Friday, November 18, 2022

Kanode Signs with Manhattan Christian College


 

Exeter-Milligan’s four year varsity started Jozie Kanode chose to sign on the dotted line with Manhattan Christian College in Manhattan, Kansas on Wednesday, November 9.  Joining her at the table were her parents and coaches along with MCC Athletic Director and Head Volleyball Coach Lauren Sanders.  In the front row from the left were Lisa Kanode, Sanders, Jozie Kanode and Darth Kanode.  Behind are Exeter-Milligan volleyball coaches Taylor Erdkamp (left) and Madalynn Fousek (right).

When a college volleyball coach travels almost 150 miles for a 15 minute signing event, you know she wants a player. 

Director of Athletics and Head Volleyball Coach Lauren Sanders drove from Manhattan Christian College, in Manhattan, Kansas to officially welcome Exeter-Milligan’s Jozie Kanode to the Storm family.

Kanode, along with her parents, Darth and Lisa, her volleyball and basketball coaches, lots of friends and family, gathered in the Exeter-Milligan gym to witness the signing.

Kanode plans to attend the small private college in Manhattan where they offer a dual credit program with Kansas State University.  She hopes to double major in Bible (from MCC) and elementary education (from KSU).

She first heard about the volleyball program and the college when she went to church camp last summer and earned a scholarship from the school.  She found out that their volleyball program had been successful in the NCCAA Division 2 arena and decided to investigate the possibilities further.

She had been set on attending a state college in Nebraska and not planning to participate in college sports but was swayed when she attended a summer volleyball camp at MCC and met Sanders who immediately offered her a spot on the team, “She said my fundamentals were good and she wanted me for her roster.”

One of the most appealing parts of the college for Kanode was its size.  The college has less than 200 in person students although its proximity and academic relationship with KSU makes it perfect for her.  “It definitely feels like the whole situation is God’s plan.  I was dead set on Wayne State and wouldn’t even look at other colleges and then I got the scholarship at camp.”

She noted the influence that Exeter-Milligan volleyball coach Madalynn Fousek, along with her mom and coach Taylor Erdkamp have had on her game to get her to the position that she can play in college. “Fousek definitely pushes me.  Having my Mom as a coach has been great.  I think I have gotten really lucky.”

“I don’t think I would have grown as much without their influence.  I am excited and ready to go.”

Fousek is going to have a hard time letting her go.  She noted Kanode’s outstanding work ethic beginning her freshman year when she started and improved every season.  “I have enjoyed seeing how much fun she has on and off the court.  She loves the game.  She has had a positive attitude and demeanor and has adapted well to changes when we have asked.  We will miss her leadership as well.”

Kanode broke the Exeter-Milligan record for digs this year with a career 1045 total. She also added 139 ace serves to the mix with 47 of those launched this season. This year she switched from libero to anchoring the back row of the team and then moved to setter mid-season. She has been a 5’2 powerhouse for the Timberwolves even notching 78 kills for Exeter-Milligan.

She has also enjoyed off season volleyball, playing on club teams and even a travelling team that played a tournament in Hawaii the summer of 2021

MCC Coach Sanders is looking forward to having Kanode on the team. She first spotted her at the summer volleyball camp and was “immediately drawn to her presence on the court.  She is a very good defensive player, knows and reads the game well. We also loved her joy and energy on the court!” 

Sanders plans to use Kanode as a defensive specialist. “We currently only have one DS on the squad so we were looking to add another DS to take pressure off our middles from playing back row. Jozie will fit right into our team and will instantly make our defense stronger. Her strengths are her knowledge of the game, her fundamentals and a don't quit attitude! “

MCC hopes to see her compete right away for a position.  This year’s team is small but mighty with just nine players.  They just won the regional tournament and expect to be seeded high in the national tournament. This year’s Timberwolf team consisted of just nine players so Kanode should feel right at home. 

 

 

 

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Throwback Thursday 11/11/12

 

Exeter-Milligan Volleyball Team members were recently recognized on the Crossroads Conference All Conference Team:

Taylor Erdkamp
Jackie Luzum
Jennifer Pribyl

Honorable Mention went to:
Megan Zwickl
Erica Yound

Congratulations to these team members and to all the girls and coaches for their State Championship!!!

 

Second graders at Exeter-Milligan Elementary School have some new "buddies." Each of the Grade 2 students have partnered with a preschool student attending the afternoon session of preschool, located in the elementary wing at the Exeter site. The second grader reads a story selected from his/her reading group. After the story is read, the two children talk about their favorite characters or their favorite part of the story.
Reading Buddies has great benefits. The second grade student practices skills learned in reading and builds confidence by reading a story in which he/she is familiar. The preschool buddy is developing listening skills and increasing his/her vocabulary and language skills. Both buddies gain a friend and learn that reading is fun!

 

Veterans from surrounding areas were honored at the Exeter-Milligan gymnasium on Monday morning.

Just prior to the program, veterans and their spouses were invited to each rolls and coffee in the school cafeteria.

The crowd was welcomed by senior Megan Zwickl before the Pack 218 Cub Scouts Tiger Den presented the colors and led the crowd in the flag ceremony.

The Exeter-Milligan Senior High Choir did a beautiful job singing Star Spangled Banner before the Exeter-Milligan High School Band played America’s Finest.

During the band performance, veterans in the crowd were asked to stand as their branch of service song was played.  The crowd applauded their service.

Tim Wilbeck, a member of the Exeter American Legion and a veteran himself, gave the speech.

Wilbeck reminded the crowd that Veteran’s Day is to honor those who have served in our country.

 

Caitlin Murphy, a fifth grader at Exeter-Milligan Elementary, participated in the Sing Around Nebraska Honor Choir on November 2-3.  The group rehearsed on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and performed a 7 pm concert at the Lied Center on November 3.  Directing the honor choir this year was Anne Tomlinson, Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Children's Chorus.

 

For the first time in school history the Exeter-Milligan Timberwolves are headed to Memorial Stadium to play for the State D-1 Championship.  The Timberwolves clenched their berth into the final playoff game on Monday night when they traveled to Bruning to meet the 9-1 Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Eagles.
The Eagles had done Exeter-Milligan a favor defeating Howells-Dodge last Tuesday but the Eagles obviously had the manpower to get the job done.

And now, the Timberwolves will meet Elgin - Pope John on Monday, November 19th at 2:45 at Memorial Stadium.  Elgin-Pope John was seeded #3 in the tournament and also enter the match-up with the Timberwolves undefeated.

 

Exeter-Milligan School Board members elected were all incumbents:

Annette Gloystein
Tim Pribyl
Jim Zeleny

Exeter Village Board members elected were all incumbents and ran unopposed:

Alan Michl
Mitch Schlegelmilch
Kathy Erdkamp

 

Jordyn Brandt, a sophomore at Exeter-Milligan High School, participated in Concordia Musical Arts Day on Friday, October 26.  She was selected through a recorded audition.

Science News by Matt Nicholas, Exeter-Milligan Science teacher

 

The Freshman Class has been working on the basics of motion and forces in Physical Science. We recently performed a lab with objects that are usually nuisance items in a classroom, but we found a way to use them for learning. The class spent a whole period making paper airplanes! We made airplanes with paper of all sizes and thicknesses. We talked about some of the basics of flight such as lift and drag, but this experiment was just to get our creative juices flowing and see who could build the best plane. The students timed the flights and measured distance to calculate speed. We compared scores and crowned the winners of: Longest Flight by length and by time, and also the slowest speed. We also used this experience to introduce the idea of air resistance, which opposes all motion though the atmosphere. So if you are in need of an experienced and inexpensive pilot, just get ahold of a local freshman and they will help you with all of your paper aviation needs.

 

Students participating were Jack Dinneen, Brayden Olsen, Ellliot Erdkamp, Kirby Soukup, Spencer Papik, Marissa Howard, Alexis Trauger, Brianna Beatham, Johnathon Mounce, Sam Zeleny and Hunter Worrell.

 

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Exeter-Milligan Veteran's Day Program

 

 

Veterans were invited to a breakfast prepared by the kitchen staff and hosted by the National Honor Society members.

The Exeter-Milligan school community honored their veterans in the Exeter site gym on Friday, November 11. 

The morning’s activities began with veterans and their wives invited to a brunch in the Exeter cafeteria hosted by National Honor Society members.

The veterans walked by a wall of artwork thanking them for their service on their way to the gym and then were encouraged to each take an envelope which contained a thank you note written by the kindergarten class.

The audience was welcomed to the program by Marcus Krupicka and the pledge of allegiance was led by Olivea Swanson.  The Exeter-Milligan junior and senior high band together performed “Sweet Land of Liberty and “America the Beautiful.”

Exeter-Milligan guidance counselor Denice Kovanda introduced the special guest speaker, Brandie Conway, an  Army Staff Sargent who spent 17 years in the service is now a dispatcher in the Fillmore County Sherriff’s office.

Conway shared a little about her service with the audience and then talked about the challenges that women in the service have faced, including some who served in the Revolutionary War and Civil War disguised as men so they could fight for their country.

She gave several significant dates in the changes for women who wanted to serve.  It was 1917 before women were allowed to enlist and 2013 before the ban on serving in combat was lifted.

She noted that 300,000 women served in the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.  She added that “The war on terror helped us understand how unique our lives in America are.”

She encouraged the audience to preserve what was fought for by “putting their freedoms in action by voting and speaking out against injustices.  Teach your children what it means to be an American.”

She also reminded those present to “Thank a veteran today, but do it again tomorrow.”

She closed by reiterating the struggle for women in the military stating, “We have paved a long road and there is no end in sight to our road.”

The Exeter-Milligan junior and senior high choir performed “We Remember” and “God Bless America” before the band recognized each branch of the service with “America’s Finest (A Musical Tribute to the Armed Forces).”

Morgan White closed the program thanking the veterans for their service and those who attended.

 

 The Exeter-Milligan Junior/Senior High choir performed at the Exeter-Milligan Veteran’s Day program.
Morgan White closes the Veteran’s Day program at Exeter-Milligan.
The Exeter-Milligan band plays under the direction of Mr. Mark Perez at the Veteran’s Day program.
Marine Corp veteran Anthony Due stand when “The Marine’s Hymn” is played by the Exeter-Milligan band at the Veteran’s Day program.
Air Force veteran George Weamire stands when “Wild Blue Yonder” is played by the Exeter-Milligan band.
Army veteran and Fillmore County dispatcher Brandie Conway was the speaker at the Exeter Veteran’s Day program.
Senior class member Olivea Swanson leads the audience in the pledge of allegiance at the Veteran’s Day program.
Senior class member Marcus Krupicka welcomes the audience to the Veteran’s Day program.

 

Exeter-Milligan senior Jozie Kanode serves coffee to Air Force veteran George Weamire while Robert Rhodes watches.