Penn High School students excelled at recent Indiana State School Music Association District qualifying events.

Choir state qualifiers will compete at Perry Meridian High School on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Indianapolis.

State competition for Band and Orchestra is Saturday, Feb. 24. Winds are at North Central High School, Percussion is at Westfield Middle School and Strings are at Northview Middle School, all in Indianapolis.

BAND:

124 Total entries

86 Gold Ratings

37 Silver Ratings

1 Bronze Rating

67 Events Qualified for the State Solo and Ensemble Contest

State Qualifiers:

Clarinet Choir: Alexis Varney/Theresa Hunter/Jacob Clay/Maria Cesco/Anna Mroczek/Colin Carter/Zaya Graham/Yousif Ahmed/Michael Mireles.

Bassoon Trio: Joshua Buckler/Emma Bashura/Claire Woolman

Marimba Trio: Greta Lannon/Michael Cenova/Roman Ramos

Trumpet Trio: Eli Joswick/Ar’Rion Love/Ryann Smith

Misc. Brass Trio: Anthony Scott/Raichael Schachow/Flynn Glotzbach

Low Brass Quartet: Luke Yoder/Addison Dunn/Emily Eby/Madelyn Richardson

Trombone Trio: Conner Ingram/Alex Krall/Luke Yoder

Preston Miller, Trumpet Solo

Roman Ramos, Snare Drum Solo

Braedon Hoy, Trumpet Solo

Michael Cenova, Snare Drum Solo

Graham Royer, Trumpet Solo

Melissa Shank, Snare drum solo

Katie Kuzmic, French horn solo

Anna Mroczek, Bb Clarinet solo

Evelyn Shrout, Horn solo

Audrey Wise, Horn solo

Aidan Lee, Clarinet Solo

Maria Cesco, Clarinet Solo

Keighra Michele, Trumpet Solo

Jacob Winget, Trombone Solo

Jacob Clay, Clarinet Solo

Addison Clark. Trombone Solo

Anton Kozelichki, Tuba Solo

Hayden Willard, Tuba/sousaphone

Luke Yoder, Trombone solo

Lillian Szuba, Tuba Solo

Ayva Jelinski, Tuba solo

Robin Sullivan, Flute Solo

Roman Ramos, Marimba Solo

Alex Krall, Trombone solo

Kylie Fravel, Tuba Solo

Rylen Hackett, Tuba solo

Sophia Runyan, Clarinet Solo

Madilyn Richardson, Tuba solo

Keyin Hackett, Tuba Solo

Victoria Chew, Marimba Solo

Eden Hartford, Oboe Solo

Michael Mireles, Bb Clarinet Solo

Gavin Bridwell, Alto sax solo

Delia Heet, Tenor Saxophone solo

Rachel Luebke, Clarinet solo

Alexis Varney, Bass Clarinet Solo

Joshua Buckler, Bassoon Solo

Ellie Satre, Flute Solo

Emma Bashura, Bassoon Solo

Anna Murphy, Clarinet solo

Timothy Austin, Alto Saxophone Solo

Dakota Bengtsson, Bassoon Solo

Lily Meyer, Flute Solo

Emma Bashura, Contrabassoon solo

Therisa McFarland, Flute Solo

Zaya Graham, Bass Clarinet solo

Owen Jacobson, Clarinet Solo

CHOIR

A total of 213 entrants (2 Piano Solos, 38 Vocal Solos, and 13 Ensembles

State Qualifiers:

PIANO SOLO – GROUP I

Ziona Blest

VOCAL SOLO – GROUP I

Cyril Meacham

Emma Clark

Eric Rauschenberg

Jackson Mead

Justin Meacham

Lauren Brock

Lucas Robertson

Madison Raper

Mars Slavinskas

ENSEMBLES – GROUP I

Robertson Barbershop

ORCHESTRA

163 students participated in ISSMA Solo & Ensemble

State qualifiers:

Solos: 

Ella Durand

Teagon Wickey

Reah Frydrych

Joseph Putman

Rebeca Ramirez

Joshua Jong

Shin Sakaue

Fiona Kennedy

Joshua Oh

Zach Jabien

James Pennix

Ensembles:

Oh Trio

Arty Ryzhkov

Joshua Oh

Joseph Putman

Discrepancy Quintet

Bella Grove

Jonathn Iwaniec

Sam Rossow

Lillian Gregory

Jayden Wang

An Evening of Jazz 2024 will be a special night showcasing the various jazz bands at Penn High School, as well as P-H-M’s Discovery Middle School, and Concord High School.

A Photo Gallery of rehearsal is posted below.

The concert is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at St. Mark’s Church, 55900 Bittersweet Rd, Mishawaka, Ind.

Tickets

Our guest artist this year is John Raymond, associate professor of music in jazz studies–trumpet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. You can read his bio at https://music.indiana.edu/faculty/current/raymond-john.html.

Your $15 ticket includes a dessert and drinks (water/coffee/tea). Specialty coffee, provided by Cardinal Coffee, will be available for purchase. https://www.cardinal-coffee.com/

The Penn Band Boosters will hold a 50/50 raffle (winner announced at the event) as well as a silent raffle of various items and packages donated by community members/businesses. If you wish to donate a raffle item, please email pennbandboosters@gmail.com.

A big thanks to all those who have contributed time and effort toward the success of this event. We look forward to an amazing night of jazz!

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After 40 years with the Penn High School Football program, Hall of Famer Coach Cory Yeoman announced to Kingsmen student-athletes and assistant coaches this afternoon that he will be retiring as head coach and Penn teacher at the end of this school year.

In his address to the players and coaches, Coach Yeoman shared, “By far the best thing I have ever done as a coach or as a player is to surround myself with great people. You win with people! Thousands of people made this journey possible. Thank you to the Yeoman Family; for over 50 Years our Mom, wives and daughters have let us boys play and coach the game we love for the school we love.”

Coach Yeoman went on to say to his players, “I would like to thank the hundreds of tough Kingsmen players in the ‘long black line;’ I am so proud of you. I love you boys! It has been an honor being a member of ‘the long black line.’ It has been an honor to be one of ‘Gees’s boys.’ Go Penn Go!”

Click below to see a full photo gallery of Coach Yeoman.

Coach Yeoman spent his first 19 years as an Assistant Coach under Hall of Famer Coach Chris Geesman, and the past 21 years as Head Coach. Yeoman took over the Kingsmen program in 2003 and compiled a 208-56 record overall.

In his first season after replacing legendary Coach Geesman, Yeoman guided Penn to the 2003 State Championship Game. Yeoman also led Penn to Semi-state titles in 2017, 2015 and 2011. In addition to winning four Semi-state Championships, the Kingsmen have won nine regional crowns under Yeoman’s leadership, 13 sectional titles and 17 Northern Indiana Conference championships. 

“It’s hard to put into words what Coach Yeoman means to our school community. He’s been a staple of Penn High School for 40 years, as a student, a teacher, an assistant coach, and as our head football coach for 21 years,” said Penn Athletic Director Jeff Hart.

“More importantly, his unmatched legacy as a positive leader, mentor, and relationship-builder will be sorely missed in our building and beyond,” Hart continued.  “I’ve been fortunate to work closely with him for the last several years and I’ve seen up close his unique ability to have great success coaching with a servant’s heart while building lifelong relationships with staff and students. I’m blessed to call him a friend.”

Coach Yeoman bleeds black and gold and has always been a Kingsmen. He played for Penn, earning all-state honors at defensive tackle. In 1979, Coach Yeoman led a Kingsmen defense that only allowed 33 yards rushing a game. That Kingsmen team finished 11-1, winning an NIC Championship before losing to Hobart in the second round of the playoffs. Yeoman graduated from Penn in 1980. 

Coach Yeoman is in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, the first Penn player nominated for the Hall.

“Coach Yeoman is a Kingsmen legend. He learned from the best [Coach Chris Geesman] and became the best,” said Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker. “Coach is highly respected across Indiana; and while we’ll miss him coaching on the sidelines, we know that he won’t be very far from Everwise Freed Field on Friday nights. Once a Kingsmen, always a Kingsmen!”

After his playing career at Penn, coach Yeoman played for Miami (Ohio) University. He was a roommate and teammate of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning head coach, John Harbaugh. Yeoman joined the Kingsmen coaching staff after graduation from Miami, and has been on the Kingsmen sidelines for 40 seasons.

After Penn’s 28-7 victory against the Mishawaka Cavemen on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, Yeoman was named the Indianapolis Colts Indiana High School Coach of the Week. The victory against the archrival Cavemen also gave Yeoman his 200th career victory, making him only the second Kingsmen Football coach to reach that coveted plateau. 

Penn is now the only high school in Indiana to have two coaches meet this milestone. The first was longtime Kingsmen coach Chris Geesman (309 wins), who Coach Yeoman played under and coached with at the beginning of his career at Penn.

Yeoman is beloved and admired by his players and assistant coaches. He serves as a mentor to Penn students not only as a coach, but also as a Physical Education and Sports Performance teacher. Yeoman was also an Industrial Arts Teacher. Coach loves the interactions with students. For years, he’s assisted with Penn’s Commencements, helping line students up and assisting families whose children are being honored posthumously. Yeoman once said to a colleague “My favorite time of year is graduation; this is what it’s all about!”

Coach Yeoman’s last day will come at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Coach looks forward to spending time with his grandchild, wife and family, and of course cheering for the Kingsmen on Friday nights.

Penn-Harris-Madison will begin an immediate search for a new Kingsmen Head Football Coach; the announcement is to be determined at a later date.

Coaching Profile of Cory Yeoman:

40 Years Coaching at Penn High School, 425 – 79

• 504 Games Coached at Penn High School
• 1984 – 2023 Seasons 
• 1984 – 2002 Assistant Coach, 217 – 23
• 2003 – 2023 Head Coach, 208 – 56 

Championships

• 36 X Northern Indiana Conference
• 24 X Sectional
• 17 Regionals
• 11 Semi-State
• 7 State Runners-up
• 4 State Championships

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Attention Penn High School Parents and Students:

Graduation is fast approaching and we want to ensure that you have everything you need for this special day.  Caps and Gowns will be passed out during Rehearsal scheduled for Wednesday, April 24, and Thursday, April 25.  If you have not placed your order, please order no later than Friday, March 1, 2024, to pick up at the scheduled delivery event on April 24 and April 25.

The Commencement Ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, June 3, 2024, at the University of Notre Dame.

The following link will take you to your school’s landing page for all your graduation needs.  This link includes all the packages and ala carte items for announcements, apparel and your cap and gown unit.

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/catalogBrowse/1072642/PENN-HIGH-SCHOOL/Graduation/2260685888/CATALOG_REPOSITORY/

If you only need a cap and gown (includes tassel) here is the direct link.

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productDetail/1072642/PENN-HIGH-SCHOOL/Cap-and-Gown/2260685888/CATALOG_REPOSITORY/Cap-Gown-Tassel-Unit/2260685910

Congratulations on this milestone achievement.   If you have questions, please contact the Jostens office at 574.216.6336.

To celebrate Penn’s Speech and Debate Team State Debate Tournament winning Penn’s first Debate Team Championship ever instead of just having a celebratory party (which the team did), they also through in a “team activity.”

After school on Tuesday, January 30th, Team Captains and students got to cut off their Team Coach Mr. Jeremy Starkweather’s hair! Mr. Starkweather is known for his golden, poofy afro. But to motivate the team to win the ISSDA State Debate Tournament, he told his team captains last summer when they were at the National Competition that the students could cut his hair if they won the State Championship in 2024. Of course the team won, so that meant Mr. Starkweather had to give up his golden locks. Click to watch the TikTok video below. Click to see the full photo gallery.

To make the fun go for a good cause, Mr. Starkweather reached out to the students who run Short Hair Because We Care to donate his hair. Remarkably but not surprisingly, Mr. Starkweather had 9 inches to donate! Because he was donating his hair, the students couldn’t just shave his head with clippers, his hair had to be sectioned off and braided into mini-pony tails, which made the process a little longer. But the payoff was worth the wait for the students!

It was quite the turnout to see this big event. Not only were the Debate students there, but so were other Penn students who heard about it, Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, and other Penn teachers and coaches. Even PHM District administration and Superintendent Dr. Thacker turned out for the big show. Dr. Thacker even had the honorary last cut!

One of the Team Captains Bella Schaetzle’s mother is a hair stylist and loaned her daughter the tools to cut Mr. Starkweather’s hair. She also graciously offered to clean up his “cut” once the students were done. Below is what Mr. Starkweather looks like the day after on Wednesday, January 31st. He says his hair should grow back in a few months!

Thanks for being a good sport and such a dedicated coach Mr. Starkweather!

See the full photo gallery below …

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“Captain Jack Sparrow” made an appearance at Penn High School today (Tuesday, January 30) performing the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song for 4th and 5th grade students. This mini concert is a great way to introduce students to instruments they might not be familiar with as they think about what possible instrument they might want to pursue in middle school. In P-H-M middle schools, students can pursue orchestra, band or choir as a Fine Arts elective.

Students got a real treat … the Orchestra’s drummers performed a sown written by Senior Clayton Hopper; it was called “March of the Clumsy.” All the drummers performed it together to demo percussion.

Due to scheduling logistics, only half of P-H-M elementary schools participated traveled to Penn for this year’s show. The other half attended last year. That way every P-H-M student will see the show in either 4th grade or a 5th grade. 

Take a look at the photo gallery below …

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Penn’s Debate Team was triumphant Saturday, January 27 at the 2024 ISSDA State Debate Tournament winning Penn’s first Debate Team Championship ever! 

The ISSDA awarded Penn Senior Noah Shafer with the Bob Brittain Mental Attitude Award and a $500 scholarship!

Penn beat out 25 other Indiana Schools competing in seven debate rounds to determine the finalists. 

Here are the Tournament results:

Octa Finalists: 

• Bella Schaetzle and Chris Chapple- Policy
• Amina Spahic and RebeccaWolter- Policy
• Alex Wagler- Lincoln Douglas
• Leah Wagner and Rayna Doland- Public Forum

Quarter Finalists: 

• Leena Khan and Ava Lightburn- Policy Debate
• Chris Chen- Lincoln Douglas
• Ben Galiher, Mira Yaradi, Ishita Awasti, Sydney Herriman, Vicki Sanchez- World Schools

Semi Finalists: 

• Ishita Masetty- Congress
• Shayan Asafuadula- Congress
• Sohan Patel- Congress

State-Runner Ups:

• Bohdan Kolomiiets and Noah Schafer- Public Forum
• Stanley Liew, Noah Shafer, Lana Ealdama, Jawad Siddique, Mia Helm- World Schools
• Sarah Rooney- Lincoln Douglas
• Grant Spadafore- Congress

State Champions: 

• Sarah Ahmed and Lynn Chung- Policy Debate
• Akul Bhambani- Lincoln Doulgas

In all five events, Penn was able to place in the top two in the entire state. The final round of Lincoln Douglas debate (which is the most competitive event) featured Penn vs. Penn, Sarah Rooney vs. Akul Bhambani. Akul won by a 3-2 decision with the judges.

The students are getting more than trophies to commemorate their wins. As per an agreement with the Team Captains made at the National Debate Tournament last June, Team Coach Mr. Jeremy Starkweather will allow the team captains to shave his head. It will happen after school at Team Practice on Tuesday, January 30. Click here to see the pictures and video!

The Policy Champions receive a traveling trophy that has existed since 1928. The last time the trophy was in Penn High School was when it was won by Coach Starkweather when he himself was a Penn Senior Debate student back in 2013. 

This is how many teams Penn students had to beat out:

• 23 Policy Debate Teams
• 46 Public Forum Teams
• 64 Lincoln Douglas Debaters
• 59 Congress Debaters and
• 27 World Schools Teams

Each competitor is guaranteed three preliminary rounds of debate but must win four out of their six judges’ ballots to advance to the single elimination bracket. Only the top 16 teams advance to this stage of the tournament. The Penn high school team advanced 16 out of the 18 entries, making this an incredible team effort. From that point on, each round had a three judge panel. A team must win 2 out of 3 possible ballots to continue to move through the tournament. 

According to the Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE) data released on December 29, 2023, Penn High School’s graduation rate is 98.12%–among the highest in the state!

The IDOE says 88.98% of Indiana students in the Class of 2023 graduated last year. Penn’s rate is 9.14 higher than the state!

Overall, the 2023 statewide graduation increased by nearly 2.5 percentage points. A spreadsheet with statewide-, corporation- and school-level graduation data is available here. 2023 represents the third-highest graduation rate since Indiana began collecting data in 2012.

Read more from the IDOE on the state’s increased graduation rates.

Hosted by Penn PTO. Questions? Please contact Penn PTO at pennhspto@gmail.com.

All-State Band Auditions scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at Penn High School have been postponed until Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.