Carrying on Monongah High’s tradition of excellence
Monongah Middle School’s superb performances in the
Marion County Middle School Track Championships remind us that the apple doesn’t
fall far from the tree.
Monongah
Middle, coached by Ashley Reed, has won 3 boys Mason-Dixon championships in the
last 4 years and one Marion County and 3 girls Mason-Dixon championships and
one Marion County. Plus cross-country championship in girls this year and boys
last year.
Aubrey Payton got the most Monongah
Middle points by winning the shot put and finishing second in the 100-meter and
200-meter dashes.
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| Grant Ramsey |
Autumn Llaneza won the 3,200-meter run, was
2nd in the 75-meter hurdles and 5th in the 200-meter
hurdles.
Avery Kyer took 3rd in the 1,600
meters, 4th in the 400-meter dash and 5th in the 800
meters.
Grant Ramsey won the shot put and was 2nd
in the discus throw.
Damarian Jones won the 75-meter hurdles,
giving Monongah Middle a 1-2 finish, and was 3rd in the long jump
and 3rd in the 200-meter hurdles.
Aubrey
also broke the Mason-Dixon record for shot put. Her parents are Jennifer
Aldridge Payton and German native Mike Payton. Jennifer is Barbra
Eller-Hanning’s daughter, which makes Aubrey her granddaughter and Cecilia Shamrock Eller’s great-granddaughter. Jennifer’s
great-aunt, Chris Shamrock Hennig, Class of 1967, has reservations to attend
the 2017 Monongah High Alumni Reunion May 27 at the Knights of Columbus Hall on
Marylou Retton Drive in Fairmont. Chris is in one of the honor classes for the
2017 Reunion. Chris lives in Abilene, Texas with her husband, Charles Hennig, a
retired college professor.
Aubrey also was on the Monongah Middle cheerleading team that
won the Beckley-Stratton Middle School BEST cheer competition title.
1989
North Marion grad Sharon Martin Kerns replied: “I believe Autumn's stepdad is Shawn Banker,
who grew up in Worthington.” 1986 North Marion grad Shawn and Amber Banker are
married and, indeed, live in Worthington. Shawn’s parents were the late James “Bud”
Banker and Karen Tetrick Banker, both Class of 1956. Shawn’s sister, 1980
North Marion grad Michele Banker Kroll, lives in Clarksburg with husband Paul
Kroll.
Middle School team’s grandparents Barbra
Eller-Hanning, Joe Megna, Tom Shelosky and Dave Serian are all Monongah High
alumni. Joe is Sidney Megna's grandfather.
Kiley
Haney, Caleb Haney, Brevon Westfall, Ethan Raines and Ally Raines are all the
great-grandchildren of the late Frank Michalski, Class of 1948, once an
outstanding Monongah High football player. That’s through Frank and Ramona
Fullen Michalski’s daughter, Marcia Michalski Westfall, who drives home
learning at Monongah Middle School when she isn’t touring America with husband
Dave Westfall on their Harley Electra-Glide motorcycle.
Kiley
was high point winner and holds Mason Dixon records for the 100, 200 and 400
dasjes. Her parents are Brandie Haney (Monongah) and Kiley Paul Haney.
The
Monongah Lions won the A-Ball baseball title, too although the team combined
Monongah and Mannington players.
Monongah
Middle excels beyond sports, too.
The
U.S. Department of Education labeled Monongah Middle a Blue Ribbon school for
its academic excellence.
Monongah
Middle School received a Superior rating, the highest possible, at the Regional
10 Band Festival this year in Bridgeport. 50 bands competed.
Monongah Middle has raised the most money
for the United Way in five of the last six years. Monongah Middle and quality
are synonymous is so many ways.
Monongah Middle is carrying on the
tradition of athletic excellence set by Monongah High, which won five state
football titles (1952, 1955, 1968, 1969 and 1973) and a state baseball
championship (1955, with the late Frank DeMoss the star pitcher on that team).
Steven Malnick has been Monongah Middle
principal for a decade.
Monongah Middle is in the old Monongah High
School building where yours truly once roamed till my graduation in 1950. A lot
of us in those long-ago days did pretty well for themselves, too. And I’m not
talking about me.
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