- Jason Yang '17 placed 2nd out of 200 Lincoln-Douglas debaters. Yang was also awarded the 7th overall speaker.
- In policy debate, the senior team of Sam Richey '17 and Sabrina Bajwa '17 placed in the top 16 (out of 108 teams). Richey was awarded the 2nd overall speaker (out of 214 individual speakers) while Sabrina was awarded the 3rd overall speaker. Richey and Bajwa were undefeated and the top seed coming out of preliminary rounds.
- In policy, the sophomore team of Dani Knobloch '19 and Amy Ho '19 placed in the top 32.
- In Lincoln Douglas, Sam Segal '18 was incredibly close to reaching the elimination rounds. He was the 33rd seed and the top 32 advance. He missed by .4 adjusted speaker points (after dropping high and low)
- Please congratulate the teams of first year Sahar Punjwani '20 and Hannah Shi '19 and the freshman team of Spencer Powers '20 and Karm Ghei '20. The LD debaters include Vivian Liu '17, Jiya Ghei '18 and first year Shreya Mehta '20.
- Finally, congratulations to Sabrina Bajwa '17 for being awarded with a scholarship for college named in honor of legendary coach Barbara Garner.
Debate Team Competes in Statewide Tournament
Sophia Solé Headed to Stanford to Join Varsity Saling Team
Sophia Solé will be attending Stanford University where she will be one of 6 freshman on the Varsity Co-ed Sailing Team. She is a member of the Texas Corinthian Yacht Club and sails with the Gulf Coast Youth Sailing Association. She sails the Laser and also crews for her sister, AnaClare in the i420 (pictured here).
For the past two summers, Sophia and AnaClare have competed in the i420 World Championships in Karatsu, Japan and San Remo, Italy with top finishes for the US women team. This summer Sophia plans to compete in Laser Under-21 Worlds in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. Sophia was captain of the varsity girls cross country team at Kinkaid for the past two years and believes that in both sports focus and discipline are vital to success.
LS Teacher Selected for PBS Digital Innovators Program
Lower School Innovation Coordinator Krissy Venosdale has been selected as one of 52 educators from across the country selected for the fifth annual PBS Digital Innovators Program. The program recognizes classroom changemakers: educators who skillfully approach education with a bold and fresh perspective and who integrate digital media and resources into their classrooms in a way that sparks a love of learning for their students.
Mrs. Venosdale is being recognized for her tremendous work and development of our Lower School Launch Pad, familiar to many our youngest falcons.
The PBS Digital Innovators will participate in ongoing professional development; share their ideas on PBS platforms; have access to exclusive resources from PBS LearningMedia; receive a free PBS Teacherline professional development course; and are invited to special events, including the 2017 PBS Digital Summit. This year's summit, in San Antonio, Texas, takes place directly before the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference.
Click here to read the full story from Houston Public Media. Congratulations Mrs. Venosdale and best of luck going forward!
LeDee Named Player of the Year
Junior Jae LeDee has been named the Large Private School Player of the Year by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. The TABC is comprised of over 5,000 coaches across the state. This season LeDee averaged 20.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. He was named to the All SPC and All South Zone teams, the Lee College All Tournament team as well as the Aldine and Le La Rocca Sand Dune Tournament teams this season. To see the full list of players selected, click here.
Additionally, with a record of 22-12, the Kinkaid Boys Varsity team earned a 5th place overall ranking in the TAPPS 6A/SPC Boys Team final standings.
Congratulations to Jae and the entire Falcon Basketball team!
Science Students Rank Top 5 in National Competition
Congratulations to Tanmay Srinivasan '20 and Ayush Krishnamoorti '20 for being two finalists in The Genes in SpaceTM science contest. Among the top five finalists in the annual U.S. competition, 375 teams from grades seven through 12 proposed DNA analysis experiments to address real-life space exploration challenges. The winning experiment will be performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Scientists at Harvard University and MIT will mentor the five finalist teams. Teams will present their proposals to a panel of scientists and educators at the 2017 ISS Research and Development Conference in Washington, D.C., July 17-20. The winning team will be announced at the conclusion of the conference.
Great work Tanmay and Ayush!
2016-17 National Spanish Exam Results
In March, Kinkaid Spanish Honors and AP classes, as well as some on-level students by invitation, took the National Spanish Exam. The results were release this week and Kinkaid students did an outstanding job. The student received medals according to the following national rankings:
Gold - 95th through 99th
Silver - 85th though 94th
Bronze - 75th through 84th
Kinkaid received a total of 70 Gold Medals, 36 Silver Medals and 20 Bronze Medals. *Denotes on-level students.Congratulations to the following students!
Level 2 Gold
Silver
Bronze | Level 3
Gold Silver
Bronze | Level 4 Gold
Silver Bronze | Level 5
Gold Marie Parra
Silver
Bronze |
Level
2 Gold Bronze | Level
3 Gold
Silver | Level
4 Gold
Silver
Level
4 Gold
| Level
5 Bronze
Level 5 Silver |
Spring Season Recap for the Falcons
Our spring season has officially come to an end which means so has the 2016-17 Falcon sports. Thank you to all of the fans, families, faculty, staff, coaches and student-athletes for all of your support, dedication and hard-work this season. Lastly, you will find a recap of our department's finish in the SPC Athletic Directors' Cup competition.
SPC Team Finishes
Our Varsity teams competed in Austin, Dallas and Houston at the end of April in the Southwest Preparatory Conference Championships. The SPC is comprised of 17 schools from Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Oklahoma. The top six teams from each zone have the ability to compete in the tournament with the #1 and #2 seeds getting a bye in the first round. All of our spring teams advanced to the SPC tournament with nine teams finishing in the top 5 of the entire SPC conference.

SPC CHAMPIONS - Varsity Boys Golf
The Varsity Boys Golf team played a 2 day tournament here in Houston at the Cypresswood Golf Course. The team ended Day 1 with a 3 point lead over John Cooper and a team score of 299. Day 2 was a back and forth battle for the Falcons. At one point the Falcons were down 6 shots but with a strong back 9 and an improved team score of 296, they earned the championship title. The team was led by sophomore Mason Nome who shot -8 with scores of 68 and 68. Sophomore Will Jacobe shot 71 and 74. Senior Carter Guinn shot a consistent 81 for both days. Junior Johnny Bulter shot 82 on day 1 and then had a huge second day shooting 75. Senior JD Dyer shot a solid 75 both days. Congratulations again to the Falcons who have now been crowned SPC Champions 6 times in the last 8 years!
SPC Finish: 1st Place
Record: 3 out of 6 1st Place wins
SPC Tournament Results
Day 1 Team Score: 299
Day 2 Team Score: 296
Overall Score: 595
All SPC: Mason Nome, Will Jacobe
2nd Place - Varsity Baseball
The Varsity Baseball team entered the weekend as the number one seed from the south earning a BYE in the first round of the tournament. In game one, the Falcons faced the Oakridge School from Arlington. It was back and forth all game long until Ford Young drove in the winning run for an 8-7 finish. The Falcons then went on to face Fort Worth Country Day in the Semi-Finals with a decisive 6-0 win to take them to the Championship game. This was the 3rd straight championship appearance for the Falcons. They trailed the EHS Knights 4-1 for most of the game. Once the bats came alive, the Falcons forced the game into extra innings at 4-4 but came up sort, losing 4-5 in the 8th inning. Congratulations on an outstanding season and an SPC Second Place finish!
SPC Finish: 2nd Place
South Zone Finish: 1st Place
Conference Record: 5-1
Record: 23-11
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – Won 8-7 over Oakridge (Quarterfinals)
Game 2 – Won 6-0 over FWCD (Semifinals)
Game 3 – Lost 5-4 to EHS (Championship)
All SPC: Drake Greenwood, Johnathon Thomas, Stone Simmons
All South Zone: Drake Greenwood, Johnathon Thomas, Stone Simmons, Wyatt Young
3rd Place - Varsity Girls Track
The Varsity Girls Track & Field team had an outstanding showing in Dallas at the SPC meet, held at The St. Mark's School of Texas. With the threat of rain, all of the field events were moved to Friday and the prelim running events were removed. The girls track team adapted beautifully to the change of schedule and 11 individuals hit personal records in 14 events. Two SPC records were broken by Kennedy Gamble and Kinkaid brought home 8 first place medals. Congratulations ladies!
SPC Finish: 3rd Place
All SPC:
1st Place: Katelyn Gamble, Allison Favaloro, Sarah Fullenweider, Kennedy Gamble – 4x100m Relay
1st Place: Marilyn Nwora – Shot Put
1st Place: Kennedy Gamble – 100m Dash *New SPC Record
1st Place: Kennedy Gamble – 200m Dash *New SPC Record
2nd Place: Nia Caldwell – Shot Put
2nd Place: Audrey Ho – Pole Vault
3rd Place: Madi Malouf – Discus
3rd Place: Ellie Lucke, Katie Erikson, Camila Vicens, Alexandra Blake – 4x800m Relay
Individual Top 10 SPC Girls Results:
1st Place: 100 Meters - Kennedy Gamble (PR 11.76ma)
1st Place: 200 Meters - Kennedy Gamble (PR 24.28ma)
1st Place: 4x100 Relay - Katelyn Gamble, Allison Favaloro, Sarah Fullenweider, Kennedy Gamble (48.19a)
1st Place: Shot Put (4kg) - Marilyn Nwora (PR 40'9.5")
2nd Place: Shot Put (4kg) - Nia Caldwell (PR 39'5.25")
2nd Place: Pole Vault - Audrey Ho (10')
3rd Place: 4x800 Relay - Ellie Lucke, Katie Erikson, Camila Vicens, Alexandra Blake (9:43.86a)
3rd Place: Discus (1kg) - Madi Malouf (PR 115'8")
4th Place: 4x400 Relay - Allison Favaloro, Ellie Lucke, Sarah Fullenweider, Kennedy Gamble (4:03.31a)
4th Place: Triple Jump - Jasmine Smith (35'9.5")
4th Place: 1600 Meters - Camila Vicens (PR 5:24.46a)
4th Place: 3200 Meters - Camila Vicens (PR 11:22.48a)
5th Place: 3200 Meters - Alexandra Blake (PR 11:37.07a)
5th Place: Discus (1kg) - Jasmine Smith (105'2")
6th Place: Long Jump - Lydia Patterson (17'1")
6th Place: 300m Hurdles (30"): Duryn Dunbar (PR 49.63a)
6th Place: 800 Meters - Ellie Lucke (2:23.11a)
6th Place: 1600 Meters - Alexandra Blake (PR 5:26.16a)
7th Place: 400 Meters - Katie Erikson (PR 1:00.92a)
8th Place: Triple Jump - Caroline Totz (PR 34'4")
8th Place: 100 Meters - Allison Favaloro (PR 12.62a)
9th Place: Triple Jump - Lydia Patterson (33'7")
10th Place: 100 Meters - Katelyn Gamble (PR 12.73a)
10th Place: 400 Meters - Caroline Totz (1:02.70a)
10th Place: 300M Hurdles (30"): Lydia Patterson (50.50a)
*PR = Personal Record
3rd Place - Varsity Boys Lacrosse
The Varsity Boys Lacrosse team competed in their SPC Championship Tournament in Austin a week earlier than the rest of our spring sports, due to their state competition schedule. Kinkaid earned the number 1 seed from the south. They faced and defeated the north's number 4 seed, St. Stephen's, in the first round. They then took on St. Mark's where they battled hard but ultimately came up short. The next morning they took on Greenhill for the 3rd place honor. In a tight 4th quarter, the Falcons were able to maintain their lead and close out the tournament with a win. The following week, the team went on to earn 2nd Place in the City and play in the quarterfinal round of the State Tournament. Great season fellas!
SPC Finish: 3rd Place
South Zone Finish: 1st Place
Conference Record: 4-0
Record: 16-5
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won over St. Stephen's 14-8 (Quarterfinals)
Game 2 – lost to St. Mark's 11-14 (Semifinals)
Game 3 – won over Greenhill 12-10 (3rd Place Game)
All SPC: Reese Sullivan, Parker Browne, Jack Nevil
All South Zone: Malcom Hedgepeth, Rob Lahourcade, Jake Reinbolt, Robert Shively, Phin Sprague
THSLL All State: Reese Sullivan, Parker Browne,
THSLL All District: Jack Nevil, Jake Reinbolt, Rob Lahourcade, Phin Sprague
THSLL Honorable Mention: Robert Shively
3rd Place - Girls Varsity Lacrosse
The Varsity Girls Lacrosse team entered the SPC tournament as the number 2 seed from the south.
With tons of energy and excitement, the team easily defeated the Greenhill Hornets, finishing strong and extending a 4 point half-time lead to a 20-8 victory. In round two they faced the defending champions from ESD in a back and forth hard fought battle. The Falcons then went on to play their south zone rivals, St. John's, in the 3rd place game. Emotions high and adrenaline pumping, the Falcons were able to defeat the Mavericks with a last minute goal to secure the victory!
SPC Finish: 3rd Place
South Zone Finish: 2nd Place
Conference Record: 3-1
Record: 14-5
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – Won 20-8 over Greenhill (Quarterfinals)
Game 2 – Lost 19-12 to ESD (Semifinals)
Game 3 – Won 9-8 over St. John's (3rd Place Game)
All SPC: Chloe Hunter, Belle Martire, Mikela McCauley
All South Zone: Lexi Heim, Kaylie Mings, Nakeeya McCardell
THSLL All State: Chloe Hunter, Belle Martire
THSLL All District: Chloe Hunter
US Lacrosse Academic All-American: Belle Martire
4th Place - Varsity Girls Tennis
The Varsity Girls Tennis team entered the weekend as the third seed from the south. They played in the "play in round" on Thursday evening at The Hockaday School for the opportunity to play on the Championship side of the bracket. After sweeping Greenhill in the open round, the ladies went on to sweep the Trinity Valley Trojans in the quarterfinals. They then fought fiercely against St. John's and ESD to end the tournament with a forth place finish. Well done Falcons!
SPC Finish: 4th Place
South Zone Finish: 3rd Place
Conference Record: 5-1
Record: 7-3
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won over Greenhill 5-0 (Opening Round)
Game 2 – won over Trinity Valley 5-0 (Quarterfinals)
Game 3 – lost to St. John's 2-3 (Semifinals)
Game 4 – lost to ESD 2-3 (3rd Place Game)
All SPC: Sasha Inchauste, Jordan Jafarnia
All South Zone: Sasha Inchauste, Merritt Cozby
4th Place - Varsity Girls Golf
The Varsity Girls Golf team had their highest finish in 9 years, besting last year's fifth place result by coming in fourth. The Falcons entire team stepped up and worked hard to make their scores count. Emily Talbert shot 91/89, Lillian Rosenfield 93/103, Louise McCartney 101/94, Ruth Ann Bajgier 113/101 and Cheyenne Dawley hit 117/106 for the tournament. Congratulations on your success ladies!
SPC Finish: 4th Place
Record: 4 Top 4 wins
SPC Tournament Results
Day 1 Team Score: 284
Day 2 Team Score: 284
Overall Score: 568
5th Place - Varsity Boys Tennis
The Varsity Boys Tennis team entered the weekend as the 3rd seed from the south where they were matched up with Trinity Valley of Fort Worth in the opening round. After winning 3-2, they then went on to play the St. Mark's Lions. Although they fell in a very close match, the team rebounded and went on to defeat the ESD Eagles 3-2 for fifth place. Good work this season!
SPC Tournament Finish: 5th Place
South Zone Finish: 3rd Place
Conference Record: 4-2
Overall Record: 6-3
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won over Trinity Valley 4-1 (opening round)
Game 2 – lost to St. Mark's 2-3 (quarterfinals)
Game 3 – won over ESD 3-2 (5th Place Game)
All SPC: Michael Smith, Kenneth Lam
All South Zone: Salman Popatia, Michael Smith
5th Place - Varsity Softball
The Varsity Softball team headed up to Dallas to face Casady School from Oklahoma City in the opening round for the third straight year. Following tradition, the Falcons were victorious and moved on to the championship side of the bracket. In the next round, they faced and fell to a strong EHS team who went on win the entire tournament. The Falcons then defeated Greenhill and earned the fifth place honor. Good work this season!
SPC Tournament Finish: 5th Place
South Zone Finish: 5th Place
Conference Record: 1-4
Overall Record: 6-13-1
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won over Casady 5-2 (Opening round)
Game 2 – lost to EHS 0-11 (Quarterfinals)
Game 3 – won over Greenhill 6-1 (5th Place Game)
All SPC: Olivia Stuart Ison, Julia Lasater
All South Zone: Megan Frankel, Olivia Stuart Ison
7th Place - Varsity Boys Track
The Varsity Boys Track team had a strong showing at the Championship meet in Dallas. They had 11 top 10 finishes for the weekend with 5 student-athletes hitting personal records in 7 events. Congratulations Falcons!
SPC Finish: 7th Place
All SPC:
1st Place: Alex Williams - Long Jump
2nd Place: Myles Black - High Jump
3rd Place: Alex Williams - 400m Dash
Individual Top 10 SPC Boys Results:
1st Place: Long Jump - Alex Williams (PR 22'1.25")
2nd Place: High Jump - Myles Black (PR 6'4")
3rd Place: 400 Meters - Alex Williams (PR 50.23a)
4th Place: Pole Vault - Noah Chan (PR 13')
5th Place: 100 Meters - Alex Williams (PR 10.92a)
5th Place: 4x800 Relay - Andres Melendez, Socs Zavitsanos, Dz Zavitsanos, Oscar Melendez (8:19.60a)
6th Place: 800 Meters - Andres Melendez (PR 2:00.53a)
6th Place: Shot Put – 12lb - Marquis Hubbard (PR 43'7.5")
8th Place: 3200 Meters - Dz Zavitsanos (9:59.04a)
9th Place: 1600 Meter - Dz Zavitsanos (4:38.95a)
10th Place: 4x400 Relay - Alex Williams, Andres Melendez, Chance Allshouse, Myles Black (3:34.28a)
*PR = Personal Record
HJPC Team Finishes
The Houston Junior Preparatory Conference is made up of twelve private middle schools in the greater Houston area. Only the top eight teams at the end of the regular season have the opportunity to compete in the final tournament. Congratulations to all of the teams who represented Kinkaid and a special shout out goes to the 8th Grade Baseball team, Boys Golf and Girls Tennis who won the championship titles.
Boys Baseball – 1st Place Champions
Overall Record: 10-5
Conference Record: 3-2 - #3 seed
HJPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won 5-1 over Second Baptist (Quarterfinals)
Game 2 – won 5-1 over St. Francis (Semifinals)
Game 3 – won 6-4 over St. John's (Championship)
Boys MS Golf – 1st Place Champions
HJPC Tournament Results
Team Score: 185
Top Finishes: Brooks Morrell - 2nd overall out of 38 boys
Girls MS Tennis - 1st Place Champions
Overall Record: 7-0-1
Conference Record: 7-0 #1 seed
HJPC Individual Results:
1st Place Singles: Andrea Le
2nd Place Singles: Ella Brissett
3rd Place Singles: Hallie Jeffers
1st Place Doubles: Daryn Mehling & Kay Lucke
2nd Place Doubles: Virginia Murchison & Sara Christ
Girls 8th Grade Lacrosse – 2nd Place
Overall Record: 13-1
Conference Record: 6-0 #1 seed
HJPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – Bye
Game 2 – won 15-1 over Presbyterian (semis)
Game 3 – lost 7-6 to St. John's (finals)
Girls MS Golf – 2nd Place
HJPC Tournament Results
Team Score: 143
Top Finishes: Carrie De la Rosa - 2nd overall out of 23 boys
MS Softball – Tied for 3rd
Overall Record: 6-9
Conference Record: 3-3 #3 seed
HJPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won 14-0 over St. Francis (quarters)
Game 2 – lost 9-1 to AOS (semis)
Boys 8th Grade Lacrosse – Tied for 3rd
Overall Record: 9-4
Conference Record: 4-2 #4 seed
HJPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won 12-1 over AOS (quarters)
Game 2 – lost 11-5 to St. John's (semis)
Boys MS Tennis – 5th Place
Overall Record: 2-5-1
Conference Record: 1-4
HJPC Individual Results
1st Place Singles: Mikail Wijesekera
MS Girls Track & Field
Individual Winners (top 3):
Girls 8th Grade- Overall 1st Place
1st Place: 100 meters - Camille Andrews (13.33)
1st Place: 1600 meters - Alison Zhang (5:57.35)
1st Place: 4x100 Relay - Gabrielle Byrd, Lauren Locher, Ella DuCharme and Camille Andrews (55.37)
2nd Place: 4x400 Relay - Lauren Locher, Ella DuCharme, Zoe Price and Alison Zhang (4:45.32)
3rd Place: 800 meters - Alison Zhang (2:46.18)
Girls 7th Grade- Overall 5th Place
1st Place: 400 meters - Kennedi Poullard (1:01.37)
1st Place: 800 meters - Kennedi Poullard (2:24.22)
1st Place: Long Jump - Kennedi Poullard (14-11.00)
3rd Place: Long Jump - Maya Flowers (PR 13-10.00)
Girls 6th Grade- Overall: 1st Place
1st Place: 800 meters - Hope Haynes (2:41.03)
1st Place: 1200 meters - Sydney Smith (4:18.87)
1st Place: Shot Put (6 lb) - Mia Abello (PR 26-08.00)
1st Place: Discus (1 kg) - Melissa Claire Blomquist (PR 57-07)
1st Place: Long Jump - Lia Bonet (14-07.75)
2nd Place: 100 meters - Lia Bonet (14.00)
2nd Place: 200 meters - Lia Bonet (28.68)
2nd Place: 4x100 Relay - Sydney Smith, Lauren Byrd, Ashlyn Gilhooley and Lia Bonet (57.13)
2nd Place: 4x400 Relay - Hope Haynes, Ashlyn Gilhooley, Kyle Massey, Sydney Smith (4:52.27)
2nd Place: Discus (1 kg) - Mia Abello (PR 53-02)
2nd Place: High Jump - Ashlyn Gilhooley (PR of 4-04.00)
3rd Place: High Jump - Lia Bonet (4-02.00)
*PR = Personal Record
MS Boys Track & Field
Boys 8th Grade- Overall 7th Place
3rd Place: 800 meters - Daan Veldkamp (PR 2:26.10)
Boys 7th Grade- Overall 3rd Place
1st Place: 100 meters - Kamsi Ndee (PR 12.11)
1st Place: 200 meters - Kamsi Ndee (26.11)
1st Place: Shot Put (6 lb) - Kamsi Ndee (PR 33-06.00)
3rd Place: 400 meters - Kamsi Ndee (PR 58.99)
3rd Place: 1600 meters - William Klaasmeyer (PR 5:44.76)
3rd Place: Discus (1 kg) - Pryce Pivec (68-05)
Boys 6th Grade- Overall 1st Place
1st Place: 100 meters - Micah Bell (12.30)
1st Place: 200 meters - Micah Bell (24.71)
1st Place: 4x400 Relay - Andrés Bustos, Anthony Gonzalez, Ethan Jett and Micah Bell (4:35.68)
1st Place: Shot Put (6 lb) - Paul Smith (PR 41-04.25)
1st Place: Discus (1 kg) - Paul Smith (90-06)
1st Place: High Jump - Micah Bell (4-10.00)
1st Place: Long Jump - Micah Bell (18-04.25)
2nd Place: Shot Put (6 lb) - Griffen Joyner (PR 27-11.50)
2nd Place: High Jump - Anthony Gonzalez (4-08.00)
2nd Place: 4x100 Relay - George Kunetka, Anthony Gonzalez, Ethan Jett and Jayden Taylor (57.31)
3rd Place: 200m Hurdles at 30" - Anthony Gonzalez (PR 32.61)
*PR = Personal Record
SPC Athletic Directors' Cup
For the past two years, Kinkaid has earned the Top Overall and Top Girls' Program Cups. This year, Kinkaid is proud to announce that we have won the Overall Program Cup for the third year in a row as well as the Top Boys' Program Cup. This is the first time that a non-all boys school has had the pleasure of winning the Top Boys' Program title.
This year's Overall win marks the sixth time Kinkaid has held the privilege of being named the top athletic program in the Southwest Preparatory Conference; more than any other school in the conference. With 23 teams eligible to compete for titles, Kinkaid had 4 teams win championships, 3 teams earn second place and a total of 15 teams finish in the top 4 at their SPC Championship Tournament. Winning the Overall AD's Cup was truly a team effort. Congratulations to everyone on such an amazing accomplishment!
Headmaster's Message May
Falcons Selected for the 2017 Field Hockey Futures Championship Region 10 Teams
Congratulations to Kinkaid field hockey players Hope Haynes ('23), Emmy Stubbs ('22), Annabel Skubisz ('20), Olivia Marrus ('19), Caroline Hanan ('18), and Kaylie Mings ('17) who were selected to play in the 2017 National Futures Championship. This is the premier championship event for USA Field Hockey Futures and Olympic Development Pipeline. These girls were selected from more than 5,000 athletes across the United States. For more information, please click here.
Two Teams Gain New Program Heads

Kinkaid is thrilled to introduce Brian Notch as the new Wrestling Program Head. Coach Notch comes to Houston with 12 years of coaching and teaching experience. Most recently he was at West Torrance High School in Torrance, California where he lead the program to 7 straight League Championships. While coaching the Warriors, Notch was named Wrestling Coach of the Year by the South Bay Daily Breeze in 2009 and 2013. He has mentored 5 state qualifiers, 2 state place winners, 5 masters place winners, 2 masters finalists, 19 masters qualifiers, 5 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) champions, 6 CIF finalists and 23 CIF place winners. Coach Notch also started the first All-Girls team in South Bay while at Torrance.
Prior to his success in Torrance, the Iowa native participated in football, wrestling and baseball at Kinglsey-Pierson High School. He then went on to play baseball and wrestle at Briar Cliff University and Buena Vista University. Notch has a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education/Health, a Masters of Physical Education as well as a Masters of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education.
Coach Notch is a great addition to the Kinkaid community. Interim Athletic Director and Football Program Head Nathan Larned says, "We are pleased with the hiring of Notch. We feel he will help guide and lead this program into their next level of success. With his background in multiple sports, we look forward to having him help out in our football and baseball programs as well while maximizing interest in the wrestling program."
Please join us in welcoming Coach Notch and his family to Kinkaid.
Upper School Science Teacher, Ken Conner, will be stepping up to become the Girls Track & Field Program Head for the 2017-18 year. Conner began working as an assistant coach in the program in 2008 as a throwing coach leading the program to 8 SPC throwing medals including 3 this past spring. During that time he has also been a member of the Girls Cross Country staff and will continue to do so moving forward.
Coach Conner comes with a wealth of experience and success. Prior to his time at Kinkaid, Conner was the Head Coach for both the Boys and Girls Track & Field programs at his alma mater the Catholic High School in New Iberia, Louisiana. While there he led the Panthers to 13 District Championships, 6 Regional Championships and 7 State Top 5 finishes.
Coach Conner will be taking over for Coach Cheryl Mitchell who has successfully run the program for the past 19 years. Coach Mitchell is confident in the transition stating, "I know the program will continue to succeed and grow under Conner's leadership." Mitchell will stay with the program as an assistant coach and will continue as the Program Head of the Girls Cross Country team and the Director of Wellness.
Please join us in congratulating Coach Conner in his new role.
Kinkaid Takes 2nd In Citywide Science Competition
In May, four Upper School students competed as a team in the inaugural Offshore Technology Conference Energy Challenge, sponsored by BP. In this challenge, teams of high school students were asked to develop solutions for real-world energy challenges. 12 teams from across the Houston competed as they area presented their findings to the broader OTC audience. The Kinkaid team of Emmy Heyser '17, Christos Papandreou '18, Amanda Roff '18 and Ayush Krishnamoorti '20 took home 2nd place and were awarded the BHP Billiton award of $4000.00! Specifically, their challenge was to find ways in which the industry could reduce the weight of an offshore facility.
Along with their on campus academic coach, Upper School Science Chair Sonia Clayton, the students worked with industry mentors, including a number of BP engineers and geoscientists. Projects focused on areas of remote offshore power, facility design, offshore wind energy, remotes monitoring, and decommissioning. Congratulations to the team for their amazing accomplishment! See photos from the event below.
Rogers Named Women's National Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year

Former Falcon, Raevyn Rogers '14, earned the prestigious honor of being named the Women's National Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). This incredible recognition comes just days after Rogers was instrumental in the Oregon Ducks National Championship title and earning the first-ever Triple Crown in women's NCAA DI history. The Ducks Women's program won national titles in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field this year.
At the NCAA Championship, which took place in Eugene, OR, Rogers won her third straight 800m Outdoor Championship with a time of 2:00.02 and anchored the 4x400m Relay that clinched the title for her team. Raevyn's split in the 4 x 400m relay was a blistering 49.7. At the Mt. Sac Relays earlier in the outdoor season, Raevyn broke the 27-year-old NCAA record in the 800m, racing a 1:59.10.
Raeyvn's tremendous athleticism and inspiring determination were evident even during her days as a Falcon. Even as a high school runner, Raevyn set high goals for herself and her teammates. Raevyn's incredible work ethic, joy in training and racing, leadership, huge heart, and her strong faith and supportive family continue to allow her to compete and reach her goals. It has been exciting watching Raevyn thrive in the NCAA – clearly, she found a good home at the University of Oregon.
While at Kinkaid Rogers was a 4 year Varsity letter winner in track, winning the 800m at the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Championship 4 years in a row. She also brought home the champion title in the 400m (3 times), 4x800m Relay (3 times), and 4x400m Relay (1 time). Raevyn still holds the 4 school records in each of these events as well at the record for the 1600m.
Not only did Rogers contribute on the track, she was also an accomplished volleyball and basketball player during her time as a Falcon. She lettered on the Varsity Girls Basketball team for 3 years helping the team earn 2 SPC titles and was named to the All-SPC First Team her junior year. She was also named to the Volleyball All-SPC First Team her senior year after 3 years of lettering.
To read about her Athlete of the Year title, click here.
For a recap of the exciting 4x400m Relay that clinched the Oregon Ducks NCAA Championship anchored by Rogers, click here.
To watch the interview prior to her impressive run, click here.
And for Raevyn's full collegiate bio, click here.
Kinkaid Athletic Accomplishments
2013-2014
3rd Year Volleyball Varsity Letter Winner
Volleyball First Team All-SPC
3rd Year Basketball Varsity Letter Winner
4th Year Track & Field Varsity Letter Winner
800m SPC Champion (2:10:64)
400m SPC Champion (55.47)
4x800m SPC Relay Champion (9:36.44)- Along with Courtney C. Greer, Natalie Geisler, Ana Matamoros
4x400m Relay SPC Champion (3:58.92)- Along with Lizzy McGee, Gracey Wallace, Ana Matamoros
2012-2013
2nd Year Volleyball Varsity Letter Winner
2nd Year Basketball Varsity Letter Winner
Basketball SPC Champions
Basketball First Team All-SPC
3rd Year Track & Field Varsity Letter Winner
800m SPC Champion (2:12.88)
400m SPC Champion (55.68)
4x800m Relay SPC Champion (9:37.75) – Along with Courtney C. Greer, Katherine Davis, Lexie Ammons
4x400m Relay – 2nd Place (4:03.51) – Along with Julia Camp, Gracey Wallace, Courtney J. Greer
2011-2012
1st Year Volleyball Varsity Letter Winner
1st Year Basketball Varsity Letter Winner
Basketball SPC Champions
2nd Year Track & Field Varsity Letter Winner
800m SPC Champion (2:11)
400m SPC Champion (53.82)
4x800m Relay SPC Champion (9:40) – Along with Dahlgren Baker, Katherine Drews, Courtney C. Greer
4x400m Relay - 2nd Place – Along with Dahlgren Baker, Emily Gemp, Ana Matamoros
2010-2011
1st Year Track & Field Varsity Letter Winner
800m SPC Champion
4x800m Relay - 3rd Place – Along with Dalhgren Baker, Aria Pearlman-Morales, Anna Wittenmyer
Debate Team Scores Big in Opening Competitions
The Kinkaid debate team competed over the weekend at Langham Creek High School alongside 47 schools from throughout the Houston area. Competing in policy, Lincoln-Douglas, and public forum, the team found great success and reached the finals in two out of the three events.
Sam Segal '18 placed 1st out of 85 in Lincoln-Douglas. Dani Knobloch '19 and Amy Ho '19 placed 2nd in policy, losing a close final round on a 2-1 decision. Spencer Powers '20 and first year Bennett Mach '21 placed 3rd in policy after making it to the semi-finals. Shreya Mehta '20 placed in the top 32 in Lincoln-Douglas. Lastly, first years Megan Anand '22 and Jessica Liu '22 placed in the top 8 (quarter finals).
Prior to this weekend's competition, a smaller group competed at Cypress Woods High School. Christian Gipson '19 and Camila Vicens '20 placed in the top 8 (quarterfinals) in policy. Camila was also awarded the 4th overall speaker.
Congratulations to these talented students and best of luck throughout the school year.
Moss Speaker Inspires Students To Reach Back
Mike Feinberg, Co-Founder of KIPP Public Charter Schools, spoke in September as the 9th J. Barry Moss Distinguished Speaker. In his message to Upper School students, he discussed the inequalities throughout education and the benefits of educational options for underserved communities, a topic that hits close to home for one student in particular.
After attending KIPP since age four, Marilyn Nwora '19 was tapped to introduce Feinberg as the keynote speaker to her peers. She recollected not only his achievements as an educator inside the classroom and as an innovator, but as an inspiration to her for over a decade.
"He had this way of interacting with all of the students even though we only saw him a few times every year. Knowing how hard he and many other KIPP teachers have worked to create a better path for us alone is impactful," Nwora says.

Like many of her fellow classmates, Nwora joined Kinkaid as a 9th grader in 2015. While the intense coursework for an Upper School student at Kinkaid can be intimidating, Nwora believes the unique ways in which KIPP chose to teach its' students greatly prepared her to for success as a falcon.
"KIPP is an environment just like Kinkaid. The minimum isn't enough for true success. I was constantly challenged to be my best in my academics. They taught us not only to know the material, but to be able to teach it to our peers," she says.
Assistant Headmaster Dr. Ed Trusty, who has worked in education his entire career, has too seen the benefits of providing alternative and competitive educational models for underserved communities. He hopes Feinberg's message of reaching back to those not as fortunate as yourself will resonate with students after hearing Feinberg's personal journey to creating KIPP.
"I would like for our students and teachers to recognize the great work that KIPP is doing helping to meet the educational needs of the wider community," he says. "Many in our community are not aware of some of the challenges faced in the wider educational community, and will be able to help in the future to make a difference, as they embrace our core values even into adulthood".
Going forward, Nwora plans to be one of those who make that difference. With future aspirations of becoming a pediatrician, she first will take time teach the next generation inside the classroom.
"At KIPP we were always told to be the difference we want to see in the world, and that's all I intend to do; one smile at a time," she says.
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Kinkaid Freshmen Make Region Orchestra
High School TMEA Region 23 Orchestra Auditions were held October 14th at Kerr High School. After competing among some of the most talented students from public and private schools in the Houston area, two Kinkaid freshman placed in the Honor Orchestras.

Ethan Fang '21 was sleected for the top symphony orchestra, while Justin Li '21 was selected for the philharmonic string orchestra.
Justin plans to compete once again in the Orchestra Area Auditions taking place October 27th and 28th at Mayde Creek High School. Congratulations to these students and Orchestra Director Steve Kastner and good luck going forward!
US Choir Competes At Region Choir

Kinkaid Band Succeeds at Region Auditions
Over the weekend, members of the MS and US Kinkaid Band program auditioned at Sealy HS for the ATSSB All-Region Band. Please congratulate the following students for their successful auditions!
MS All Region:


Fall Season Recap for the Falcons
The fall sports season has officially come to an end. The Varsity Falcon teams had a strong finish winning two SPC Titles while the Middle School had three teams compete in HJPC Championship games and two win the HJPC Title. Thank you to all of the fans, families, faculty, staff, coaches and student-athletes for all of your support, dedication and hard-work this season. Below is a recap of each tournament finish.
SPC Team Finishes
Our Varsity teams competed three weeks ago in the Southwest Preparatory Conference Championships. The SPC is comprised of 16 schools from Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Oklahoma. The top six teams from each zone have the ability to compete in the tournament with the #1 and #2 seeds getting a bye in the first round. All of the Kinkaid Fall Varsity teams earned a spot in the tournament. The Varsity Field Hockey and Varsity Football teams both won 1st place trophies while the Girls Cross Country team brought home 2nd place. Girls Volleyball, Boys Volleyball and Boys Cross Country all finished in the top half of the conference earning 6th, 7th and 8th place respectively.
Here is an article by Jack Marrion of the Houston Chronicle recapping the championship weekend:
SPC CHAMPIONS – VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY

The Varsity Field Hockey team had an impressive season capped off with an exciting and dramatic SPC Tournament weekend. The Falcons entered the tournament as the number one seed from the South Zone by going undefeated in conference play and outscoring the opponents 28 to 3. They continued their dominance once they arrived in Fort Worth for the championship tournament. They first faced a tough and physical Episcopal School of Dallas team who was not going to go down easy but Kinkaid prevailed with a 2-1 victory. Next they matched up against cross town rival St. John's and were able to win 1-0; a result that sent the team to the Championship game. The Falcons met the number one seed from the North Zone, the Trinity Valley Trojans who were also hosting the tournament on their home field. Kinkaid got on the board first but then TVS answered back to make the score 1-1. It was a back and forth game for the remainder of regulation and two overtime periods. The winner of the game was then to be decided by penalty strokes where each team has the opportunity to send one shooter against the goalie with the best of five winning. Kinkaid was ready for the challenge and was named SPC Champions by dominating 3-1 in strokes. This is the first SPC Title for the Field Hockey program since 1999. Congratulations Falcons!
SPC Finish: 1st Place
South Zone Finish: 1st Place
Conference Record: 5-0
Overall Record: 12-3
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won 2-1 over Episcopal School of Dallas
Game 2 – won 1-0 over St. John's (semi-final)
Game 3 – won 2-1 over Trinity Valley in penalty strokes (Championship)
All SPC: Caroline Hanan, Ellie Bolin, Belle Martire, Annabel Skubisz, Farise Cravens
All South Zone: Caroline Hanan, Annabel Skubisz, Olivia Marrus, Farise Cravens, Laine Jacobe
SPC CHAMPIONS – VARSITY FOOTBALL
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The Varsity Football team once again was able to take care of business and bring home the SPC 4A Championship Title. Over the last 9 years, the Falcons have found themselves in the title game 8 times with 5 of those games being played against Episcopal High School. This year was unique and exciting for all, as the game was played right here in our backyard at University of Houston's TDECU Stadium. During their regular season match up, the Falcons lost 37-27 to EHS but used that loss as the motivation to come out prepared and ready to take care of business in the championship game. Entering the contest, the Falcons were on a three game winning streak outscoring their competition 105 to 33. They used that momentum along with the energy from the spirited fans who filled the stadium to defeat the Knights 38-21 and brought home the SPC Championship Title. This is the fifth SPC Championship win for the Kinkaid Varsity Football Team in eight years. Keep on soaring, Falcons!
SPC Finish: 1st Place
South Zone Finish: 2nd Place
Conference Record: 4-1
Overall Record: 7-3
SPC Tournament Result
Won 38-21 over Episcopal High School (championship)
All SPC: Johnathon Thomas, Josh Williams, Ameer Mustafa, Adam Harter, Kamal Nader, Hayden Rome
All South Zone: Malcolm Hedgepeth, Michael Horne, Victor Garza, Wyatt Young, Jack Nevil
2nd Place - Girls Cross Country
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The weather was perfect and the course was stunning as the Girls Cross Country team prepared to defend their title at the picturesque Athletic Performance Ranch in Fort Worth. The team had a sensational season winning either first or second place in every meet they attended this season with many team members breaking personal records week after week. Prior to the championship weekend, the Falcons won first place at the South Zone meet in Austin with six girls earning All-South Zone honors based on their times. Then at the SPC Championship meet, the team accumulated 67 points and had four girls finish in the top 20 to earn the second place trophy for the entire conference. Way to go, Falcons!
SPC Finish: 2nd Place
South Zone Finish: 1st Place
All SPC: Camila Vicens, Alexandra Blake, Ali Ammons, Alison Zhang
All South Zone: Camila Vicens (Champion), Alexandra Blake, Ali Ammons, Alison Zhang, Lindsey Ho, Ellie Lucke
6th Place - Varsity Girls Volleyball
The Girls Varsity Volleyball team improved their record this year to 12-10-1 going 10-3-1 in non-conference play. The Falcons qualified as one of the top twelve teams in the conference to participate in the SPC Tournament. They entered the weekend as the sixth seed from the South Zone and matched up against a strong Greenhill team from the North. The game was close and could have gone either way, however the Falcons dug deep and refused to give in. They fought to the very end and won 3-2 to make it to the quarterfinal round of the tournament. They ended their run finishing in the top half of the conference and earned sixth place for the weekend. Good work, ladies!
SPC Finish: 6th Place
South Zone Finish: 6th Place
Overall Record: 12-10-1
Conference Record: 1-4
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – won 3-2 over Greenhill
Game 2 – lost 3-1 to Houston Christian (quarter-final)
Game 3 – lost 3-0 to St. John's
All SPC: Onuchi Ndee, Julia Lasater
All South Zone: Onuchi Ndee
7th Place - Varsity Boys Volleyball
The Boys Volleyball team fought hard all season long in many close and tight games. They qualified for the SPC Tournament as the number three seed from the South Zone. They faced an impressive Casady team from Oklahoma who went on to play in the Championship game. The Falcons closed out their season with an exciting 3-1 win over the Knights of Episcopal High School and finished in seventh place. Good job, Falcons!
SPC Finish: 7th Place
South Zone Finish: 3rd Place
Overall Record: 6-14
Conference Record: 1-5
SPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – lost 3-0 to Casady
Game 2 – lost 3-1 to St. John's
Game 3 – won 3-1 over Episcopal High School
All SPC: Alex Frumovitz
All South Zone: Brian Xu, Scott Morey
8th Place - Boys Cross Country
Kinkaid's Boy Harriers (aka cross country runners) approached this year's SPC Championship meet with another solid season under their belts. The team entered the race coming off a forth place South Zone finish with three athletes garnering All South Zone honors. At the Championship Meet a number of Falcons ran their best race of the season on the challenging course at the Athletic Performance Ranch in Fort Worth. With a team finish of eighth place, the boys' team boasted two runners in the top 20 to earn All SPC honors. Great job, Falcons!
SPC Finish: 8th Place
South Zone Finish: 4th Place
All SPC: DZ Zavitsanos, Socs Zavitsanos
All South Zone: DZ Zavitsanos (3rd Place), Socs Zavitsanos, Andres Melendez
Varsity Cheerleading
The Varsity Cheerleading team started their summer off by heading up to the Gaylord in Grapevine, Texas where their trained and competed for several days at the Universal Cheer Association camp. At the conclusion of the camp, the Falcons were named the 1st place winners in Game Day Routine, 2nd place in Extreme Routine and had four girls named as All-Americans. They then spent the fall cheering on our Falcons and training for the UCA Regional Competition at Texas State University in San Marcos where the Falcons earned 5th place overall. Congratulations and thank you for all of your support this season!
UCA Summer Camp Competition:
Game Day Routine = 1st Place
Extreme Routine = 2nd Place
UCA Regional Competition: 5th Place
All-American: Julia Burpeau, Katelyn Gamble, Kennedy Gamble, Caroline Petersen
HJPC Team Finishes
The Houston Junior Preparatory Conference is made up of twelve private middle schools in the greater Houston area. Only the top eight teams at the end of the regular season have the opportunity to compete in the final tournament. Field Hockey, Football and Boys Volleyball all made it to the championship games. Congratulations to all of the teams who represented Kinkaid and a special shout out goes to the Boys 8th Grade Volleyball and 8th Grade Football teams who won the championship titles.
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Boys 8th Grade Volleyball – 1st Place
Overall Record: 6 - 3
Conference Record: 3-3 #2 seed
HJPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – Won 2-1 over ROBS (semi-final)
Game 2 – Won 2-0 over AOS (Championship)
8th Football – 1st Place
Overall Record: 5-1
Conference Record: 4-1 #2 Seed
HJPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – Won 27-8 over St. John's (Championship)
8th Field Hockey – 2nd place
Overall Record: 5-6-3
Conference Record: 3-4-3 #4 seed
HJPC Tournament Results
Game 1 – Won 1-0 over ROBS
Game 2 – Won 2-0 over St. Francis (semi-final)
Game 3 – Lost 3-0 to St. John's (Championship)
MS Cross Country
HJPC Tournament Results
Girls - 5th Place
Boys - 7th Place
Top 10 Finisher
Sydney Smith - 6th Place
8th Girls Volleyball
Overall Record: 2-9
Conference Record: 2-9
9th Place
MS Cheerleading
Universal Cheer Association Camp
Extreme Routine - 1st Place
Best Cheer - 2nd Place
Game Day Competition - Superior Trophy
Kinkaid Scores 3 Awards at National Model UN Conference
Last weekend, 20 Kinkaid Model UN students participated in the 17th annual Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition. After competing against 69 schools and nearly 700 students, we are excited to announce Kinkaid took home three awards!
Anna Thomas '18 was awarded Honorable Mention for playing the role of Maurice Sugar in the The Driver's Seat: United Auto Workers committee. Nicholas Cox '19 was awarded Verbal Commendation for playing the role of
Alexander Peary in the The Flying Gang: Creating a Pirate Republic. Finally, Camila Vicens '20 was awarded Verbal Commendation for playing the role of Benjamin Malcolm (Chief of NYC Department of Corrections) in the New York City Hall, 1974 committee.
Congratulations to all of our participants and to the winners of these outstanding awards!
Kinkaid Wrestlers Receive State Recognition
Over the weekend, Kinkaid had two wrestlers place at the state level. Both four-year varsity wrestlers, Colin Lawler '18 took first in the heavyweight class at 285 and Noah Chan '18 placed second in his weight class at 160.
Coming to the end of their Kinkaid careers, Colin is now a four-time state champion while Noah is a three-time champion, narrowly losing in the finals this year. Both hope to continue their success at the upcoming SPC tournament and at the Prep National tournament in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania happening February 23-24.
Following this season, both students are moving on to compete at the next level. Colin will be wrestling at NC State while Noah plans to compete at Franklin and Marshall College. The next opportunity to watch the wrestling team compete will be at the SPC tournament at St. John's on February 17. Good luck!