Tassels are turned left, yearbooks are signed, and awards are given as Fresno Christian students and facilities wave a bittersweet goodbye to the 2023-2024 school year. Throughout 177 days of school, a hectic heap of happenings shape the memorable high school experience. From pep rallies to study sessions, Friday night lights to drama performances, The Feather Online captures and archives the conundrum of events. Through the lens of a camera and writing on a page, The Feather journalists have taken on the responsibility to preserve precious memories. With the conclusion of another year, The Feather reminisces on the events and activities of the 2023-2024 school year.
FALL SPORTS
Football
The Eagles football team, coached by Mick Fuller, completed an extraordinary season and went undefeated once again. The three-year streak was kept alive with an accumulation of 35 victories. Senior Logan Stotts, the varsity quarterback, led the team to another CIF Central Section 8-Man Champions title. The championship game was one to remember as the Eagles pulled out a 34-26 win over their rival, the Sierra Chieftains. Due to their season of excellence, next year’s team has been moved to a more advanced division.
Volleyball
The “E-Gals,” as dubbed by head coach Steve Guglielmana, accomplished a remarkable season and secured back-to-back CIF Valley Championship wins. For their title-claiming game, the girls made the trek up to northern California to face off against the Mammoth Huskies. The nail-biting game was taken to five sets, but the Eagles pulled through in the final set, winning 17-15. This victory took the team into sudden death state playoffs. The girls emerged triumphant from the first round with a 3-0 win over Orland but were knocked out in the second round by Kingsburg with a score of 1-3.
Cross Country
Cross Country dashed into their season and made the playoffs after exemplary performances at the League Championship. The boys ran a 5K (3.1 miles) in the race and were represented by Blake Bay, ‘27, who finished 2nd, and Jacob Pimental, ‘25, who finished 10th. The girls team also ran a 5K for the League Championship Race and succeeded with Julia Grey, ‘26 finishing 2nd, Hailey Higton, ‘27, placing 3rd and Meghan Connelly, ‘26 earning 5th. Both teams advanced to the Central Section Championship where Bay would win first for the boys and Grey would take 2nd again for the girls.
Girls Tennis
The girls tennis team served up a strong season led by seniors Izzy Adams, Sophia Adams, Ruby Baker, Rachel Martin, and McKenzie Sue. Led by coaches Robert Foshee and Daniel Jessing, girls tennis went undefeated in their league for the third consecutive year. The year ended on a high note with Rachel Martin, ‘24, and Delaney Meyers, ‘26, winning the Northwest Sequoia Conference Doubles Championship, and Sophia Adams, ‘24, winning in the singles division.
WINTER SPORTS
Boys Basketball
Under the guidance of Athletic Director Jon Penberthy, boys basketball had a strong league season. Team captains Aden Millwee, ‘25, and Noah Coulton, ‘26, led on and off the court, assisting the team in securing the number one seed in the CIF Central Section Division IV playoffs. The team was victorious in the first round but experienced a devastating loss in the second round versus the Golden Valley Bulldogs.
Girls Basketball
The girls basketball season was marked by many changes and trials, including a completely new coaching staff. Head coach Chris Mitchell, a 2002 NYL player of the year at Bullard High School, established a culture of hard work in his inaugural season. The girls’ roster went from 12 to 7 players, headlined by captains Marisol ‘Sol’ Martinez, ‘25, and Sarah Gugliemana, ‘26. The young team had no seniors and looked forward to gaining experience and stepping up to carry on the Eagle legacy. The Eagles made it to CIF Division VI playoffs with their 9-19 record but were knocked out in the first round.
Girls Soccer
Girls soccer, led by head Coach Matt Markarian, kicked off the season strong. The team went undefeated in league season under the leadership of senior captains Miracle Neal, Emma Connolly, and Kegan Brunnemann. The Eagles became league champions in their game against Chowchilla with an 8-0 victory. Unfortunately, they had an unexpected and devastatingly early exit in the first round of playoffs.
Boys Soccer
The boys soccer team had a challenging season, but led by head coach Jacob Bynum, the boys pushed through and obtained a strong spirit of perseverance. Seniors Christopher ‘Boomer’ Mericle and Andres Fierro served as team captains, and the team finished off their season with built-up comradery.
Cheer
From the sidelines of football games to the competition mat at nationals, the FC cheer team participated in a myriad of events throughout their year-long season. The team was guided by coach Hope Villines and senior captains Paige Deffenbacher and Mia Alberta. The Eagles found themselves competing in the swiftly growing Gameday Crowd-Leader Division. Their routine included a band dance, situational sideline cheer, general cheer, fight song and pyramid portion all done in under two minutes and thirty seconds. The Eagles competed in several preliminary competitions to prepare for nationals. The girls journeyed down to the southern California USA qualifiers, which is historically the most difficult location to qualify. With a second-place win, the Eagles secured a place to compete in the West Coast Nationals USA competition. The girls did not make it to the second day of nationals.
Color guard
The color guard program, under Lindsey Clarno, has been growing in recent years and exceeded expectations during their winter guard season. The girls are coached by Vanessa Hinojosa, who led the team to first and third place in the bronze division. After their success, the Eagles were moved to the silver division where they earned a fifth-place ranking.
SPRING SPORTS
Boys Tennis
Tension was high after a successful previous season, but the boys tennis team brought the heat for the 2024 year. The team was backed by Head Coach Robert Foshee and team captains Jacob Pimentel and Bek Jet. After a successful league season, the boys found themselves, once again, in the CIF Central Valley IV championship game. This time they were up against the Rough Riders. The boys fought hard and won two singles and three doubles games, which secured their back-to-back Valley Championship titles.
Baseball
Boys Baseball had a year of growth, and found comradery through the trying season. The Eagles were coached by Noah Heinz and Max Wyatt and led on the field by captains Jake Wyatt, ‘24, and Dylan Fittro, ‘25. The team did well enough in league play to earn a spot in playoffs. However, their season ended fairly quickly after entering playoffs.
Softball
The girls softball program has been progressing over the years led by coaches Marilyn and Eric Greene. On the field, seniors Faith DeGroot and Rachel Martin took leadership and encouraged progression on the team. League season had its ups and downs, but the girls played hard against all of their competitors. The team had an early exit in playoffs but looks forward to the season to come.
Track and Field
Under the guidance of coaches Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young and Shawn Young, the track and field team, a blend of homeschoolers and FC students, became a family. Senior Meilani Gilmore Young stepped up to lead as the captain and encouraged her fellow athletes throughout the season. Standout performances from freshmen Blake Bay and Giada Gilmore Young along with senior Laina Penland helped seal the season.
Boys Volleyball
Senior captains Donovan Gugleilmana, Gabe Johns and Kaleb Marquez led the boys volleyball team through a productive season. Several years ago, head coach Steve Guglielmana joined the FCS staff and revamped the boys volleyball program. The boys went undefeated in league play, securing a league championship. Stand-out players included Tycen Ramirez, ‘26, who was awarded offensive player of the year for their conference, as well as senior Donovan Gugleilmana who was recognized as overall player of the year. The team made it to the semi-finals of the CIF Division II playoffs but was knocked out by San Louis Obispo.
Golf
The Fresno Christian golf team had a progressive season under the guidance of coaches James Garcia and Pete Howell. The team had one senior, Blake Bridges, who has helped construct the program since his freshman year. Freshman Knox Beery excelled, containing the lowest handicap of the team (7.8). Together the team finished fourth in league championships and showed promise for future seasons.
LEADERSHIP EVENTS
Homecoming
The FC community rolled out the red carpet for the 38th Annual Fresno Christian Homecoming, “Lights, Camera, Homecoming.” A week of opening activities packed the week’s itinerary. From dress-up days to princess games, float building to the Royal Battle, anticipation was through the roof for game day. Homecoming night was a success all around as the Eagles defeated Orcutt Academy 42-24. The floats were creative and well thought out. The seniors ‘Cars’ theme float won first place with their spectacular mural of the beloved Radiator Springs. As per tradition, each grade level voted for their royalty and at half-time the official court was announced.
Senior King – Christopher ‘Boomer’ Mericle
Senior Prince – Jacob ‘Jake’ Wyatt
Senior Queen – Gabriella ‘Gabby’ Hutcheson
Senior Princess – Sophia Adams
Junior Princess – Grace Mynderup
Sophomore Princess – Danielle ‘Dani’ Arndt
Freshman Princess – Anna Pascual
Sadies
Students adventured to Magic Mountain for a day of thrills and delight. Couples and groups coordinated their attire with the wacky theme “rhyme without reason.” From construction worker and subway surfer to Chick-fil-A and USA, students got creative in the wordplay of their costumes.
Formal
High school students bask in a “Moonlight Sonata” for the 2024 annual formal, March 22. Student leadership meticulously prepared beforehand at Buena Vista Event Center to ensure a picturesque night filled with fun activities and delicious food. As per tradition, the NOTS competition was held. However, this year each class was assigned to make a music video. They were premiered during the main course and the students got to vote live for awards, with the seniors winning best overall music video. Memorably, the beloved Biology and Anatomy teacher Jacob Cantu won best teacher cameo in the junior class’s music video.
Serve Day
For the 16th annual Serve Day, students partnered with local organizations to give a helping hand to those in need, March 8, 2024. Those involved were spread among eleven locations and found that a couple of hours could truly make a difference. Popular sights include The California Food Bank, local parks, graffiti clean up, The Poverello House, Reading Heart and many more.
Rallies
Leadership wrapped up the fall sports season with a holiday-themed rally to bring together each class and high school students as a whole, Nov. 14, 2023. Freshmen were decked out in Valentines-themed wear, sophomores embraced the spooky season with Halloween costumes, juniors brought a patriotic presence with their 4th of July outfits and Seniors made sure they were cheery and bright with their Christmas wear. The classes competed in the categories of performance, participation, spirit and hype. The seniors pulled out by a long shot and secured the win for the fall rally.
Leadership chose to close off the school year with a summer-themed rally to celebrate the coming solstice. All students dressed in their best (appropriate) warm-weathered fit. The classes were judged in the same categories, but this time the seniors had a run for their money. It was a tight margin but the junior class pulled out the win by .5 of a point more than then the graduating seniors.
SCHOOL LIFE
New teachers
The Fresno Christian staff had a new addition for the school year: Brian Butler joined as the Christian Living and 12th grade English teacher. He was a paint contractor at Hume Lake Christian Camps for 16 years. His family moved to the valley after he and his wife got positions in the local area. Butler has become a beloved part of the FCS community.
CSF
California Scholastic Federation is a statewide non-profit organization that encourages academic achievement for high school students. Academic Counselor Evangelina Escovedo is the advisor of CSF at Fresno Christian and aided the 133 high school members in applying to CSF. With 40 members in their grade, the 2024 the seniors broke the record for most graduating members. Serenity Cortez was the senior class CSF president, and Chloe McDonald served as the Mart-Stuff senior manager. Mart-Stuff, the break-time snack shop run by CSF officers, flourished this year and raised enough funds for the annual banquet and scholarships. Miracle Neal was nominated by her class for the CSF scholarship.
Drama
The theater program prospered this year under the skillful guidance of director Susan Ainley. The team produced two well-rehearsed performances including a winter play and a spring musical. After several months of basic training, the team put their skills up to the test and their rendition of the beloved play “Gift of the Magi.” Seniors Christopher “Boomer” Mericle and Sophia Adams played the lead characters. After winter break, preparation for the spring musical was afoot, and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” started to take shape. Students performed their musical May 2-4.
Choir
The FC vocal program has surpassed expectations under the guidance of Susan Ainley, director of the women’s ensemble and choir. The vocalists prepare all year for their annual trip to Anaheim, CA, where they compete and visit the happiest place on earth: Disneyland. This year the FC choir placed in the top three, and the women’s ensemble earned the highest award – gold first. Standout signs were base singer Noah Tuck, ‘24, tenor Matthew Tacchino, ’26, alto Paige Deffenbacher, ‘24, and soprano Faith DeGroot, ‘26.
Band
The FC band headed by Director Lindsey Clarno engaged in several events. From football games to parades, seasonal concerts to multi-school showcases the band had great opportunities and worked hard to produce good music.
The Feather
The advanced digital media team, known as The Feather, flourished this year, and the students involved truly formed a family. The newspaper was advised by Kori James, alongside writing coach Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young. Together James and Gilmore-Young rallied the team of 28 students: six editors, eight photojournalists, 17 journalists and four video journalists. This year 16 journalists had the opportunity to travel to New York City, NY. There they participated in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring Journalism Conference. The team taught several sessions and at the end of the conference was awarded a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown Award for digital news.
What was your favorite memory from the 2023-24 school year? Leave a comment below.
To read more from The Feather visit, FCS Convocation 2024 or Janet Vander Kooi hangs her hat
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