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Prior Lake‑Savage students honored for winter athletics, arts; band leaders recap Greece performance tour
Summary
Prior Lake‑Savage Area Schools recognized dozens of students for winter athletics and activities achievements and heard a district band and orchestra recap of a performance tour in Greece. Highlights included state championships, All‑State music selections and national cheer finishes.
Prior Lake‑Savage Area Schools honored dozens of students Tuesday evening for winter athletics, activities and fine‑arts achievements and heard chaperones and directors recap a recent performance tour to Greece.
The recognitions highlighted a high level of participation and competitive success across winter programs. District presenters said more than 75% of students participate in at least one co‑curricular activity.
Among the highlights presented by the district's activities staff: Angelica Benitez won a third consecutive state title in Olympic weightlifting and teammate Lillian Noll finished runner‑up; 22 DECA students qualified for state competition and six DECA students qualified for international competition in Orlando; the FTC robotics team (Team 4509, the Excalibots) finished second in its division at the Minnesota state championship and earned an invitation to a June premier event; and the mock trial and debate programs produced multiple state qualifiers.
The district also noted notable team and individual results in Minnesota State High School League sports: girls alpine skiing repeated as conference champions and finished third at state; the girls Nordic team qualified as a team for state for the first time in school history; the boys basketball team finished 22‑7 and the girls 21‑6, with two players surpassing 1,000 career points; boys swimming won the conference and finished third at the Class AA state meet; the wrestling team qualified for the team state tournament for the first time since 2015 and finished sixth at state, with several individual placers; the cheer program placed as high as second nationally in medium varsity game day competition and the JV squad won a national title; and the gymnastics team set multiple school records and sent five gymnasts to state, with Annie Drain finishing fifth individually.
Michelle Chuka, the district's director of student support services, who was recognized earlier in the meeting with the Minnesota Association of Special Education Administrators' Administrator of the Year award, said, "I'm deeply honored that, my colleagues recognize me for this. But one thing I know to be true, I'm getting a lot of credit for a lot of work other people do." Chuka credited her team and building‑level leadership for supporting students with disabilities.
Band and orchestra directors presented a photo recap of a multi‑week performance tour in Greece. Keith (band director) described the trip as a performance tour and said, "pictures [are] worth a thousand words," noting performances in Nafplio, Delphi and Athens, and that students were welcomed by local audiences. Superintendent Dr. Thomas, who accompanied chaperones on the trip, said the large traveling group returned safely: "We brought them all back. So, you bring them all back, that means that it was a successful trip."
Presenters repeatedly thanked volunteers, coaches, advisors and the broader community for supporting students across athletics, arts and activities.
No formal board votes or motions related to the recognitions were recorded in the meeting excerpt.
