Anthony Wayne Board honors students and coaches after multiple state-qualifying seasons

The Anthony Wayne Local Schools Board paused its regular agenda to recognize students and coaches whose teams or individuals qualified for state tournaments this season. Coaches from girls tennis, girls golf and cross country introduced athletes, recounted historic finishes and thanked the district for supporting travel and meals.

Coach Feltner introduced three girls who advanced in individual tennis competition and noted one doubles pairing and one singles qualifier made it to the state tournament. ‘‘Not 1 game dropped,’’ he said of their district and sectional performance, praising the players’ off-season dedication. Mara Boyd, a senior and team captain, was recognized for reaching individual states for a fourth time; Jillian To, a sophomore, and Cora Langenderfer, a junior, were also honored.

Coach John Gwynn told the board his girls’ golf team qualified for the state tournament for the second straight year — a first in school history. Gwynn highlighted seniors Teagan Gwynn and Gabby Nowicki, and underlined that all team seniors earned district or state academic honors. ‘‘They appreciate you buying their meals during the state trip,’’ Gwynn said, thanking the board for that support.

Cross-country coach O’Connor described a banner season: the boys team reached the state meet, finished fourth as a team (the highest in school history), and had two top-five individual finishes including Jacob Proctor’s second-place finish in the 5K (15:28). Coaches emphasized team culture, student work ethic and community support.

Superintendent and board members congratulated the athletes and coaches and dismissed the group after formal recognition. The honors segment included brief logistics notices for upcoming send-offs: a 3:15 p.m. send-off for the girls soccer team and a 10 a.m. send-off for the volleyball team ahead of semifinal matches.