photo by: Emma Delk

John Marshall High School girls swim team coach Timmi Snyder highlights her team's accomplishments at the OVAC Swimming Class 5A Championship during Tuesday's board meeting. Also pictured, board members Duane Miller and Lori Kestner.

The Marshall County Board of Education meeting had to be moved from its usual location at the board office to the John Marshall High School Commons to fit the crowd of students and parents gathered to hear the results of the Math Day competition.

Each winner from grades 4 through 12 received a certificate and medal as well as a handshake from board members during Tuesday’s ceremony.

Superintendent Shelby Haines joked this year’s competition held on Monday may have been the “most rescheduled Math Day in all of West Virginia history” due to the recent snow days in the county resulting in the competition being rescheduled multiple times.

Haines thanked Assistant Superintendent Karen Klamut for her efforts in coordinating the competition despite the snow day delays and for making the competition “a special day for the kids.”

Haines also thanked Wheeling University President Dianna Vargo for her flexibility in holding the competition at the school despite the rescheduling.

“Dianna and her team really didn’t flinch when we said, ‘Oh, by the way, we’re going to try to hold it tomorrow,'” Haines said. “It’s a lot to have all those guests on your campus and they really do treat these guys like kings and queens.”

The winning students recognized during the meeting included:

Fourth Graders: Ryker Mueller, first place, Central Elementary School; Dallas Hubbard, second place, Hilltop Elementary; Grayson Cunningham, third place, Central Elementary; Autumn McMillan, fourth place, Glen Dale Elementary.

Fifth Graders: Emmitt Thayer, first place, Cameron Elementary; Trevor Richards, second place, Cameron Elementary; Tatum Brown, third place, Hilltop Elementary; Ansley Wallace, fourth place, Hilltop Elementary.

Sixth Graders: Tobin McGuire, first place, Moundsville Middle School; Gunner King, second place, Sherrard Middle; Abram Wolfe, third place, Sherrard Middle; Landis Dean, fourth place, Sherrard Middle.

Seventh Graders: Liberty Cuffaro, first place, Moundsville Middle; Gavin Pickett, second place, Sherrard Middle; Garrett Wolfe, third place, Moundsville Middle; Nathan Weaver, fourth place, Our Lady of Peace.

Eighth Graders: Griffin Sturgill, first place, Sherrard Middle; Kingsley Zheng, second place, Moundsville Middle; Landon Potts, third place, Sherrard Middle; Hayden Harvey, fourth place, Sherrard Middle.

Ninth Graders: Tye Mason, first place, Cameron High School; Emma King, second place, John Marshall; Chloe Pitckett, third place, John Marshall; Owen Geho, fourth place, Cameron.

And the Top 10 winners in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades at JMHS were: Gabe Collins, first place; Tori Finley, second place; Maverick LeMasters, third place; Samuel Hanning-Keyser, fourth place; Kaylee White, fifth place; Sophia Cunningham, sixth place; Sarah McBee, seventh place; Megan Schwing, eighth place; Brodie Baker, ninth place; and Owen Anderson-Magers, 10th place.

Math Day finishers were not the only group recognized during Tuesday’s board meeting, as the John Marshall High School girls swim team was honored for taking home the OVAC Swimming Class 5A Championship. Coach Timmi Snyder was recognized for being named the 2024-25 girls 5A Swimming Coach of the Year and team member Maitlyn Miller was recognized for being named the female swimmer of the year.

Central Elementary School fifth grade teacher Nicole Hess and John Marshall High School Special Education teacher Holly Stillion were also honored for receiving their National Board Certification. WVDE Office of Educator Preparation Coordinator Dr. Bridget Phillips was present at the meeting to give them a certificate for the certification and share the significance of the achievement.

“Teachers work between 200 and 400 hours to receive the certification,” Stillion noted. “In West Virginia, there are only about 1,218 teachers who have become national board certified, so these two teachers worked hard and their families supported them, so it’s just an amazing accomplishment.”