The boys and girls cross country teams have earned Distinguished Team Academic Awards from the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association for their high GPAs.
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
After a successful season that saw Liv O'Hara '25 and Madeleine Wiseman '27 finish in the top 20 at the state cross country championship and the boys team finish second in the state, University School of Nashville’s cross country teams have received one more recognition.
Both teams were recently awarded the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association's Distinguished Team Academic Award based on their collective GPAs. The boys team earned the award with a collective GPA of 3.74, while the girls team received the honor with a 3.85 GPA.
“I’m proud of the student-athletes,” said Cross Country Coach George Flatau. “They compete at a high level athletically but also excel in the classroom and in our community. Their ability to balance these responsibilities speaks volumes about their determination and capabilities.”
The school will receive a certificate recognizing the team, and each team member will also receive an individual certificate.
Middle and High School Art Teacher Emily Holt will be honored with the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools’ Hubert Smothers Excellence in Teaching Award on Monday, November 9 in Memphis.
Third graders visited Mound Bottom State Archaeological Area for an immersive history lesson and guided site tour that will set the stage for this year's studies in Tennessee history and Native American history.
Middle School and High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang has been involved with USN as a volunteer, a parent, and a teacher. Now in her 20th year as a faculty member, Huang's innovative lessons and belief in relationships continue to instill in students a lifelong love of learning.
With trail names like Megawatt, Electric Avenue, High Voltage and Livewire, the mountain bike team knew it was time to pedal out some extra watts for their NICA/TICL State Championships at Raccoon Mountain, and survive the technical trails above Chattanooga full of boulder gardens, rock drops and sandy rubble.
Winged Deer Park and trails in Johnson City hosted our 4th race on Sunday October 11th, and despite a bit of hurricane outwash winds and showers - and reduced team numbers due to fall break and distance from Nashville - our racers utilized all available skills and speed which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season.
Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.