Sean and Jennifer McGrath, along with their son, Nate, started the Soar with Grace Foundation after their daughter, Grace, died from a rare form of pediatric brain cancer. The nonprofit will host the Race Against the Odds 5K for the second year in a row on June 1 at Weddington United Methodist Church.

Sponsored by the nonprofit Soar with Grace Foundation, the race will take place June 1, a Saturday, at 8 a.m. at Weddington United Methodist Church, 13901 Providence Road. The cost to participate is $25 for adults and $15 for those 17 years old and younger. Racers can register online at www.RaceAgainstTheOdds.com. Proceeds from the event benefit the nonprofit The Cure Starts Now for pediatric brain tumor research.

Grace was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) – a rare form of pediatric brain cancer – in late 2009 and lived until August 2010. Because of the location of her tumor, as well as limited funding for research on rare pediatric cancers, there weren’t many treatment options.

“You quickly realize how limited you are in terms of how to take care of your child,” Sean McGrath, Grace’s father, said. “It’s not just our family impacted (but) 250 children annually.”

Striving to both honor Grace’s memory and help those battling pediatric brain cancer around the world, McGrath and his wife, Jennifer, launched the Soar with Grace Foundation. The nonprofit raises money to fund pediatric brain tumor research, promotes pediatric brain tumor awareness with an emphasis on DIPG and provides emotional and financial support for families facing these illnesses.

“We started the foundation for three reasons – to honor the legacy of our daughter, create awareness and raise much-needed funding for this disease,” McGrath said.

Soar with Grace hosts two big fundraisers each year – a tennis event in the fall and the Race Against the Odds 5K during the spring.

“We tried to pick two things that Gracie loved to do,” McGrath said. “She loved to run and she loved to play tennis.”

Race Against the Odds events are held nationwide and benefit The Cure Starts Now, Soar with Grace’s partner nonprofit. Last year was not only the first time the nonprofit had hosted the 5K, but it also was the first Race

Against the Odds event held in the Charlotte area. McGrath said he hoped to see about 250 people show up but was astonished when more than 700 people participated, raising more than $51,000.

This year’s race will follow the same course as last year’s event, beginning at Weddington United Methodist Church and continuing down Weddington Church Road, according to race organizer Jennifer Lassiter. Chick-fil-A, one of the race’s sponsors, will be at the event with food and refreshments, and other personnel will be on site to ensure runners’ safety.

“It’s a very family-friendly event,” Lassiter said. “There will be tons of kids from (local schools), and all their friends come and run.”

Lassiter said the race falls at an appropriate time of the year, as May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

“Even though the race is in June, we chose (the date) so the race could be promoted during Brain Tumor Awareness Month,” she said, adding the foundation hopes to hold next year’s race in May.

For Grace’s parents and 12-year-old brother, Nate, hosting the race has been somewhat of a healing process.

“It gives us a sense of purpose, and if we can take one small step or several giant steps to help, we’re learning to live for something much greater than ourselves,” McGrath said.

The proposed 52-lot subdivision would be built between Park Providence and Barrington. Each lot would be a minimum of 12,000 square feet.

Residents in the new community would have to use Cutters Spring Drive through Park Providence or Fairgreen Avenue through Barrington to get to their homes. The subdivision would not have its own entrance on Bonds Grove Church or Providence roads. Shea Homes, which constructed Barrington, would be responsible for the new project.

“If people find out there is a cut-through (road) they will use that to get to Lowe’s on Providence Road, using our community as a cut-through,” a Park Providence resident said during a recent town meeting.

But the project’s developer said the connections are vital for future projects in the area.

“Connectivity is one of the major planning goals of any subdivision. … You do not want disconnected neighborhoods and you want connectivity,” an engineer for the developer said, arguing against giving the neighborhood its own connection to the main road.  “… From a transportation perspective, we would rather not have another connection to Bonds Grove Church Road.”

The town’s planning department has unanimously recommended rezoning the 23.6 acres to make way for the subdivision. The Waxhaw Board of Commissioners has yet to vote on the project and must ultimately make the decision to approve the project.

Mayor Daune Gardner said, at this point in the process, commissioners are more concerned about zoning the area, which was annexed into town on March 26, and less concerned about the subdivision’s density and connectivity. But residents said they were never given a fair chance to take part in those annexation discussions, during which it was decided the new subdivision could not have an entrance onto Bonds Grove Church Road.

People are concerned the subdivision entrance could have a negative impact on Bonds Grove Church and Providence roads, which locals say are already overcrowded.

Residents also are concerned about high density in the area with the addition of the proposed subdivision and another possible subdivision coming to the other side of Bonds Grove Church, in Marvin. Another concern addressed the tree barrier between the neighborhoods. Developer Michael Shea said the project would include a 35-foot buffer to ensure proper separation between the three developments.

The board will vote on the rezoning petition at the Tuesday, May 28, meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Hwy.  No timeline has been set for the mandatory subdivision hearings Shea Homes must hold before beginning construction in the neighborhood.

Town council members have resumed discussions on building a community center in Indian Trail that would include a town hall for Indian Trail employees. A fund was created in 2004 to save money for the creation of a community center, according to town manager Joe Fivas, and the fund currently has $1.4 million that can only be used for the construction of such a facility.

Around 30 people work for the town, many of whom are housed in a converted garage building across Blythe Boulevard from the shed-sized building town meetings are held in and the slightly larger building that now hosts the Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center.

Councilman Chris King would like to find a new home for government but sees a community center as much more than just a town hall. He envisions the facility as a place for senior events, a spot for a post office if the town loses its current post office to federal budget cuts, a satellite office for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the North Carolina Department of Transportation and perhaps home for an advanced technology center for a local community college.

The center could go a long way in an effort to rebrand Indian Trail in addition to the town’s two new parks – also proposed by King – and a number of road and sidewalk projects. The councilman said it’s important Indian Trail embraces its position as the largest town in Union County and put the projects in place to show the town in a positive light.

“I honestly feel there is a negative perception on our town,” King said. “A step in the right direction to start to move on from those negative perceptions is to erect a new community center. It’s a cornerstone of a town, and right now our cornerstone is a converted garage.”

King acknowledges the cost of the project – between $3 million and $5 million – is a hurdle to getting the support he needs. Paying off the bond for the two new parks projects is already responsible for roughly half of the town’s capital reserve fund. The fund was created during last year’s budget talks when King proposed a 4-cent tax increase in part to pay for parks. King said he opted to push for parks first because the town had just narrowly voted down a park bond the year before.

King is in favor of financing the community center project on a five-year agreement, which would leave the town paying around $800,000 the first year of the term, decreasing over the five years. A longer agreement would mean smaller payments, but more total money over time. He is not in favor of another bond.

He’s yet to see what kind of support he’ll get from others on council, though Councilwoman Darlene Luther expressed her wishes for a center at a recent council meeting. Councilman David Waddell is against spending money on the project, as well as creating more space for Indian Trail to grow government. Mayor Pro Tem David Cohn is on the fence, though he feels it’s a project the town should put on the back burner for now.

“I’d love to see a town with a community center, town hall – just a real functional building where we could have something for elderly people and just a great place,” Cohn said. “I think we have a lot of stuff going on in town right now with the parks and everything else we have going on. I’d like to see us concentrate on (a community center) in a few years, but just not right now.”

King said he’ll soon ask council for their agreement on where a community center could go. He’d like to see it added to the under-construction Chestnut Park. If King gets that far, he’d then like to see some of the $1.4 million in the community center fund used to hire a company to start on designs for a building. He envisions a center similar to what Matthews and Mint Hill have, something that will give visitors to town a better impression of Indian Trail.

“We already have a town hall?” King said, anticipating arguments against the community center. “Yeah, we do. But it’s basically a renovated building just for the purpose of saying we have a town hall. … For the out-of-towners who have never been to Indian Trail but are here for a presentation or something … their perception of our government is that we conduct official town business out of a converted garage. I have a fundamental issue with that.

We need to get past that. We have to have a town hall, period.”

The community center is not included in this year’s budget, which was presented earlier this month to town council. A public forum has been scheduled for May 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the town’s civic building, on Navajo Trail, so residents can give feedback on the proposed budget.

Dominican teen Antony “Anthony” Caraballo and his family recently received the keys to a brand new home, thanks in part to a fundraising challenge among four Piedmont cluster schools.

Students and faculty of Unionville and Fairview elementary schools and Piedmont middle and high schools recently joined together to raise funds to build a home for Antony ‘Anthony’ Caraballo and his siblings, mother and grandmother.

It all started in 2011, when Unionville Elementary School Principal Sharyn VonCannon and Union County Communication Coordinator Rob Jackson took a trip to Constanza, Dominican Republic, with Lifetouch Memory Mission. VonCannon and Jackson were working with Lifetouch on a school for impoverished children in the area when they met Anthony and his family, who were living in a wrecked bus. They immediately struck a bond with the family.

Then, in December 2012, Piedmont Middle School Principal Dr. Anne Radke traveled to Constanza with Lifetouch to help complete work on the school. Radke had heard Anthony’s story from VonCannon and Jackson and had the opportunity to meet him in person.

“He had such a winning spirit and a beautiful smile,” Radke said. “You think, ‘Man, this kid has got next to nothing.’ His mother has multiple sclerosis, his grandmother lives in these conditions with him. You just think, ‘This young man deserves so much more.’”

Upon returning to America, Radke began working with the Piedmont cluster schools to see how they could help Anthony and his family move out of the bus and into their own house. The four schools decided to hold their own fundraisers, combine the funds raised and donate the money to World Servants, the nonprofit that partners with Lifetouch for international mission projects.

“We knew we had to find a way to make this happen,” Radke said. “We said, ‘Why don’t we do this as a Piedmont cluster (project)?’”

During January and February, the schools took on a “cluster challenge.” Unionville Elementary held a penny drive, while Fairview Elementary and Piedmont High schools held their own fundraisers.

Piedmont Middle took fundraising to the next level with a “penny war.” Each grade had its own change collection jar, but instead of putting change in their own jar, students collected coins and put them in the other grades’ jars. Whichever grade had the fewest silver coins – and the most pennies – in their jar won the challenge, while the grade with the most silver coins lost.

Radke said this reverse format worked well because it urged students to bring in more silver coins, rather than just pennies. Students were more likely to donate more money if they were making the other team lose than if they were helping their own team win, she said.

“They tried to punk each other with silver coins,” Radke said.

The penny war alone raised more than $1,500, and the full cluster challenge raised $4,750 to go toward the $7,000 it cost to build Anthony’s home. Other schools from across the nation raised the remaining $3,000, and, soon after, World Servants sent a “task force” of workers to Constanza to build the house. Anthony and his family worked with the task force to help build their own home and just weeks ago received the keys and moved in.

Radke said it was exciting for the Piedmont cluster schools to be a part of this international mission project.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “The kids were involved from the get-go … This is shared with everyone (among the cluster schools). None of that could have happened without everyone’s support.”

Porter Ridge senior Ryan Dilworth, who played defensive lineman for the Pirates, has signed to play for the Wingate University football team.

Most of the doubts surrounding Dilworth were a problem of unfair comparisons. Simply put, the game of football has gotten bigger and bigger, and nowhere has that transformation been more evident than with the game’s linemen. The rosters for big-time college football programs seem to resemble a Who’s Who of folk-story subjects. For example, a glance at the starting defensive line last season for the University of Alabama, which has really become the nation’s standard bearer over the past few seasons, showed each player standing at least 6 foot 3.

Dilworth, however, stands anywhere from 5-9 ½ – according to former Pirates coach Blair Hardin – to Dilworth’s self-reported 5-10. For many, the notion that Dilworth was simply too small to play football on the college level seemed to stand up to reason.

While there wasn’t anything Dilworth could do about his stature, he did have control over how he perceived it.

“I know my height is a problem, but I always knew God has a plan, and it came through,” he said. “It actively pushed me to work hard to prove people wrong. (People saying things such as), ‘He’s too short. He’s a good player, but he’s not going to get anywhere.’ It just pushed me harder and harder, (and I always thought to myself), ‘That day will come when I will make it.’”

In February, Dilworth’s dream came true when he signed a National Letter of Intent with Wingate, where he’ll join another Union County standout, Cuthbertson offensive lineman Zach Panek, on the Bulldogs’ roster as a freshman.

During his 10th-grade season, Dilworth collected 50 tackles, two sacks and a pair of interceptions. As an 11th-grader, he upped his totals to 55 tackles and six sacks before improving again as a senior, when he amassed 60 stops and eight sacks.

According to Hardin, who recently left Porter Ridge to take over at Morganton Freedom, Dilworth’s stats are made all the more impressive because he wasn’t really in a position to pile them up.

“Every single play, he was going to get double-teamed (by offensive linemen),” said Hardin. “He played (on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard), and he was going to battle with two guys on him the entire night. He was the anchor.”

Typically, defensive linemen are charged with one of two things: clogging up running lanes or rushing the passer. But the fact that Dilworth was able to do both was a testament to his preparation in the days leading up to games, said Hardin.

“He is so smart, and he watches tons of film,” Hardin said. “He was so smart at breaking down guards’ and centers’ tendencies.

“He knew before the ball was snapped whether it was a run or a pass play, or if a guard was pulling. He’s a student of the game. He used his intelligence to make him a complete player.”

Of course, bench pressing more than 370 pounds and squatting more than 600 doesn’t hurt, either, said Hardin, who added, “He’s by far the strongest kid in school history.”

“‘Rhino’ has always been his nickname,” said former Pirates defensive end Avery Worsham, who is headed to Cullowhee to play for the Western Carolina University program.

“He’s unstoppable. Nobody could push him back. He was always relentless.”

According to Wingate coach Joe Reich, players such as those at the University of Alabama are the outliers, somewhat-misleading tent stakes for a rule that hardly is hard and fast. Instead, many college programs rely on players closer to Dilworth’s stature.

“We’ve had success in the past with those interior guys that aren’t really tall – good, hard-nosed guys,” said Reich. “We’ve had some really good players that are undersized in there. He kind of fits that mold.”

Reich said the success surrounding Porter Ridge’s football team over the past two seasons, during which time the Pirates advanced to the Class 4A title game each year, attracted his coaching staff to the Pirates’ program. The fact that much of the team’s success seemed to be anchored by a strong defensive line made the trip from Wingate to Indian Trail even more enticing.

“Good defensive linemen are hard to find,” said Reich.

Because of that, finding recruits for those spots is a lot like police detective work – you’ve got to follow up on every lead. That brought the Bulldogs’ coaches to Dilworth.

“(The first question we had was), ‘Is he going to be big enough?’” said Reich of Dilworth. “When we watched him play and the way he played, he really hunkered down in there. He was doing all the things we were going to need him to do.”

Reich also said he thinks the Pirates’ team success makes Dilworth an even safer bet as a recruit.

“It certainly makes sense to take a guy that’s been to the last two state championship games who knows how to win,” Reich said. “Basically, those guys expect to win. (Plus), if they make it that far (in the playoffs), they must be getting good coaching, and they must be good players for the most part, and those are things that are advantageous for us.”

For Dilworth, judging a player on his height is a bit overblown, and he doesn’t take that stance just because he’s 5-10.

“I feel like it is a little bit,” Dilworth said. “You see (defensive linemen) that are 6-5, and offensive linemen are getting under them because they don’t like to bend. I think being not as tall gives you better leverage in the trenches. When it’s all said and done, if you’re too high, you’re going to get pushed back.”

Reich agreed and said that Dilworth’s current 280-pound frame could help him get on the field as a freshman.

“I think he’ll play fairly early,” said Reich, though the coach added that he hasn’t ruled out redshirting Dilworth if needed.

“It’s not like he’s a 6-4, 230-pound defensive tackle that has to put on muscle and get bigger. He’s already a fairly stout, muscular kid. I think we’re going to be pretty good next year, but the two spots we’re going to need a younger guy to step up is defensive line and offensive line. I think with (Dilworth), in particular, if he could step up, that will really help us out.”

Moving forward, Dilworth said his time at Porter Ridge prepared him well for his next challenge. He said he and his fellow seniors helped establish one of the state’s most successful programs with a blue-collar mentality that has built a strong reputation across the state, one that has allowed him to hush all the whispers about what he couldn’t do.

“I think (other teams) think about a relentless program (when they think of Porter Ridge),” said Dilworth. “What Coach Hardin left us with here is (the mind-set) to never stop working. If you’re not working hard, someone else is, and they’re coming for you.

“If you work hard and outwork everyone else, you can do whatever you want to do.”

The council voted 4-0 in support of the Hemby Road location behind the Providence Volunteer Fire Department instead of the Weddington Matthews Road location behind the Weddington Corners shopping center during their Monday, May 13, meeting. The resolution is non-binding, Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Barry said, and council’s opinion could change in the future depending on any additional information town leaders receive.

“The Union County Board of Commissioners passed a motion stating that the two sites were equivalent and they would like for (Weddington town council) to provide them with some preference,” Barry said. “… Based on the info we had at this time our preference would be to put it on the Hemby site, but we don’t hold ourselves bound to that decision.”

Before moving ahead with construction, Union County Public Works must go through the Weddington zoning process, which includes another public information meeting in addition to the meeting already held.  No meetings will be scheduled until Public Works submits a formal zoning petition to the town, and residents have a chance to comment about the proposed locations.

According to Public Works Director Ed Goscicki, the water tower locations were chosen based on the need for higher pressure in the northern part of town and to help provide enough water to the growing population.  Cost estimates for the Hemby Road location are around $375,000 for the 1.5 million-gallon tower, and the Weddington Matthews Road location could cost around $500,000.  Both locations have willing property sellers, and the county has a 60-day option on the properties.

Many Weddington residents raised concerns about the two locations during the initial meeting with Public Works, but Goscicki said there was no better location between the two – only the least protested location.  More than 20 of the 40 people present showed support for the Hemby Road site during the meeting with Public Works, with others supporting the Weddington Matthews Road site and the Kings Property site, which is no longer an option for the project.

Those in favor of the Hemby Road site did not want the tower disrupting the Weddington Corners shopping center or being the first thing seen when driving into town.  The water tower will be around 180 feet tall regardless of the location, with the Hemby Road location being slightly shorter due to high elevation in that area.

Construction is not scheduled to begin until later this year, and the tower will take around a year and half to be completed and start functioning.  Public Works has looked at projects 30 years out and says there should not be a need for another water tower during that time.

The Union County Board of Commissioners should discuss the Weddington water tower during their next meeting on Monday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at the Union County Government Center, 500 N. Main St. in Monroe.

Town manager Joe Fivas made a quick pass through his proposed budget Tuesday night, May 14, that looks to continue a number of projects made possible in part by the 4-cent tax increase proposed during last year’s budget talks – namely a number of sidewalk projects, largely funded by air quality grants; road additions and improvements as part of the town’s Pathways 2 Progress initiative; and the Chestnut and Crooked Creek at Indian Trail parks.

The proposed budget includes the $35,000 for a law enforcement needs assessment Mayor Michael Alvarez recently asked for and town council members and Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey supported. The budget does not include money for additional deputies at this time, with council having passed on a suggestion to add deputies in anticipation of the needs assessment’s findings. If the assessment remains part of the proposed budget when it’s approved, potentially on June 11, town leaders will discuss exactly what the assessment will target. It’s anticipated to show Indian Trail officials how many more, if any, deputies are needed to keep residents safe and improve response times to where town council wants them to be. Council members then would have to vote on how to fund any additional deputies, at a cost of around $80,000 per deputy.

The budget proposed on Tuesday night does not include any money for a town community center, which as discussed could include an Indian Trail town hall. Councilman Chris King, a proponent of the community center, said he will bring the topic up for discussion once the budget is adopted, meaning it likely won’t be pushed onto the 2013-14 fiscal budget.

Fivas, speaking on the potential costs of a community center after presenting his budget, said the town already has $1.4 million set aside for such a project, which would likely cost $3 million to $5 million. If town council agreed on a five-year loan for the project, Fivas said payments would start at between $800,000 to $900,000 a year and decrease over time. A 10-year loan would leave the town paying around $500,000 a year, decreasing each year, and a 15-year loan would start at $350,000. Council did not give any feedback Tuesday night on the center other than King’s comment about discussing the project at a later date.

Council did not instruct Fivas to make any changes to his proposed budget on Tuesday night, though they could between now and a scheduled vote in June. The public workshop, scheduled for May 28, also could result in changes, as could a discussed feedback session Alvarez may hold before the June vote.

The town’s proposed budget’s larger projects are mostly “infrastructure driven,” Fivas said Tuesday night, referring to the road and sidewalk projects that allow the town to “start down the pathway of tacking some of those traffic congestion issues,” and the two parks. The town manager credited the efficiency of staff – some 30 employees in Indian Trail compared to hundreds in similarly sized towns like Monroe and Matthews – for being able to present a balanced budget with an 18.5-cent per $100 of taxable property tax rate. The next lowest tax rate for a city of similar size to Indian Trail in the state is in Matthews, at 30.25 cents. Matthews has proposed a 2-cent tax increase this year.

Part of that is due to funding created by the town’s new deal with Waste Pro for solid waste services. The contract will save the town $2.5 million over five years. But the town also is able to keep its tax rate low, Fivas pointed out, due to the “concerning” amount of money the town relies on from intergovernmental coffers compared to other towns.

“If something happened with those state revenues … that will cause a huge disproportionate impact in Indian Trail,” Fivas said. The state is currently considering some bills that could impact the amount of state funding Indian Trail gets, though Fivas said other sources could supplement that money. “Our dependence on intergovernmental funds is concerning to staff,” the presentation read Tuesday night.

Fivas also was clear Tuesday night that the town’s flat tax rate doesn’t leave a lot of room for new projects in Indian Trail – though the recently created capital reserve fund is already working on a number of issues.  “We have a lot of needs,” Fivas said, pointing to a six-year capital investment plan that includes several items the town may eventually approve.

The proposed budget should be available on the town’s website as of Thursday, May 16, Fivas said Tuesday night. Copies also will be available at the Union West Regional Library.

Town council also heard an update on design of the Chestnut Park, which is currently under construction. Council saw design drawings that show the four tennis court and four sand volleyball courts separated by a quad that could be used for musical performances or a farmers’ market. Council members said they were pleased with designs at this point and instructed the developer to continue work. The park could open later this year.

Find more information on the budget and park project at the town’s website, www.indiantrailnc.org.

Council members reviewed the proposed budget, which is almost $8 million, on Tuesday, May 14. Town manager Mike McLaurin discussed the spending package and his recommendations to commissioners, though no residents commented on the proposal at the meeting.  The Thursday workshop is one of two meetings where town leaders hope to get more input. The first was held Wednesday, May 15.

“As we move forward, this town is no longer a small town.  It’s a growing, thriving town and we are going to have to … start to look several years in advance,” McLaurin said, foreshadowing possible future spending the town could consider.

Taxes for residents will stay at 34 cents per $100, with solid waste fees remaining at $40 per year, although some departments will see an increase in their budget for the coming year.

The Waxhaw Police Department could see a large increase in their budget, with a proposed $1,750,999, in order to fund the new police facility commissioners are currently working on.  The police department also is requesting the replacement of two vehicles.

Another increase that could be seen in the coming year’s budget is a 3.5 percent increase in pay for the mayor and board of commissioners, something McLaurin said hasn’t happened in many years.

“The bottom line is that it’s been several years since we’ve had an increase, and just the amount of work that I see and the staff sees … like everybody, you deserve to be fairly compensated for that,” McLaurin said.

Currently, the board of commissioners is scheduled to vote on the 2013-14 budget during their May 28 meeting, almost a month before the June 30 deadline, at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Hwy.  A copy of the proposed budget is available on the town’s website at www.waxhaw.com. Click on “Administration – Finance and Budget” under the “Departments” tab.

The students have won awards in national choral competitions, traveled the country to perform in prestigious music festivals and gained international recognition thanks to their partnership with a sister school in China, all in the last four years.

Getting to share their gift and love for music with the world is something the young performers said has become one of the most important aspects of their high school career.

The Marvin Ridge High School Women’s Ensemble is a group of about 20 to 25 female students who audition and perform together throughout the year at schools, country clubs, malls and other venues. Under the direction of choral teacher Deborah Lutz, the ensemble also has set its own high bar through venturing beyond the community and making a mark both nationally and internationally.

Seniors Madeleine Cutrone, Jordan Hodges, Meghan Rutowski, Katherine Judge and Maddy Hardy have been a part of the ensemble since their freshman year and have seen what difference being able to express themselves through music has made in their own lives.

“To find yourself and be able to express yourself and not worry about being shy is the big thing we’ve gotten out of it,” Meghan said.

While exercising their musical talent and creativity, the group also has received accolades from national music critics. The ensemble placed first in the 2010 Heritage Music Festival, an annual national competition. The girls took a trip to Williamsburg, Va., where they sang three classical pieces for judges and were chosen among a pool of other women’s ensembles from across the United States.

After that victory, the group was invited to sing at Carnegie Hall as part of a larger ensemble of nationally recognized student performers. Ten students from the women’s ensemble traveled to New York City in April 2010 to perform at the prestigious music hall where the experience, the girls said, was like no other.

“It’s just something that you can’t put into words, an experience like that,” Jordan Hodges said. “So many world-renowned people have (performed) there … it’s something so incredible.”

The 2011-12 school year was a year of growth for the ensemble, as there were a handful of veteran members who left and new members who joined. So Lutz, the choral director, spent time working with the students, training them to gel as an ensemble.

“She’s so committed … it’s almost contagious,” Madeleine Cutrone said of Lutz. “It just makes you want to work even harder.”

The year of hard work paid off, the girls said, as this school year has seen the ensemble once again place first in a national competition, receive another invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall and perform for millions of viewers via a Chinese television network.

Marvin Ridge has a sister school in China and delegates from the school who visited the U.S. saw the women’s ensemble perform a song in Chinese during a Confucius Institute event in uptown Charlotte last fall. Impressed with the girls’ performance, the delegates invited them to perform again in a pre-recording aired on a national Chinese network. An estimated 400 million Chinese viewers watched the performance, the girls
said.

“Opportunities to sing in places that aren’t our school are hard to come by,” Maddy Hardy said. “So this opportunity to sing for millions of people in a country that we’ve never been to, halfway across the world … the idea was a little hard to fathom that something so big could happen to us.”

The ensemble also traveled to New Orleans in April, where they competed again in the Heritage Music Festival. After a first-place win, the girls received another invitation to perform in Carnegie Hall, which the ensemble will do next year.

Although the girls are proud of all their accomplishments, the most important thing about being a part of the women’s ensemble is the bond they’ve developed with each other and with Lutz.

“We really can’t say enough about her,” Katherine Judge said. “She’s so easy to talk to, she’s always helping you … her room has become our second home.”

The Monroe girls track and field team: 2013 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A champs

The Redhawks finished with 103 points, well ahead of runner-up Winston-Salem Prep (42).

While last year’s title was largely powered by a pair of stars – Jamie Glenn (now at Appalachian State) and Janieyah “Ladybug” Collins (East Carolina) – Monroe coach Nichole Jackson said this season’s championship took a more widespread effort.

“Overall, we were excited for the kids to experience a team season that wasn’t just riding the coattails of some superstars,” said Jackson. “Kids all over were contributing.

“They’re such different wins. (Glenn and Collins) were such great examples, and I think they helped motivate the younger kids. This year, it was kind of nice to see kids on that podium and know they were able to be a part of it and not just celebrate it.”

That’s not to say that this year’s performance was without its standouts. Junior Reneazia Collins earned Co-Most Valuable Performer honors after taking home three gold medals. She set a meet record in the 400-meter dash (56.28 seconds), shattering the previous mark of 57.40. She also earned wins in the 200 meters (25.47) and the 100 hurdles (15.52).

Jackson said she was surprised by Collins’ performance since she spent the early part of the season in a walking boot with an injured ankle. Collins returned to action on March 27.

“She had just over a month to get ready for a state meet,” Jackson said. “When you lose three weeks of training, when you come back, it’s not like you’re coming back full steam. She came back and not only did she have impressive times, she proved what a competitor she is.”

Kendall Cox also collected an individual win by leaping 17 feet, 10 inches, more than a foot better than the next-closest competitor. She also took third place in the 100 (12.54) and fourth in the 200 (26.44).

Collins and Cox also were joined by Julice Crowder and Zasha Barrett on the Redhawks’ 4×200 relay team, which won gold in 1 minute, 42.66 seconds. Daya Jordan, Simone Gwehi, Asha Jordan and Crowder teamed to place second in the 4×100 (49.73), while the foursome of Daya Jordan, Shikima Gainey, Gwehi and Barrett  posted a silver effort in the 4×400 (4:12.17).

Asha Jordan added a bronze medal in the shot put (34-6.5), and Akeyra Hailey (16.77) took fourth place in the 100 hurdles. Gainey added a fifth-place finish in the 300 hurdles (48.76). Crowder took sixth place in the 100 (12.95). Barrett was sixth in the 400 (1:00.58), and Bria Roddy was sixth in the discus (97-9).

Monroe’s other state qualifiers included Kiana Staton, Amilya Mitchell, Dazia McLendon, Tyriona Houston and Dasia Funderburk.

While Jackson said Monroe’s 2012 Class 1A title will always hold a special place in her heart, this year’s state championship might say more about the program’s progress.

“The first one for a school, a program overall, that was very special,” said Jackson. “But to do it again, you’re like, ‘OK, we’re here, and we’re believing.’

“It’s been a process. We’re a small school. Union County has grown, so there’s new zoning and it’s hard to get kids out. It’s hard to build your program, so (it was nice) to see these kids buying into it and participating. The seniors were crying at the end of the meet, even though we were celebrating such a happy thing.”

And hopefully, said Jackson, the win will mean more big things for the Redhawks.

“I think the things they learned by being a part of it will far outlast the times they were able to put up (at the meet),” she said. “To do it again, I feel like (this championship) will have a more lasting effect.”