

Gracie Hanner scored five points to lead Oakwood's scoring effort. Jaydah Arrowsmith, Nikita Taylor, Luci Morris, and Taylor Smoot contributed four points each in the non-conference loss.

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Area high school coaches

We need your help covering your team this season to help keep fans, college recruiters, and area readers informed.

If you are coaching basketball, wrestling, competitive cheer or competitive dance at Unity, Uni-High, Urbana High School, or St. Joseph-Ogden, please send us your game or meet results for our Prep Sports Notebook. The best way to send us box scores and other info is via email to sports@oursentinel.com or editor@oursentinel.com.

Do you have a player on the verge of breaking a school record, signing an LOI, or have a story idea? Don't hesitate to email us.

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Prep Sports Notebook |Cornjerkers loses at home, SJO girls win again

A quick look at scoring leaders and area winners this past week. Brayden Walder scores 23 for Hoopeson in loss. Oakwood and SJO girls' squads win games before Thanksgiving.

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Boys Basketball

Hoopeston Area drops season opener to Spartans

Brayden Walder was the leading scorer with 23 points in the 67-54 loss at home on Monday. Nick Cardenas came off the bench to add 10 points, while Alandize Barnett chipped in eight points. Barnett also led the team with 10 rebounds.

The Cornjerkers (0-1) return to action on Friday after Thanksgiving to face Armstrong (0-1) in an 2:30 p.m. matinee. The two teams met back in February with Trojans coming out on top with a decisive 83-61 victory. Hoopeston Area owns the series between the two programs with a 32-9 advantage since 2007.

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Girls Basketball

St. Joseph-Ogden wins second game of the season

Katie Ericksen scored a game-high 12 points in SJO's 40-26 victory over Clifton Central on Monday. Addie Brooks connected on three treys for nine points, and Timera Blackburn-Kelley finished with seven points for the Spartans (2-0).

The Comets were paced by junior Maddie Webb with seven points in the non-conference matchup.

St. Joseph-Ogden hosts the Tuscola Warriors (2-2) on Monday in the Main Gym at 7:30 p.m.

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Oakwood girls bounce back

After a two-point loss to Casey-Westfield on Saturday, the Comets (2-1) roll over Covington 56-29.

Oakwood's Caydence Vermillion led all scorers with 16 points and six boards. Teammate Gracie Hanner nearly match Vermillion's output with 15 points, three steals and six assists in their Comet Classic tournament game. Lainee Smith was invaluable in the paint, grabbing a game-high nine rebounds and chipping in eight points.

Covington freshman Lauren Hardy led the Trojans with 11 points and four rebounds.

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More basketball stories

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TAGS: Oakwood girls basketball, St. Joseph-Ogden girls baskeball team stays undefeated, Hoopeston Area basketball, High School Sports, Central Illinois sports

Parkland College Dean's List

CHAMPAIGN - Parkland College announced the names of students whose academic performance landed them a spot on the Spring 2025 Dean's List. One of the highest honors a student can receive for their academic performance, the Dean's List is awarded to Parkland College students who earn a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 grade scale for the semester in 100-level courses or higher.

Below is a list of students in our area who earned academic honors last fall. The complete current list can be found on the Parkland College website.

Catlin
Joseph B. Kedas

Champaign
Andrea C. Abbas
Dalal M. Abudayya
Micaela A. Adams
Philip F. Agbo
Paola DJ. Aguilera Lathulerie
Jonathan V. Alanis
Juliana Nicole G. Albarracin
Michael D. Allen
Megan N. Allen
Ethan J. Alvares
Nathalie H. Amisi
Yolanda E. Anaya
Levi E. Atang
Hiroshi M. Avila
Grace O. Bailey
Shaquita F. Baker
Hans Matthew R. Banaga
Josiah T. Barlow
Jillian R. Barlow
Makenna J. Beaulin
Rebecca A. Benedetti
Robin M. Betka
Jaiden Biggers N. Biggers
Harrison A. Biggs
Gabrielle M. Bilo
Sydney C. Blackwell
Kristine R. Bowe
Thomas R. Bradley Jr.
Joseph J. Brown
Nathan C. Brozak
Hayden T. Bui
Iris Burov
Raquel A. Butts
Cecilia S. Cahoon
Eric M. Campos
Matthew D. Carley
Jasmine D. Catchings
Katrina R. Catizone
Josenia T. Celda
Kara M. Charney
Jierui Chen
Ho Kwan Cheng
Alexis M. Clark
Catherine Clavey
Joshua A. Cleveland
Shapree F. Connley
V. H. Cronenberg
Austin T. Crytzer
Charlotte N. Dalton
Terriiayonna N. Davidson
Ryan A. Delehanty
Jasmine Diep
Gavin D. S. Dorsla
Elana R. Duden
Aaron Dunn
Jacob D. Dupre
Megan R. Eastham
Radwa K. Elrouby
Cameron E. Endsley
Lilian I. Eziefule
Ariadne Fagundes Luiz
Jesse L. Fewkes
Quinn Fisher
Maiyah N. Flemons
Jordan M. Foreman
Julia Foster
Destiny V. Frickensmith
Myah E. Funneman
Dalila C. Garcia
Carrie J. Garner
Victoria L. Garrett
Kylie L. Gerdes
Taylor M. Gladden
Leslie F. Godinez
Nakamoza N. Gondwe
Sloan C. Gordon
Abigail E. Grena
Justin D. Gudeman
Alyssa N. Guzman
Keira J. Hadley
Jonathan S. Hahn
Johnathan A. Haines
Elva Hajialiakbarifini
Capris A. Hale
McKenzie L. Hamer
Nicholas R. Hasty
Miles R. Haug
Leo J B. Havey
Zoey D. Hayes
Kaia A. Helbling
Gabriel T. Helstrom
Isabella Hernandez
Michelle Hernandez-Hernandez
Dylan R. Hill
Tara J. Holycross
Samuel L. Hopkins
Jakob A. Hopper
Jad B. Hreish
Johnnesha L. Hunt
Weddie D. Jackson
Rudolph A. Johnson
Madeline R. Jones
Juana R. Juan Pedro
Nitasha Julka
Yunsoo Jung
Eunjoo Kang
Isaac M. Kanyinda
Shounok Kar
Alper Karakurt
Fefe M. Kayembe
Betty A. Kennerly
Gabriella A. Kiel
Patrick K. Kileya
Laura Kim
Seoyeon Kim
Nasja G. King-McDonald
Mathias J. Kirkland
Jarred M. Koerner
Jialei Kong
Adrian M. Kraut
Gianna M. Kreps
Iver I. Krogstad
Otto Krueger
Logan J. Kurtz
Titus A. Kyles
Angel R. Lambert
Deprice H. Lee
Dohyung Lee
Eunseong Lee
Dorcas D. Lepighe
Marc C. Levi
Michael Li
Evan A. Li
Jackson W. Liong
Bolin Liu
Reyna J. Livengood
Dominic A. Loftus
Joshua R. Loftus
Brynn L. Logsdon
Kristin J. Lopez
Christopher Lopez
Aly A. Lopez-Mendoza
Jason P. Lu
Allison M. Ludolf
Jakob A. Luhrsen
Meme Lukadi-Tshibola
Karen J. Maher
Esther Mambo
Sakeena O. Mansuri
Nusayb N. Mansury
Kenneth R. Mantell
Erica G. Markell
Kim R. Marquie
Emmanuela J. Martinez
Josh A. McCarty
Greyson P. McDonald
Elijah McIlvain
Bailey R. McMahon
Breanna J. McQuinn
Lane K. McVicar
Taryn K. Melvin
Melissa Meza
Joseph D. Middleton
Grace M. Miller
Shaylie G. Miller
Richard H. Miller
Andrew Miranda
Kennadie C. Mitchell
Colin A. Monti
Ian A. Moriarty
Jasmine L. Morris
Daisy M. Mueller
Braden A. Muhlstadt
Michelle Narciso
Jemima N. Ndeni
Ngoc Tran Quang Nguyen
Tommy T. Nguyen
Katelynn N. Nguyen
Adrian Nguyen
Vincent M. Nguyen
Kenny Nham
Arianna M. Nichols
Immanuel C. Nwosu
Jemima N. Nzeza
Roan V. O'Brien
Nathaniel G. O'Connor
Samuel O'Connor-Shoresman
Zoe A. Oates
Lily M. Owen
Folashade F. Owojori
Kristin E. Palazzo
Jessica N. Palmberg
Jion Park
Carleigh D S. Parks
Mahi A Patel
Arthur B. Pawlik
Ashley R. Phillips
Kylia E Pierson
Jude N. Pisarczyk
Emily G. Pitcher
Trevor R. Plattner
Tabitha R. Qualls
Vanessa Ramirez
Joseph Rath
Delaney R. Record
Riley A. Ries
Keaton L. Roberts
Landon T. Robinson
Jaycee E. Ross
Ruthy Rouwet
Jenna N. Royer
Samantha I. Ruggieri
Elijah R. Ruggieri
Sylvan L. Rummenie
Burak Safaker
Michael I. Sage
Estella M. Samii
Jaquonte V. Sanford
Ainmere L. Sangster
Theran N. Schmitt
Finn G. Scott
Lizbeth Serrano-Betanzos
Leo P. Severin
Mahakksh Shah
Grace M. Shanholtzer
Vagish Sivaramakrishnan
Michael I. Skaj
Wyatt M. Small
Avery H. Smith
Noelle R. Smith
Missy L. Smith
Cameron P. Smucker
Gustavo D P Soares
Adrianna N. Spinks
Ria G. Sumitro
Christian M. Swanson
Grace Y. Swiney
Mariana A. Taboada-Reategui
Ben R. Talbott
Madison E. Taylor
Chanh N. Thi
Zoie D. Thomason
Pierce M. Thompson
Raina C. Tongren
Lucius Tran
Johnny J. Tran
Serena J. Tran
Ramsey B. Treadway
Thuan H. Trinh
Tobias D. Tschetter
Ekaterina Tsytsarina
Ayaan N. Unni
Anthony L. Urquijo
Avery P. Valencia
Jason D. Vassos
Bryan A. Vaughn
Shanley Ross P. Vega
Daniel Villa-Mejia
Anna M. Viser
Scout A. Voyles
Nicole Vozovoy
Jessica L. Wadley
Calvin E. Wetzel
John P. White
Lauren White
Bayleeella Brooke Whitney
Ryan W. Williams
Rachelle D. Winfrey
Robyn D. Wood
John R. Woodard
Micaiah R. Wright
Emma K. Wurl
David L. Yakoub
Joshua S. Young
Syafino Yunalfian
Taohe Zhan
Yixing Zhang
Qiongmei Zhang
Chuyu L. Zhang
Artie K. Zhang
Robert J. Zufall

Fithian
Jack E. Nero

Homer
Gerhard Alant
Lara D Copass
Gwendolyn M Happ
Jessica A Headley
Robert A Holloman
Melissa R Hudson
Roni N Jones
Kenneth Earl Lindsey
Loran R Tate
Sean J Taylor
Addison G Weisman

Oakwood
Jessica E. Boyd
Skylar A. Dillow

Ogden
Canyon D. Alwes
Grace A. Osterbur
John M.Taylor
Landon A. Brown
Makennah L. Hamilton
Rylee L. Huson
Tayton G. Gerdes

Penfield
Gavin J. Parkerson
Jarrod E. Liffick

Pesotum
Jackson L. Grimm

Philo
Avery J. Alagna
Bailey E. Rice
Brenlee G. Dalton
Cole J. Newell
Elijah L. Langley
Jocelyn C. Lefaivre
Monica A. Rivas-Parker
Reagan M. Little

Royal
Samantha S. Uden

Sadorus
Victoria L. Wells

St. Joseph
James R. Barron
Rylie J. Barton
Mason P. Behrens
William T. Besson
Taylor E. Burch
Miguel A. Chacon
Preslee C. Christians
Ella M. Dietiker
Addison K. Funk
Grace R. Goldenstein
James A. Harbourt
Robert M. Jeffries
Kendrick D. Johnson
Kya N. Jolley
Sara B. Kearney
Owen T. Knap
Aiden S. Krall
Sophia A. McDade
Gabriel E. Mortlock
Carter A. Nauman
Chayse S. Palmer
Addison E. Roesch
Zachary B. Rubin
Tanner C. Siems
Logan T. Smith
Kyler R Swanson
Collin S. Thomey
Jill C. Uken
Lili A. Wentzloff
Reese M. Wheatley

Savoy
Omar M. Abdel-Razaq
Emma Z. Angelo
Emmalee W. Atkins
Sophia M.N. Bengtson
Carter W. Bleakney
Siarah Y. Brown
Zoe L. Bryan
Eva K. Cottrell
Pavel Y. Didenko
Tauliya A. Figures
Ludvig J. Granlund
Makenna N. Gray
Hayat Hadjsaid
Kaitlyn D. Helm
Daniel U. Kang
Moon Su Kang
Kaitlyn L. Kinkelaar
Jazzlyn K. Lynch
Jonathan Manzengo
Leyton G. McGeary
Kendall M. Meredith
Thiziri Mohammed
Isaac D. Molloy
Kyle Moon
Marcos J.W. Park
Josh T. Price
Diamond I. Rainey
Trinity J. Rogers
Jaquelin Salg
Abdelhamid Sammane
Hyunjune Seong
Brando Signorini
Rylee G. Smalley
Matthew R. Sparrow
Aidan T. Williams
Davi J.S. Yoo
Sage O. Young

Sidney
August E. Niehaus
Brooklyn M. Haas
Emma D. Fish
Kadence L. Goff
Lauren E. Cooke
Mason J. Perry
Piper M K Steele
Samuel C. Gilbert
Tyler S. Liffick-Worrell

Thomasboro
Mason E. Conner
Darian I. Figueroa
Paige L. Johnson
Chase P. Knock
Paige M. Schoonover
Austin J. Seals
Adam G. Wilson

Tolono
Eric W. Anderson
Maria G. Buffo
Calli A. Chandler
Shelby R. Hoel
Caleb J. Hoewing
Dallas A. Hollingsworth
Callie M. Lytel
Gracie M. Meharry
Tatum E. Meyer
Connor D. O'Donnell
Meredith K. Reed
Maci M. Richmond
Alexander M. Stahl
Sara J. Steffens
Madelynn Swisher
Luke I. Williamson
Abigail C. Woolcott
Emberly M. Yeazel
Madysen A. York
Logan A. Zumbahlen

Urbana
Dilichukwu C. Agu
Khatera Akmal
Adrian Alcazar
Adrian I. Alcazar
Eli M. Allison
Luciana Alvarez
Alex D. Ambrocio
Kiana Amindavar
Urooj Anis
Brenda L. Ascencio
Deanna K. Auxier
Tevi C. Balekita
Juliano L. Baptiste
Galina A. Bello
Karla J. Beltran-Hernandez
Hany Claire P. Bombales
Angel R. Bond
Ebenezer Boti
Audrey J. Boudreau
Montrell X. Brooks
Stacey R. Brown
Evan J. Bullock
Nick D. Burbules
Ryan M. Burns
Taniyah T.I. Burns
Jason W. Carter
Ariana R. Chambers
Kathryn R. Choate
George F. Clancy
Yali Cohen
Dylan A. Cosper
Joshua Hernandez
Desiree A. Devero
Eduardo O. Diego Andres
Nadia R. Eberhardt
Mohannad N. E. Eltinay
Tarynn K. Enghausen
Jake R. Essner
William J. Eubig
Jamira D. Faust
Sofiia Fedina
Antonio K. Flemons
Stephen Folley-Amuzu
Morgan A. Frush
Lisette C. Gasser
Ella C. Gilmore
Santiago Gonzalez Ahuerma
Nicole K. Gremer
Nicholas J. Grove
Changjun Guo
Katherine N. Halbig
Mallie A. Hanner
Skylar C. Hartley
Emily J. Hartsell
Nathaniel J. Herche
Amaya M. Holmes
Holden A. Huisinga
Andrew V. Iffland
Maryam O. Ikhuoriah
Robert M. Jenkins
Marcus E. Johnson
Toby Johnson
Beatrice A. Kennison
Willow I. Keys
Taehoon Kim
Daira A. King
Eleanor R. Klein
Minh K. Le
Ryan J. Lee
Morgan M. Mackert
Sebastian D. Major
Christ Vie N. Makengo
Alondra G. Martinez
Max J. McCracken
Benjamin S. McLeskey
Michael Mendoza-Perez
Lauren M. Miller
Ronald J. Miller
Emilia H. Muckenhirn
Zenobia D. Mulero
David M. Mushengezi
Kelly Nsenga Mutole
Ian A. Nelson
Noa Nounou
Lucas M. Oldfield
Henry C. Olheiser
Oscar I. Orozco
McKynzie Painter
Claudia E. Paisley
Youngeun Park
Jared D. Peddycoart
Santiago Pinilla Leon
Dragos I. Popa
John A. Powell
Matteo L. Puli
Justin M. Pulver
Tajia R. Ragel
Lula C. Randolph
Bruce E. Rexroad
Grace H. Rice
Emma V. Robben
Natalia Rodriguez
Edwin Rodriguez Barrios
Leire Rodriguez Najera
Noah T. Ruffner
Kayla M. Sabim
Olive K. Salem
Malkah S. Scher
Manuela M. Sebastian Juarez
Kalika E. Shapiro
Adam B. Skousen
Joseph C. Solava
Yang Song
Nathanial Stewart
Janelle J. Tardy
Ashlee K. Thompson
Sumaya Islam Tonney
Chioma P. Ugwu
Quonikka C. Underwood
Stacie L. Vonderheide
Levi A. Walker
Joslyn R. Warfel
Brianne E. Weiss
Alexandria K. Westfall
Maurion Wicks
Gage Dorian Wiggins
Autumn Williams
Chico B. Wilson
Lera L. Wilson
Samantha T. Wiltfong
Qilin Xie
Nathan R. York
Jianbo Zhang
Jacob A. Ziska