MUS Wins State Football Championship

The undefeated Owls team took on Brentwood Academy and won the TSSAA 2AA state championship with a 38-18 win on Tuesday, Nov. 25. This is the first team since 1967 to complete an undefeated season. Congratulations to Coach Alston, his coaching staff, and the 2008 Owls football team!

Varsity Basketball Friday and Saturday

The varsity basketball team plays twice this week on campus in the Ross Lynn Arena. The Owls take on Pope John Paul II High School this Friday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, December 6, the Owls play against Father Ryan High School at 1:30 p.m.

Holiday Shopping in the Schaeffer Bookstore

Just in time for the holidays, the Schaeffer Bookstore has new state championship items, including magnetic bumper stickers, hats, and tee-shirts. Looking for stocking stuffers?

Can’t decide what to get? The bookstore is now selling gift cards, available in $10 increments.

The Schaeffer Bookstore’s holiday hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through December 11 and from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on December 18. The bookstore is located in the Campus Center across from the Dining Hall.

Seventy-eight MUS students attended the 28th Annual Tennessee YMCA Model United Nations conference in Franklin, TN, November 7-9. Going into the conference, MUS students held 50 percent of the key leadership roles, more than any other school in Tennessee. When the results of the 2009 elections were announced, once again, MUS students comprised 50 percent of the leaders.

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Five students and one alumnus will compete in fencing in the Junior Olympics in Albuquerque, NM, February 13-16.

During the qualifying rounds at Middle Tennessee State University on November 15, juniors Ben Smith, Michael Lewandowski, and Ian Turner took first, second, and third places respectively in the under 20 junior saber class. Turner also qualified to compete in the under 17 cadet saber class. Sophomore Chase Schoelkopf won first place in the under 17 cadet epee class, and senior Colin McDonald tied for third place with Skip Aymett ’08 in the under 20 junior epee class. Congratulations to all six athletes!

The five current students heading to the Junior Olympics

Seniors Rahul Kumar and Harrison Rea and juniors Colin Thomas and Josh Feler won second-place in the 29th Annual High School Science Bowl competition at UT Martin on November 15. Sophomores Anand Patel, Aditya Malhotra, and Howard Choi and freshmen Joe Hoffsommer, Nicholas Rouse, and Mark Sorenson also competed.

Seniors Robert Duffley, Rahul Kumar, Brandon Parrish, and Harrison Rea won their Knowledge Bowl match on Monday, November 17. The score was 310 to 140 against Immaculate Conception.

WREG-TV News Channel 3 Meteorologist Jim Jaggers moderated the event and called the MUS team “a machine.” The match airs December 13 on WREG at 9:00 a.m. In addition to the team members, juniors Jon Kastan and Will Taylor, team alternates, will also appear on the televised show.

The Knowledge Bowl Team at the WREG taping.

Second quarter progress report grades are available online. Click here to log into NetMUS. If you have questions about NetMUS, please e-mail Laurie Clark.

Junior Barry Brunetti is a finalist for the TSSAA’s Mr. Football awards for the Division II-AA back of the year. As the starting quarterback for the Owls, Brunetti has helped lead MUS to an impressive 11-0 record going into Friday’s semifinal game against MBA. The awards, sponsored by the Tennessee Titans, will be presented December 1.

The Civic Service Organization’s annual canned food drive brought in 5,579 cans to benefit the Mid-South Food Bank. Mr. Stacy’s and Mr. Large’s homerooms and freshman Fowler Gregersen brought in the most cans.

CSO members before loading cans for delivery to the Mid-South Food Bank.

The first semester exam schedule has been updated and is available here. Seventh-grade parents need to take note of the change in dates if your son is in the Bible class this semester.

The varsity cross country team ended their season with a strong finish at the Division II AA State Championship meet in Nashville on November 1. The MUS team placed ninth overall, with senior Matt Grisham placing fifth overall individually. Rounding out the top seven were freshmen Johnny Schuetz and John Oates, sophomore Shea Gabrielleschi, junior Bobby Bell, and seniors John Riggins and Thomas Ivy. Congratulations to Coach Joe Tyler and his runners.

Members of the varsity cross country team at the state meet.

Congratulations to senior Michael Edwards, the third general scholarship winner from MUS in the First Tennessee Academic All-Stars competition.

Edwards is ranked by the Tennessee Math Teacher’s Association as one of the top ten students in the city, and he is a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Michael is the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and co-president of Mu Alpha Theta. He competes on the Science and Knowledge Bowl Teams and is the associate editor of the yearbook. He has been involved with the school’s Civic Service Organization since his freshman year. He also is a defensive lineman on the Owls football team. Edwards serves the school as a peer tutor, the Student Council chaplain, a student mentor, a Heartbeat leader, and a student ambassador.

The varsity swim team won their first regular season match at St. George’s on October 30, 2008, beating St. George’s, Evangelical Christian School, Bartlett, Germantown, and Briarcrest. First-place finishers for MUS were junior Alexander Kaltenborn in the 500 free, senior Johnny Dillon in the 100 free, and sophomore Tony Bui in the 100 breast. Congratulations to the swim team on their success!

Johnny Dillon swims the 100 free.

Congratulations to the varsity swim team for their big win over CBHS on October 23. At the halfway point, both teams were tied at 32 points, but, in the end, MUS won with a final score of 73-57. The next swim meet is Thursday, October 30, at St. George's at 7:00 p.m. against Briarcrest, St. George's, Bartlett High, Evangelical Christian School, and Germantown High.

Freshmen Mark Sorensen, Carson House, and Nicholas Rouse won first place in the Math Bowl in the small school division on Tuesday, October 14 at the Pro2Serve Math Contest. All MUS teams performed well in the competition. Team A consisted of seniors Michael Edwards, Rahul Kumar, and Amro Amro and Team B consisted of senior Robert Vestal and sophomores Mason Soun and Constantine Cui. Team C was the winning freshman team.

In the Fermat I, a test with 25 multiple-choice questions, Sorensen, House, Amro, and Kumar scored well enough to advance to the Fermat II, a test with eight proof-type questions. Sorensen led the way on the Fermat I, finishing sixth overall out of approximately 500 students. The contest was hosted by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

MUS eighth-grader Zach Olsen is the new state golf champion, beating a senior Baylor golfer, Ryan Thornton, in a sudden death playoff. Olsen won on the third playoff hole with a final two-day score of 138 at the Old Fort Golf Course in Murfreesboro. He is the youngest boy to ever win a Tennessee high school golf championship.

Congratulations, Zach and the entire golf team: seniors Mark Beanblossom, Jordan Brown, Drew Frisby, and Wilson Orr; junior Holman Moores; sophomores Clifton Jordan and Jerry B. Martin; and freshmen Max Barousse and Daniel McLeod.

Zach Olsen

For the next two weeks, the Civic Service Organization is holding its annual canned food drive benefiting the Memphis Food Bank. From October 13 to October 29, please bring canned foods to your homeroom. The homeroom that collects the most cans gets breakfast from Chick-fil-A.

The CSO is presenting individual gift cards to the three students who bring in the most cans. The student who donates the most cans will receive a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. The students who donate the second and the third most cans will receive a $30 gift card and a $20 gift card, respectively. For questions, contact CSO Chairman Drew Cornaghie.

Senior Robert Duffley is the weekly winner from MUS in the foreign language category in the First Tennessee Academic All-Stars Competition. Some of Duffley’s achievements in Latin include winning four gold medals on the National Latin Exam, which earned him a Book Award, and his first-place win in dramatic interpretation at a national convention.

Duffley is a member of the National Honor Society, the Quill and Scroll Society, and the Cum Laude Society. He recently was named a National Merit semifinalist. He is a member of the Latin Club, captain of the Knowledge Masters and Quiz Bowl teams, vice president of the Government Club, and co-captain of the Fencing Team.

On Sunday, October 12, Duffley was pictured in a quarter-page ad in the Commercial Appeal highlighting his foreign language accomplishments. He will receive a $250 First Tennessee savings account. Duffley will join fellow seniors Rahul Kumar and Robert Vestal at the All-Star Awards luncheon on April 29, 2009. During the awards luncheon, the finalists will be announced in ten academic disciplines. These ten winners will receive an additional $500 in their savings accounts. The First Tennessee Academic All-Stars program is designed to identify and recognize high school students in the Memphis area for excellence in academics, leadership, and community service.

The Commercial Appeal recognized junior Barry Brunetti and eighth-grader Zach Olsen as “Athletes of the Week” in the October 7, 2008, sports section.

Brunetti, quarterback for the undefeated Owls, was named “Football Player of the Week.” He accounted for five touchdowns in the October 3 game against the previously undefeated Cookeville Cavaliers. He threw three touchdown passes of 39, 48, and 61 yards, and rushed for two touchdowns in the first half of the game, leading MUS to a 42-0 win.

Olsen was recognized as the “Non-Football Player of the Week” for his stellar performance in golf. Olsen won the Division II West Regional Championship last Thursday, shooting two under par for a score of 68. Olsen and his fellow teammates will compete in the Division II state tournament in Murfreesboro on October 14 and 15.

Memphis tennis legend Phil Chamberlain is the new director of the Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center at Memphis University School and Hutchison School.

“Phil Chamberlain is a giant in Memphis tennis, and he’s well-known and respected across the United States. What a remarkable addition to our already excellent tennis program! I am elated: he’s the best — unquestionably,” said MUS Headmaster Ellis Haguewood.

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“Opening Doors to the Community” was the theme for the Civic Service Organization’s annual charity week. Students donated money all week, raising $640 for the Go, Jim, Go Bikeathon for Le Bonheur. Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. spoke in Chapel on Friday just before the CSO Carnival. Admission price to the carnival required new school supplies which were donated to FirstWorks, Inc.

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Each year, Memphis University School hires the best and brightest educators to continue its tradition of exceptional teaching, and this year is no different. For the upcoming 2008-09 school year, MUS welcomes six new distinguished faculty members. Their addition brings the total number of MUS teachers with master’s degrees to 50, the total number with doctorates to eight, and the average teaching experience to 23 years.

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Murphy, who teaches Accelerated Algebra I and Advanced Placement Calculus AB, said of receiving the chair, “I am very honored. It’s very important that I be a good role model for the boys.”

Murphy’s role will ultimately promote the mission of MUS, which is to develop well-rounded young men of strong moral character in keeping with the school’s Christian tradition.

 “I am pleased that Loyal Murphy will hold the Crosby Chair. Our students know, as do his faculty colleagues, that he is a good man, a man of utmost integrity, who acts justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with his God,” said MUS Headmaster Ellis Haguewood.

July 7, 2008—The Commercial Appeal visited campus recently and presented Mr. Haguewood with a certificate for winning "Most Principled Principal" in the paper's recent Memphis Most contest. MUS also won 2nd place for Most Highly-Praised High School and Most Merit-Worthy Middle School. Here are the top three winners in these categories:

Most Principled Principal: 1st place to Mr. Haguewood, MUS; 2nd to Lee Burns, PDS; 3rd to John Aikens, Houston High

Most Highly-Praised High School: 1st place to White Station; 2nd to MUS; 3rd to St. Mary’s

Most Merit-Worthy Middle School: 1st place to White Station Middle; 2nd to MUS ; 3rd to St. Mary’s

The Commercial Appeal will print all of the results in August.

June 9, 2008—The Commercial Appeal honors local athletes and coaches annually through its Best of the Preps program, and several members of the MUS Athletic Department were recognized by the newspaper for their accomplishments during the 2007-08 school year. Recent graduate Watson George was named the champion in the boys tennis category. George led the Owls to the West Region team title and a second-place team finish at state this season, and he will be continuing his tennis career at Furman University in the fall. Bill Taylor, instructor in science and head tennis coach, was named tennis coach of the year, and Bobby Alston, athletic director and head football and track and field coach, was named track and field coach of the year.

May 27, 2008—Coach Johnny Beard has been named the Owls’ new head baseball coach. Beard, who has spent more than 35 years coaching baseball in the Memphis area, has been assistant coach for the Owls for four seasons and served as acting head coach this past season. During his coaching career, his teams have won five amateur national championships, and he has coached players who have gone on to play professionally for teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Beard is also the supervisor of athletic fields for MUS. Prior to coming to MUS, he worked for Memphis Light, Gas, and Water and owned his own landscaping business.

May 27, 2008—MUS will hold physical exams for rising sophomore, junior, and senior athletes on June 2. New TSSAA regulations call for rising 9th grade athletes to have their physicals conducted by their primary care physicians. All athletes must have physical forms filled out before they can participate in any sport during the 2008-09 school year. For information including time slots and attire, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact David Ferebee at 260-1378.

May 12, 2008—The MUS lacrosse team captured its seventh state title over the weekend with a 12-6 win over McCallie in the championship game in Nashville. Franklin Martin, Barry Hillyer, and Kent Francis each scored three goals, and Martin was named the Offensive MVP. Scott McClintock was named the Defensive MVP. The win capped off a stellar season for the Owls, who were led by a talented and dedicated group of 11 seniors. The leadership of seniors Austin Alexander, Ben Arnold, Hudson Atkins, Sayle Atkinson, Kent Francis, Connell Hall, Kyle Lucas, Kirk Malmo, Scott McClintock, Patrick Stewart, and Luke Wynn kept the team motivated and focused throughout the season.

Several MUS students were recognized for their contributions to the team's success during the season. Sayle Atkinson, Johnny Carson, Barry Hillyer, Kyle Lucas, Patrick Stewart, and Will Stokes were named to the All-State 1st Team. Connell Hall, Ben Khouri, and John Rutledge were named to the All-State 2nd Team. Barry Hillyer and Patrick Stewart were named All-Americans.

Congratulations to the coaches, players, and fans on a tremendous season!

April 22, 2008—MUS works to ensure that our student-athletes have the best—and the safest—facilities in the area, and our artificial turf field is no exception. If you saw the recent news reports questioning the amount of lead present in artificial turf fields, we want you to know that MUS’s Hull-Dobbs Field has turf from FieldTurf, which uses polyethelene fibers rather than the nylon fibers currently under investigation. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services rushed to test FieldTurf fields as soon as word of the potential issue broke and found "very low or undetectable levels of lead" in the fibers used by FieldTurf.

For more information concerning FieldTurf’s safety certification, please click here.

April 14, 2008—Over the weekend, the MUS Latin Club traveled to Clarksville, TN for the Tennessee Junior Classical League (TJCL) Latin Convention. The competition pitted MUS students against Latin scholars from across the state in areas such as academics, athletics, and fine arts. Forty-nine MUS students won ribbons over the course of the weekend, resulting in MUS bringing home the 1st place Academics trophy from the convention as well as the 1st place overall Sweepstakes Trophy. Their 955 point total was almost double the amount of points earned by the 2nd place finisher. Congratulations to the MUS Latin program on another fantastic performance on the state level.

March 3, 2008—The Upper School Chess Team won the regional tournament on Saturday held at John P. Freeman Optional School. The team of Forrest Baty, Evan Mah, Nathan Vogt, and Parker Wilson beat chess players from four others schools to capture first place and advance to the state chess tournament in Cookeville, TN on March 31. The Lower School Chess Team will be joining them at the state tournament after coming in second in the Middle School division on Saturday. Team members are Pete Abston, Corey Clay, Ashish Nathani, Amit Shah, and Matt Ward. Both teams are coached by junior Evan Mah.

February 29, 2008—The MUS Mock Trial team bested teams from more than 20 local schools to capture the district championship of the 2008 Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition. The team, consisting of Austin Beckford, Robert Duffley, Hunter Edens, John Fenton, Alexander Fones, Stephen Maroda, Wesley Shannon, Michael Stein, and Peter Travis, beat St. Mary’s Episcopal School in the final round of the contest. The judges named Michael Stein best attorney and Alexander Fones was Best Witness for Team U.

Designed to provide students with a realistic, firsthand perspective of the legal process, the Mock Trial Competition is a project of the Tennessee Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, and it has grown from two districts in 1980 to all major metropolitan areas and several rural areas within the state.

The MUS Mock Trial team will head to Nashville during spring break to compete against the top teams in the state for a chance to advance to the national competition.

February 28, 2008—

At its meeting in February, the Board of Trustees formally approved new leadership.  Bob Loeb ’73 is now chairman of our board and Steve Morrow ’71 vice-chairman.  Dick Fisher ’72 and Tom Hutton ’61 were reelected as treasurer and secretary.  Three new members – Joe Morrison ’78, Owen Tabor ’85, and Gary Wunderlich ’88 – were appointed to the board, ushering in a new generation of leadership at MUS. At the same time, the board thanked and recognized three trustees–Susan Faber, Jim Varner ’73, and Kent Wunderlich ’66 – who are retiring from the board after 52 years of collective service, trustees who love this school and have served unselfishly. They will become members of the Honorary Board.