The Harry Hammond Scholarship is an award given to the top three boys and girls in the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour. This year’s first place Harry Hammond Scholarship Award winner is Michael Liu ’26. The scholarship is given in honor of Harry Hammond, a Master Professional and the Director of Golf at Penn Oaks Golf Club. To be eligible, the student athletes had to not only participate in the Harry Hammond Invitational tournament, they also needed to submit an essay.
On Thursday, November 21, Archmere held a student-faculty Blood Drive to benefit the Blood Bank of Delmarva. The Blood Bank of Delmarva serves the community by meeting the needs of patients, hospitals, and members for safe, high quality blood products and related services.
Archmere junior Valentina Ramos has been named the first "Delaware Student of the Week" by an online poll. Similar to the long-running "athlete-of-the-week" feature that honors athletic achievement alongside reader voting, Delaware Online/The News Journal is honoring a "Delaware Student of the Week" across high schools. The award highlights academic work, extracurricular activities, volunteerism, and perseverance -important qualities that make up the lives of young scholars.
The Helena Raskob Arts Institute presented a general Student Recital on November 1, 2024. Participants in the HRAI include pianists, singers, string players, and harpists who study music with private teachers. New to the Institute this year are Jessica Li '28, piano; Alice Trainer '27, soprano; Tsion Mideska '26, Piano; and Kevin Gu '28, violin. Also featured were two of the Middle School Talent Expo award winners, Sophia Ma and Ethan Xie. The program was a wonderful tribute to Archmere students who excel in the study of music. The audience enjoyed the outstanding performance in the Patio and the reception on a very pleasant Friday evening.
Not many high schools can claim to have a building listed in the National Historic Registry. Archmere Academy actually has two: the Patio mansion and the Manor, home to Archmere Academy’s nationally-recognized Art & Design program, both listed on the National Register in 1992. This year, Mrs. Silverman’s Junior Portfolio 2D Design and Painting students created paintings and drawings of both the Patio exterior and interior from direct observation.
Danielle Higbee, senior at Archmere Academy, signed her National Letter of Intent to join Augusta University’s Golf Team on November 14, 2024. Located in Augusta, Georgia, Augusta University competes in high profile tournaments in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level.
Congratulations to the five Archmere senior athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent on November 14, 2024. The NLI is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I or II colleges and universities in the United States.
Bella Romesburg, senior at Archmere Academy, made history on Thursday, November 14, when she was the first Archmere student or graduate to sign a letter of intent to pursue collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling. Bella will be a member of the Division 1 Presbyterian College Acrobatics and Tumbling team next fall. Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college located in Clinton, South Carolina.
Lyla Bell, senior at Archmere Academy, signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and soccer career at Florida Gulf Coast University on November 14, 2024. Florida Gulf Coast University is a Division 1 athletic program located in Fort Meyers, FL.
Archmere senior Marina Mahon signed her National Letter of Intent to join Quinnipiac University’s Soccer Team on November 14, 2024. Quinnipiac University is a Division 1 athletic program located in Hamden, CT.
Maura Read, senior at Archmere Academy, signed her National Letter of Intent to join American University’s Field Hockey Team on November 14, 2024. American University is a Division 1 athletic program located in Washington, DC. A multi-sport athlete, Maura has also been a varsity lacrosse player since 10th grade.
With an impressive record and Quarterfinal run in the DIAA State Tournament playoffs, the Archmere volleyball team had five players earn Diamond State All-Conference awards.
With a 12-5 season and Quarterfinal playoff appearance behind them, nine members of the Archmere field hockey team have been named to the Diamond State All-Conference team. In addition, Maura Read '25 earned First Team All-State and Bernadette Patino '28 earned Second Team All-State recognition. Congratulations to the entire team and coaching staff on a successful run!
Congratulations to all of our football athletes who were named to the All-District team for football. All-State information is forthcoming. Archmere football has earned the #4 seed, and will take on #5 Woodbridge High School at home on Coaches' Field on Saturday, November 16th at 1:00pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance at: https://gofan.co/app/school/DIAA
Our cross country runners closed out the regular season at Killen Pond competing in the DIAA Cross Country State Championships last weekend. The girls finished 3rd overall and the boys finished 6th.
On the road on November 9th, Archmere closed out the regular football season on a positive note, shutting down a potential game-winning drive in the final minute to defeat Wilmington Friends 20-14. The Auks won for the eighth time and prepare for DIAA state tournament play next weekend. The team, boasting an 8-2 regular season record, earned the #4 seed and will match up against #5 Woodbridge at home on Saturday at 1:00pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance at https://gofan.co/app/school/DIAA.
At the New Castle County Cross Country Championships last weekend, the varsity girls team finished 5th, while the varsity boys finished 7th. The JV teams also had a great team effort as the girls finished 4th and the boys 5th. The meet, held at Winterthur Estate, hosted 25 teams from the New Castle area.
After a loss to Howard last weekend, the Archmere football team claimed a resounding 35-7 win over the Odessa Ducks on the road on Friday, November 1st. The high-scoring effort was their fourth straight win on the road. This season, the team's offensive unit has averaged 28.2 points per game this season. The Auks have one more regular season game on Saturday against Wilmington Friends before entering playoffs.
On Saturday, November 2 the Archmere volleyball team traveled to take on Newark Charter in the second round of the DIAA State Tournament. Coming off of a first round win against Conrad, the Auks, seeded eleventh, "stormed back" during the exciting back and forth match, defeating the sixth seed Patriots in 5 sets. Set scores were 22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 21-25, and 15-12.
On Halloween night, the Auks’ volleyball team recorded a 3-0 sweep of Conrad in the first round of the DIAA State Tournament at home in the newly renovated Moglia Fieldhouse. Set scores were 25-17, 25-18, and 25-14. The Red Wolves took a 3-1 lead out of the gate, although for the rest of the match they could never get the lead above two points. Bridget Malloy '26, Claire McGonigle '25 and Lilly Guzevich '27 all had big nights for the Auks. The 11th-seeded Auks will play No. 6 Newark Charter on Saturday morning, November 2nd, in the second round. Tickets must be purchased online at the DIAA GoFan website.
Archmere, the sixth seed, defeated No. 11 Concord at home on October 30th in the first round of the State Tournament. The field hockey team finished the regular season at 11-4, with wins over Division II tournament qualifiers Saint Mark’s, Tower Hill and Tatnall, along with Division I participant Wilmington Charter. All four of their losses came against teams seeded higher than them: Division II’s Wilmington Friends, Caravel and Newark Charter, and Smyrna of Division I.
For the first time in ten years (2014), the boys varsity cross country captured the Diamond State Athletic Conference team title! The varsity girls finished in second place while the JV squads also finished second. In addition, the teams from the DSAC came together to help raise money and awareness for colon cancer in memory of Archmere teacher Mike Johnson through a bake sale and 50/50 raffle.
The Archmere Cheerleading team brought the Auks spirit as featured volunteers to the 22nd annual American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, October 27, 2024, held at Bellevue State Park. Our cheerleaders warmed up the crowd in line dances and activities leading up to the Survivor's Celebration, during which they supported the event speakers, who themselves are survivors of breast cancer.
Archmere's Global Studies Program is getting ready to travel again, this time with ten students and two teachers to Nicaragua over Thanksgiving break to tutor students at Centro de Oportunidad, a youth school (in Nueva Esperanza, a barrio outside Granada) sponsored and built by Neighbors to Nicaragua, a non-profit organization founded by Wilmington native Chuck Selvaggio. Archmere students will support the Centro students in reaching their literacy goals. Leaving 11/24 and returning 11/30, the Archmere group, when they're not tutoring, will tour the city of Granada, enjoy ziplining, splash about in a waterpark, and experience the colorful culture of the country. Archmere's 11/15 tag day will collect funds for the barrio school, but please donate on your own by clicking here on the Neighbors to Nicaragua website. For more information about the Global Studies Program, contact Mr. Dougherty.
On Friday, October 18th, the cross country team traveled down to Fenton, DE for the Joe O’Neill Invitational at Killens Pond. The JV Girls placed 3rd, while the Varsity Girls placed 5th. The JV Boys-A finished 5th, while both the JV Boys-B and Varsity Boys finished 8th.
The Archmere football team won against Mount Pleasant last Thursday with 28 points and they decided to stick to that point total again for Saturday's Homecoming game. The Auks defeated the Tower Hill Hillers 28-13 as the school celebrated Homecoming.
Senior Jace Walker was selected from a national pool of student candidates in National Art Honor Societies across the United States to serve on the first ever National Art Honor Society (NAHS) Student Council. In her role, Jace will help advise the National Art Education (NAEA) leadership on strategies to enhance NAHS programming. Jace was chosen based on her embodiment of the three tenets of NAHS: Character, Service, and Scholarship in the visual arts, and for her demonstrated leadership as President of Archmere Academy’s National Art Honor Society chapter.
On Tuesday, October 15, Archmere Academy faced Newark Charter School in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Auks walked away with a 3-1 victory over the Newark Charter School Patriots, with final scores of 25-22, 19-25, 25-19, 25-19. The win made it two in a row for Archmere and bumped their season record up to 7-5.
On Saturday, October 5, the Archmere football secured a 20-14 win over the Delaware Military Academy at home on Coaches' Field. Jack Bradley '25 rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries as the Auks, ranked second statewide in Class 2A, outlasted the sixth-ranked Seahawks. The score was tied 7-7 at the break, but the Auks were the better team in the second half.
On October 2nd, Archmere’s field hockey team tied Wilmington Charter late in the fourth quarter, then secured the 3-2 win halfway through the second overtime. The game, played at home on the lower turf, was an exciting back and forth battle all afternoon, highlighted by big saves by both goalies. This was field hockey's sixth win in their last seven games.
This weekend, Angela Zhang '26 and Ethan Flores '26 had the incredible honor of attending the 2024 Business Professionals of America (BPA) Student Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. Alongside BPA leaders from across the nation, they engaged in impactful workshops and advocacy efforts.
The Archmere Drama Club proudly announces its fall play production, It Happened One Night… Set in the the late 1920’s, John and Helena Raskob have invited you to dinner at their beautiful Archmere estate to celebrate their generous contribution to the building of the Empire State Building in New York City. You are invited, along with some of the most famous celebrities of the time period: novelists F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald, actress Tallulah Bankhead, Mr. Pierre DuPont, Abbott Bernard Pennings, O. Praem, and many more. But, in the middle of the celebration, a person is found murdered! Can you help Detective Rochenbacher solve the murder?
The Archmere cross country team was on the road this weekend, competing at the Carlisle Invitational. The varsity girls took home second place in the Champions race, while the varsity boys finished fourth. In addition, there were seven new personal best times.
Archmere junior Daniel Qi has been named the first "Delaware Student of the Week" by an online poll. Similar to the long-running "athlete-of-the-week" feature that honors athletic achievement alongside reader voting, Delaware Online/The News Journal is honoring a "Delaware Student of the Week" across high schools. The award highlights academic work, extracurricular activities, volunteerism, and perseverance -important qualities that make up the lives of young scholars.
On Friday, December 6th, the Archmere Mastersingers will travel to New York City to sing as the opening entertainment for the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. Our nationally recognized choral group was recommended for this honor by the administration of Carnegie Hall, a venue they have performed in four times. The Mastersingers will be performing on the main stage for an audience of about 6,000 from all over the world at the 7:00pm show. This is an amazing honor - congratulations to Mr. David Ifkovits and the entire group!
Students in Archmere Academy's nationally recognized Art & Design program created artwork in response to the museum's collection. Parents and friends are invited to see their final pieces on display, and to learn about the work that inspired the show. The exhibition will be on view at the Delaware Art Museum in the Bank of America Studio Art Wing from October 13th-23rd. One hundred and three pieces of original student art from five Introduction to Design, Junior Portfolio 2D Design, and AP Studio Art classes will be on display.
The New Balance Whippets Invitational was held at Downingtown West High School on September 21st. Cross country runners from 41 different schools spanning NJ, MD, PA and the state of DE competed in the one day event. The Archmere team boasted strong performances on Saturday, with the JV girls finishing the highest of the day at 3rd place, while the varsity girls placed 4th against some of the top teams in Pennsylvania. Both the varsity boys and the JV boys finished in 5th place.
With 1:58 left on the clock, junior Ryan Hagenberg scored on a 1-yard run to give Archmere a 27-21 win at Saint Mark’s in one of the top games in Delaware high school football this month. In front of a packed and spirited crowd, Archmere and St. Mark's battled back and forth all night, once again following a long standing tradition of thrilling, down to the wire, fourth quarter games.
Mandarin Chinese Classes Celebrate "Mid-Autumn Festival"
The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節 / 中秋节 zhōng qiū jié), aka moon festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar.
All Mandarin Chinese students celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival in their classrooms this month. The celebration included learning a Tang Dynasty Poem, "静夜思 jìng yè shī" by Li Bai, and exploring the legend of the Moon Lady, Chang'e, and a good toxophilite, Hoù yì. Students also engaged in the cultural tradition of making mooncakes, adding a hands-on experience to the festivities.
Archmere seniors Yeuk Yu ‘Arlene’ Chiu, Brianna Yang and Grace Yang have been named National Merit Semifinalists. The officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation used their high scores on the PSAT's, taken in their junior year, as an initial screen for program entrants. Only 16,000 students (of approximately 1.3 million) in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
Last weekend our cross country runners successfully opened their season in Kennett Square at the Unionville Two Mile Bash. The 6th annual run was held at Unionville High School and includes races for each grade, with both overall results and results by graduation year. The Archmere girls team finished seventh behind some of the top teams in Pennsylvania. The boys team finished thirteenth. The Archmere girls competed against 36 other schools, and the boys ran against 39 different high schools.
Rebranded as the Art & Design Department in 2022 to better represent the vast array of career-oriented and design-based electives offered, students in Archmere's program regularly have the opportunity to apply their creative problem solving to design real world solutions for products and manufactured objects.
On Saturday, September 7 the Archmere football team opened their season with a win on the road. The Auks took on Saint Elizabeth's at Abessinio Stadium, defeating them 39-21. Quarterback John Orsini '26 tells the News Journal of the team this year, "It's great to know you have 8, 9, 10 guys that can do it out there. And we have quite a few more we can rely on, on the sidelines." John completed passes to seven receivers as five different Auks reached the Abessinio Stadium end zone.
On September 5, the Archmere volleyball team traveled to Smyrna High School to take on the Eagles at home. All three teams: the freshman, JV and Varsity, recorded wins on the road. Varsity was led by Ava Beach '25, who recorded 10 kills, 5 digs, and 10 aces in the 3-0 win over defending champion Smyrna. Grace Mahoney '27 was right behind her with 9 kills, and Bridget Malloy '26 with 5. Maddie Frampton '27 lead the team with 12 digs.
From the Apple Distinguished Schools team press release:
Recognized for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence using technology.
September 1, 2024 — Archmere Academy is pleased to announce it has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for the 2024–2027 program term. Schools apply and are selected for this distinction based on their commitment to continuous innovation in education and using Apple products to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning.
The Mary Campbell Center’s Charmie Welch Hallway, which houses its Learning Center, Physical Development and Aquatics areas, recently received a vibrant makeover with the installation of the Center’s first resident-created mural. Led by Archmere Academy alumna and granddaughter of MCC co-founders Charles E. Welch and Charma Welch, Stephanie Welch Silverman ‘00,the collaborative wall mural was created in several phases with a variety of community groups over several months. Measuring 88 feet in length, the collaborative mural on display features the creative contributions of Mary Campbell Center Residents, descendants of the Welch family, and Archmere Academy art students.
Meredith Finger '26 claimed the 41st Junior Girls’ title of the Delaware Junior Championships by two shots after a final round of 73 at the St. Anne’s Golf Links in Middletown, DE on July 24. Meredith last won that title in 2022 at the Chesapeake Bay Golf Club.
One hundred and thirteen students at Archmere Academy have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 25 percent of the more than 2.66 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams.
The cultural and language exchange trip to Taiwan was an incredible journey of exploration and connection. Seven students from Archmere embarked on a transformative experience, immersing themselves in the rich tapestry of Taiwanese culture and Mandarin Chinese language from June 4th to June 18th. Collaborating closely with Yanping High School in Taipei and various local communities, our students engaged in activities aimed at deepening their understanding of Taiwanese culture and establishing meaningful connections with their Taiwanese peers. From the hustle and bustle of urban Taipei to the tranquil landscapes of the island's western regions, they embraced the diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes of Taiwan. The students were supervised by Mandarin Chinese language teacher, Ms. Yachi Yu.
Press Release from the Distinguished Young Women’s organization:
On Saturday, June 29, Alicia Chu was named the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2024 and presented with a cash scholarship of $40,000 at the conclusion of the 67th Distinguished Young Women National Finals. Alicia earned preliminary awards in the Scholastics, Self Expression, Interview and Talent categories, totaling $44,000 in cash scholarships across the three-night program.
Max Kelleher '24 and Connor Victoria '24 were co-winners of the Rugby Delaware scholarship this year. Rugby Delaware awards annual scholarships to graduating high school seniors who will be joining the rugby program at their college or university of choice. Each student was awarded $3,000.
McKayla Hwang '27 won second place at the American Viola Society Festival 2024 junior solo competition. The American Viola Society is one of the largest viola societies in the world and runs the prestigious Primrose International Viola Competition. The competition took place at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, California.
The spring, members of Archmere's Aevidum Mental Health Club had the opportunity to contribute to the Spring/Summer 2024 issue of Healing Magazine, the flagship publication of the KidsPeace organization with over 50,000 subscribers. The issue of KidsPeace’s Healing Magazine focuses on giving a platform to views on the mental health of America’s youth from a group sometimes ignored in the discussion: young people themselves. The Aevidum Club is supervised by Archmere School Counselor and Director of Wellness, Ms. Francesca Pileggi '06.
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the nonprofit organization that presents the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, has recognized four Archmere Academy students with National Medals, the top honor in the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12: Sabrina Saggese '24 won a Silver Medal for Art in the Painting category for "Hot Seat", Brianna Yang ’25 won a Gold Medal for her piece "The Veteran" in the Flash Fiction category, Jace Walker ‘25 won a Silver Medal for Art for her piece "FaceTime", and Katelyn Pei ’27 won a Silver Medal for her writing piece "A Shanghai Ballad".
The Carpenter Cup Classic, a baseball tournament for sixteen high school All-Star teams from Eastern Pennsylvania, South and Central Jersey and Delaware, expose the region’s high school players to college recruiters and professional scouts, with playing rules that encourage coaches to use their entire roster. Each year more than 400 high school players from the tri-state area are able to showcase their skills. The Carpenter Cup has been a catalyst for many players to receive scholarships or admission to some of the country's finest universities. This year five Auks have been named to the "Delaware North" roster: Jonathan O’Boyle, Carsten Kaiser, Aiden Pirozek, Jason Lotkowski and Hunter Skelton. The team is led by Archmere baseball coaches Nick Sanna, Calvin Scott and Billy Phillips.
Each year, members of the House and Senate nominate senior high school students they represent for admission to the U.S. Air Force, Merchant Marine, Military and Naval academies. Applicants who meet strict qualifications are interviewed and recommended by a non-partisan Service Academy Board appointed by the Congressman. Seniors Jack Bell, Cole Fenice, and Noah Marino were recognized for their individual appointments to the United States service academies at Archmere's end of year awards assembly on May 17th. Lucy Oliver was also recognized as the recipient of theArmy Reserve Officers Training Corp Scholarship at Purdue University.
Congratulations to all of our spring athletes who were named to the Diamond State All-Conference teams and the All-State or All-County teams. Seven out of our ten spring sports teams won their respective Diamond State Athletic Conferences: Golf, Girls Tennis, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Girls Soccer, and Boys and Girls Track and Field are all DSAC Champions. Not to mention, the rugby team once again successfully took on Salesianum at Abessinio Stadium for the Rugby Delaware State Championship Cup, bringing the Mark Dombroski Cup back home to Archmere, three tennis players were named State Champions, and the golf team captured the first State Championship in school history!
The Marinelli Athletic Award is named in honor of Pat Marinelli, an Archmere student who tragically passed away in a car accident on June 3, 1988 while attending the Academy. This recognition is awarded to a 9th grade male and female athlete who best exemplify what it means to be an Archmere student-athlete.
Archmere Academy welcomed 120 alumni into its ranks during Commencement ceremonies on June 2nd in the Performing Arts Center. The Baccalaureate Liturgy & Commencement Exercises were also live streamed for friends and family to view on the Archmere YouTube Channel.
The Stamps Scholars Program, with its partner schools, seeks students who demonstrate academic merit, strong leadership potential, and exceptional character. This scholarship is awarded to exceptional and academically accomplished high school seniors. Stamps Scholars receive a merit award equivalent to the full cost of attendance for four years of undergraduate study. Michelle Zhang '24 was recently named a Stamps Scholar recipient, and recognized at Archmere's end of year awards assembly on May 17th.
Earlier this spring, the Archmere winter musical, Matilda, was nominated for eleven Cappies Awards, which is the most nominations that Archmere has ever received for a production.
On May 28-29, Archmere celebrated the school's first ever Golf State Championship after the team rallied from five strokes down for a one-stroke victory and State Championship title. Held at Maple Dale Country Club in Dover, Archmere held on for the team title during the second day of the tournament, edging Tatnall and Caesar Rodney by one shot. The Auks finished at 539, 35-over par in a format that counts the low four scores in the first round and the low three scores in the second round.
Head Coach Pete Duncan led the Archmere lacrosse team to a 13-5 record this season, Diamond State Athletic Conference Championship for the fourth year in a row, and a #5 seed in the DIAA State Tournament. The team pushed themselves this year outside of the state and their conference, competing against teams in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and narrowly losing to top 15 competition. Archmere lacrosse not only boasted 13 All-Conference players, a Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and team Sportsmanship Award, in addition to 6 All-State players, but also senior captains Drew Duncan, Brendan Burke and Cole Fenice recently earned All-American honors; all three players were only one of seven in the state to earn those titles.
Archmere senior Andy Zhu battled Wilmington Charter's Ryan He, the heat and a heaping of internal pressure to win the boys’ first singles at the DIAA Tennis Championships on May 23rd at St. Andrew's. It was his fourth individual title as he joined one of the rarest clubs in Delaware scholastic sports. The match, though it ended in straight sets, was full of long rallies in much hotter temperatures. Andy is just the second player ever to win four straight boys first singles titles at the DIAA Tennis Tournament.
The Auks defense held the Quakers to one goal in the final three quarters of the DIAA State Tournament Quarterfinals on Saturday, May 25. Defeating Wilmington Friends 10-2 on the road, Archmere dominated possession for most of the game, securing their place in the Semifinals. Archmere will play #1 seed Salesianum at Abessinio Stadium on Wednesday, May 29 at 6:30 pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance at: https://gofan.co/app/school/DIAA
The Archmere girls tennis team went undefeated in the regular season and had finalists in four of the five events at the DIAA State Tennis Championships, which were held May 23rd at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown. Brianna Yang and Susie Shipley won individual State Championships in second and third singles, respectively, and the team came in second overall.
The Meet of Champions offers all runners, throwers and jumpers from the State of Delaware an opportunity to showcase their respective talents in a head-to-head competition with the best of the best culled from their performances at the State Track & Field Championships. On Wednesday, May 22 several members of the Archmere track and field team competed at Abessinio Stadium against 30 other teams.
Drew Duncan scored 45 seconds into the game on Tuesday, May 21, on the way to a 15-2 win over Caravel in the Lacrosse DIAA State Tournament first round. Archmere will travel to play Wilmington Friends on Saturday, May 25 for the Quarterfinal round. The Archmere team has won their last 10 games in a row.
On Friday evening, May 17th, the Archmere Rugby team once again took on Salesianum at Abessinio Stadium for the Rugby Delaware State Championship Cup. The match was named the Mark Dombroski Cup, in honor of Mark Dombroski, a 2017 Archmere graduate and rugby player who lost his life in March 2018 while at a rugby competition with St. Joseph's University in Bermuda.
Last week the DIAA Tennis Committee finalized the seeding and selections for the 2024 Boys and Girls Tennis Championships. There are 5 different draws for girls and 5 draws for boys (1st Singles, 2nd, Singles, 3rd Singles, 1st Doubles, 2nd Doubles). Due to inclement weather on Saturday, opening rounds took place on Monday, May 20th , hosted at seven DIAA Member High Schools (St. Andrews, Middletown, Odessa, Appoquinimink, Caesar Rodney, Dover and Smyrna). Every player on both the Archmere boys and girls team has advanced to the third round, held on Tuesday, May 21.
On Monday, May 20th, the Archmere golf team traveled to Delcastle Country Club to compete in the Diamond State Athletic Conference Championships. Boasting a 14-2 regular season record, the team won the day and earned an automatic bid to the State Tournament, which will take place on May 28 and May 29 at Maple Dale Country Club in Delmar.
Archmere sophomore Meredith Finger loves both golf and softball, so she is finding a way to excel in both sports during the busy spring season at Archmere. An honors student as well, Meredith can carry drives 245 yards and comfortably hit a 7-iron 160 yards on the golf course, and at the same time is willing to fill any gap Archmere may have on the softball diamond.
The DIAA Track and Field State Championships were held at Dover High School on Friday and Saturday, May 17th and 18th. Over two days, the Archmere team competed against close to 50 teams in the rain and wind. The girls finished 4th in Division 2 at the Championships, while the boys finished 15th, respectively.
The Archmere boys lacrosse team defeated Cape Henlopen on Friday, May 10 at Legends Stadium in Lewes, Delaware. The team played Cape in the rain and wind, coming out of the match victorious. This was the first time in eight years the Auks have defeated the Vikings. They led 6-1 after the first quarter and 8-3 at halftime, ending the game with an impressive 11-6 score.
On May 14th, the girls lacrosse team scored five unanswered goals within the first few minutes and never looked back in a 17-5 win over Smyrna in the first round of DIAA State Tournament. At home on the lower turf, Archmere dominated the draws, defense was resilient, and a barrage of offensive scorers controlled the narrative against the Eagles. Ciara Knapp '26 scored the first goal for Archmere within 41 seconds of the match, setting the stage for a fast paced Archmere offense and a spot in the Quarterfinals.
Congratulations to sophomores Andres Ramos, Audrey Zou, Valentina Ramos, CC Kittila, and Daniel Qi for earning spots in this summer's very prestigious Governor's School for Excellence. The Delaware Governor's School for Excellence is a one-week summer program that brings together academically and artistically talented Delaware high school students who have completed their sophomore year. Students are nominated to participate in Governor’s School through their schools via a competitive application process. Andres was nominated and chosen for the academic program, Audrey and Valentina nominated and chosen for the visual arts program, CC for theater, and Daniel for music. Students can only be nominated for one category in either the academic or arts program.
The Archmere Physics Club won 3rd place for the Physics Bowl Competition in the regional division, which encompassed the regions of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia, and West Virginia. Congratulations to the moderator, Dr. Wilcox, and the students who contributed, including Kabir Goyal, Kevin Xiao, Sophia Chen, Kathrine Wang, and Rebecca Wang.
The National Honor Society recognizes students who have excelled in four areas: Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Character. The Archmere chapter requires juniors and seniors to have a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.70 or higher to qualify for membership. Members are expected to serve as peer tutors, mini-roster night guides, and participate in NHS sponsored charity programs. On April 17th, Archmere inducted the newest members from the class of 2024 and the class of 2025. This year marked the 51st annual Honors Convocation held at Archmere Academy, first instituted in 1973 by then headmaster Father Justin E. Diny, O. Praem. On these occasions the Academy accords public recognition to those students who, because of their superior academic accomplishments, have been granted membership in various National Honor Societies.
In this year's Scholastic Writing Awards, ten Archmere students earned twenty-six awards across several different categories, including: Personal Essay and Memoir, Poetry, Short Story, Writing Portfolio, Flash Fiction, Humor, and the Critical Essay. Submitted work was reviewed and recognized by a panel of creative professionals, and awarded for its outstanding merit in originality, skill, and the emergence of your personal voice and vision.
Each year more than half a million students participate in the National History Day Contest. Students select a historical topic related to a chosen annual theme, and then conduct primary and secondary research. Katelyn Pei ’27 placed third at the state level contest for Delaware for her paper titled, “Angel Island: The Pacific Gateway that Forever Changed America.”
Sponsored by the "I Could Do Great Things Foundation", the Beau Biden Memorial Scholarship honors college-bound seniors “who embody the virtues of Beau Biden: qualities of leadership, community, civility, respect, and who demonstrate a strong moral compass.” The Foundation announced this week that Archmere senior Grace Koch is a Silver Award recipient, and is one of five recipients in the state of Delaware to receive the scholarship. Grace will be heading to Cornell University to study Hotel Administration.
On Friday, May 3rd Archmere senior softball players Ruby Merenda and Isabelle Ferris were honored at the game against Ursuline Academy. The Auks scored three times in the first inning, and they kept the bats swinging on their way to a 9-3 win at home.
On Thursday, May 2nd, the Track and Field Diamond State Athletic Conference Championships were held at the Robert Gore Stadium at Newark Charter High School. The Archmere girls team won their third consecutive conference title while the boys won the program’s first team title! In addition, our Auks broke several conference records at the meet.
The Cappies, "Critics and Awards Program," is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews. The Cappies is an international program for recognizing, celebrating, and providing learning experiences for high school theater and journalism students and teenage playwrights. Getting published earns a critic point towards that critic award. Archmere's winter musical, Matilda, was a Cappies show this year, and hosted critics from all over the Philly area.
Archmere senior Andy Zhu has a chance to be Delaware's second undefeated, four-time first singles boys tennis champion. Andy would be just the second Delaware boy since the state moved to its tournament format more than 50 years ago to go undefeated throughout his entire high school career. He already has three State Championships under his belt, but of this one says, "If I think too big, too far ahead, I think that can get in my head." Andy will compete to defend his title in the State Tournament on May 18th, with final rounds on May 22nd.
On April 25th the Archmere boys lacrosse team defeated Wilmington Charter 17-3, at home on the lower turf. The victory puts the Auks in control of the Diamond State Athletic Conference. Breandan Marley '24 led all scorers with six goals, Drew Duncan '24 and Aidan Mahoney '25 each scored four goals, while Reece Millison '24 added two. Goalie Zidane Brena '26 finished with five saves.
Archmere art student Grace Yang ‘25 has been named the recipient of the annual Michael Curcio '06 Emerging Artist Scholarship Award for her commitment to the study of art, outstanding portfolio, and originally conceived sketchbook. Grace was selected for the award by several art alumni who helped jury the entries: Monique Rollins '98, Vincent LaCava '87, Mark Smith '86, and Amanda Phelan '06. Grace's work was recently highlighted at the Archmere Fine Arts Festival on April 26.
The Blue-Gold All Star Football Game Committee of the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities recently announced the players for the 68th Annual All Star Football Game. Archmere seniors Cole Fenice and Jack Dellose were included in this year’s roster. Cole and Jack were nominated by their coaches and selected based on their character and football ability. The game will feature 72 of Delaware’s top seniors playing their final high school game at 7 p.m. June 21 at Delaware Stadium.
The Diocese of Wilmington St. Francis de Sales Awards Convocation for Catholic High School Seniors recognizes students for "excellence in faith development, scholarship, service, leadership and citizenship". The Convocation was held on Wednesday evening, April 24, at Holy Angels Church in Newark, Delaware, and was presided by Bishop Koenig. Ten Archmere seniors have been recognized as award winners: Anna Benner, Philip Blessington, Cecilia Connolly, Cole Fenice, Gabriela Fernandez, Matthew Guariano, Grace Koch, Elizabeth Maher, Noah Marino and Matthew Victoria.
Congratulations to the twenty-two French students who elected to compete in the National French Contest on their stellar performance! This challenging exam, sponsored by the American Association Teachers of French, tests grammar, vocabulary, auditory skills and reading comprehension. Over 40,240 students participated in the national exam in March. The number in parentheses represents the placement in the State of Delaware.
This is an update to the original January press release:
Even MORE Scholastic Art Awards!
This year, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards website updates resulted in some delayed awards notifications. We are excited to have just learned that Archmere Art and Design students have won an additional 16 Scholastic Art Awards, bringing the total number of awards to a record 159 individual awards for Archmere Academy!
On April 16, Archmere defended their title against St. Marks with a thrilling one question lead in the Academic Bowl Championship. The Archmere team has won every championship since 2020, and hasn't lost a single competitive match for at least 3 years. Congratulations to the team and their moderator, Mr. Wilcox!
For the past few weeks, the boys lacrosse team has been participating in a Stick It To Cancer fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. At the Stick It To Cancer Nationwide, participants and volunteers come together to honor cancer survivors, spread the word about reducing cancer risk, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society save lives. According to the lacrosse team's website, they have "formed this team because cancer has touched all of us in some way. And we want to stop this disease in its tracks." Their fundraising team page is currently ranked #1 out of 49 teams.
On Wednesday, April 17, Archmere hosted the Delaware National Chemistry Olympiad Exam sponsored by the Delaware section of the American Chemical Society. The top chemistry students across the state competed for a spot on the US National Olympiad Team based on their chemistry problem-solving skills and laboratory techniques. Several students from Archmere participated in the Delaware Chemistry Olympiad. Ivy Adams ‘25 and Arlene Chiu '25 scored high enough to qualify for the National Chemistry Olympiad. In addition, Grace Yang ’25 was top ten in the state.
First-year pitcher Tori Conner '23 led The College of Wooster softball team to three wins last week and earned herself North Coast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors. Tori pitched for the Scots to wins over John Carroll (2-0), Denison (6-0), and Oberlin (3-2). During Conner’s 3-0 week, she recorded a 0.64 ERA, allowed just two earned runs and struck out nine. Over 22 innings, Conner recorded 21 scoreless innings and limited her opponents to 17 hits. Tori was a standout pitcher for Archmere; a starter for the Auks each year who earned All-State honors.
The YMCA Delaware High School Youth in Government (YIG) Conference took place from March 22 to 24, 2024 at Legislative Hall and Kent County Courthouse in Dover, DE. Around 150 students from across the state gathered to participate in mock legislative bill debates and mock appellate court trials over the course of the weekend.
The men's volleyball team entered their match April 12 against Saint Mark’s having played three five-setters in their first five contests. With a 2-0 lead on the Spartans, they looked to complete their first sweep. The Spartans, however, had other ideas, and they roared back to take the third and fourth sets, sending the match to a decisive fifth. The Auks shook off any disappointment that lingered after the Spartans rallied, going on to a 15-9 decision and a 3-2 victory. Logan Bustard '25 served up an ace to propel the final set to 11-7. Josh Hanson '26 sent a long lob to the end line to reach match point, and libero Gabriel Candeloro '26 ended the night with a well-placed back-line smash.
On April 10th on the road against Conrad, the Archmere girls soccer team defeated the Red Wolves 5-0, recording their third win in a row this season. It didn’t take long for the Auks to get on the board, with Marina Mahon '25 scoring two first-half goals, and a goal and two assists by Hannah Stewart '25 to begin the game.
The girls lacrosse team remains undefeated after a victory over Saint Mark's on Tuesday, April 9 at home. The Auks came out early and strong, leading 8-1 by the end of the first quarter on their way to a 17-7 win over the Spartans. Archmere senior Bella Hughes recorded her 100th career goal in the third quarter.
Behind senior Carsten Kaiser's no-hitter and dominant offense by junior Charlie Malloy and 9th grade catcher Hunter Skelton, the baseball team defeated St. Elizabeth, 10-0, in five innings on April 9th at home. Carsten allowed just one base runner on a walk and recorded seven strikeouts. In his two starts, he has pitched eight innings without allowing a hit, and has struck out 15.
On Wednesday, March 27, two teams of Archmere students competed at the State Math Meet Invitational, held in Dover. In order to qualify for the State Meet, Archmere's Math League teams competed in 4 regular season meets from October to February this year, earning excellent results. The 9th grade team won each meet and placed 1st in the region with 72 points, qualifying them for the state meet. The 10-12th grade team also won each of their 4 meets, and won the region with 107 points.
The Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers announces the ordination of eight men to the priesthood. The ceremony will occur on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. EDT, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the University of Notre Dame campus.
Rev. Mr. Edward James Dolphin, C.S.C., was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and is the second of three children of James and Tina Dolphin. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), he worked as a software engineer before entering formation in the Congregation of Holy Cross. He earned a Master of Divinity from the University of Notre Dame in 2023. He is a Rector at Dillon Hall. While in formation, he worked at St. John Vianney, André House, St. Ignatius Martyr, and was Assistant Director of Old College.
It was a chilly start to the spring season on Tuesday, March 19th at Midway Softball Complex. The Archmere softball team scored two runs in the top of the seventh, then escaped trouble in the bottom of the inning for a 6-5 softball win over Ursuline. The season opener was a thrilling one; the game was a back and forth battle for both teams. The Auks held the lead on four separate occasions, only to see the Raiders come back the first three of those times.
Spanish teachers Sandra Vieyra and Janna Scheflen accompanied twenty-eight Archmere students to compete in the DECTFL World Language Showcase at the University of Delaware on Saturday, March 16. The competition is organized by the Delaware Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages to give students an opportunity to use and show off their language skills while experiencing French, Italian and Spanish/Hispanic culture through dance, athletic, music and artistic activities.
Congratulations to all of our winter athletes who were named to the Diamond State All-Conference teams and the Delaware All-State teams. Archmere winter accolades included the best finish in program history at a State Championship meet for the boys indoor track and field team. At the meet, Jack Maister ’24 took 1st overall in the long jump with a leap of 22-8.5, while the 4x400m girls relay team of Helen Socorso ‘25, Alaina Thomas ‘27, Jules Witherell, ’24 and Maddie Priest ’24 finished 4th in the state with a time of 4:11.72, shattering the school record by over 7 seconds!
Last week the Advanced Cancer and Research Analysis (ACRA) class spent the day in hands-on learning situations at the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania. Our students sat in on a resident roundtable, experienced rounds and surgery observations with Dr. Storm '86 and Dr. Kundishura, attended a lecture on AI in reading imaging from MRIs and CAT scans, and enjoyed a tour of the biorepository facility.
On Thursday, March 14, Chuck Selvaggio, founder of the Wilmington-based Neighbors to Nicaragua, spoke to students who are interested in traveling to Nueva Esperanza, Nicaragua, to tutor students in Spanish at Centro de Oportunidad, the school Mr. Selvaggio built in 2011. Mr. Dougherty, head of the Global Studies Program, is hoping to travel to Nicaragua with 8-12 students (grades 10-12) over Thanksgiving break in 2024. With the support and guidance of the school's staff, Archmere students would teach basic reading skills to the children in the barrio of Nueva Esperanza and likely join them on a day-long excursion, perhaps to a waterpark. The March 14 tag day raised $800 for Mr. Selvaggio's organization. Contact Mr. Dougherty for more details.
On Wednesday, March 13th, the Archmere College Counseling Office hosted an informative "Why Engineering" night. Led by Director of College Counseling Mr. Chris Boehm, a panel of representatives from Georgia Tech, Swarthmore, the University of Delaware and the infrastructure consulting company, AECOM, shared their knowledge with current Archmere students and their families. Guests gained a better understanding of a career in numerous engineering fields, learned about the best high school preparation for college engineering programs, and were offered explanations to the differences and similarities between STEM and STEAM.
On Thursday, March 7, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Eastern PA-DE Region announced the 2024 Delaware Student Visionaries of the Year winners, juniors Kasey Palma and Jack Chesman of Archmere, and their partner, Alexandra Simon of Tower Hill. They led the team, It’s In Our Blood, raising $106,000 during their 7-week fundraising endeavor. The inaugural It’s In Our Blood team was led by 2022 winners Maya Shah ’23 and Philp Himmelreich ’23.
Last weekend, two track and field members traveled to compete at different Nationals meets. Congratulations to Alaina Thomas '27 and Jack Maister '24 on their impressive performances. Alaina competed at the Nike Indoor Nationals meet, held in New York City. She ran the mile, finishing 18th overall with a time of 5:25.
Archmere junior Brianna Yang has been named the recipient of the USTA Delaware District's 2023 Junior Sportsmanship Award. Brianna was recognized at the Annual Awards Ceremony on February 25th at Wilmington Country Club. This award is given to a high school boy and girl who play in Delaware tennis tournaments and show exemplary sportsmanship on and off the courts. Players are selected by a committee of tennis pros, volunteers and referees.
Delaware Music Educators Association presented the All State Orchestra on March 9 at Milford High School. The concert was directed by James Allen Anderson, director of orchestral activities at the University of Delaware. Two students from the Helena Raskob Arts Institute auditioned and were were accepted into the orchestra.
The Cappies, "Critics and Awards Program," is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers such as The Washington Post, Cincinnati Enquirer, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Cappies program brought over 50 students from the Greater Philadelphia area to Archmere this past weekend to review the winter musical production on closing night.
On Saturday, March 2, the Science Olympiad team competed at the Delaware State Tournament, held at Delaware State University. With two teams of 15 students, they competed against 43 other teams throughout the day. Of the competing 30 Archmere students, 24 were 9th and 10th graders.
The Archmere wrestling team had a successful winter season, highlighted by a 42-28 win over Concord and a 43-28 win over Wilmington Friends. Juniors Jimmy Buggy, Jason Suydam and Seamus Naughter each won over 20 matches this season. Senior Trevor Huffman finished the season with a record of 13-4. The sophomore class showed great improvement this winter and were key contributors in the regular season victories.
Art & Design Department Chair and Archmere Alumna Mrs. Stephanie Silverman '00 was selected from a national pool of independent school art educators for the 2024 National Independent School Art Educator of the Year Award.
Thank you to those who joined us in New York City on February 22nd for a memorable alumni happy hour. Alumni from classes of 1957 to 2020 gathered at Hudson Hound in the West Village to catch up with old friends and make new and meaningful connections.
The cast and crew of Matilda is in full swing this week. The Auk players opened the Winter Musical last weekend, debuting Roald Dahl’sMatilda. The musical stars senior Maggie Shelton in the title role as the bright, sassy girl outwitting her parents (played by Jonah Tonn and Brianna Cubbler). Junior Bridget McNamara plays Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey, in the show. We caught up with Bridget this week to check in.
The Delaware High School Mock Trial Competition took place on February 23 and 24, 2024 at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center (formerly the New Castle County Courthouse). Archmere Academy competed with Varsity and JV teams in 4 rounds. The Varsity team won 3 rounds, ultimately coming in 4th in the state, continuing a long tradition of excellence in the competition. The JV team won 2 rounds, scoring 8th in the state.
Ten members of Archmere's Auks for Earth Club are scheduled to attend the YES! Delaware Youth Environmental Summit on Thursday, February29. The Summit will take place at the Clayton Hall Conference Center in Newark DE, with more than 500 Delaware high school students ready to network and share ideas about environmental action projects. Planned topics include electric school buses, food waste, climate change, wildlife and hunting conservation, clean water, plastic pollution, green careers, beekeeping, clean energy, and more.
We invite you to join current and past host families on Tuesday, March 5, from 6:30-8pm in the Patio Music Room, to learn more about the possibility of hosting a student through Archmere’s Global Studies Program. With several international visitors eager to come to Archmere next year, we hope to drum up some interest in this life-changing program. Click the link here to register for the Wine & Cheese Info Session. Please RSVP by Monday, March 4th.
Junior Jace Walker was selected as a student co-host for a national webinar sponsored by the National Art Education Association on February 22nd. Jace was selected by NAHS Sponsor Stephanie SIlverman '00 to represent Archmere Academy's National Art Honor Society Chapter to lead the conversation for the nationally-aired broadcast, featuring a Q&A with 9B Collective, a Concept Art Design Studio whose client list includes Marvel, HBO, Pixar, Netflix, and Nickelodeon. The webcast was recorded and will be made available to the entire National Art Education Association and NAHS Sponsors at arteducators.org.
Congratulations to Archmere senior Lucy Oliver, recently named the Delaware Online Athlete of the Week for Week 11 of the winter season. The senior reached 1,000 career points, scoring 31 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in a 51-23 win over Charter of Wilmington. Lucy won an online vote over four other nominees.
The Archmere Swim Team competed in the DIAA Swimming & Diving Championship Finals on Saturday, February 24, 2024. The State Preliminaries were held during the week, with Finals taking place all day Saturday at the University of Delaware. The State Championship Meet is a qualifying meet, and fourteen team members of the Archmere team competed in the Prelims, at which four members of the boys team and five members of the girls team earned a spot in Finals. Elizabeth Maher ’24, Kendall Hanna '25 and Kathryn Pyne ’25 qualified for individual events for the girls, along with Melissa Doig ’25 and Aoife McGurk ’25 who competed in the relays. Logan Bustard ’25 qualified for individual events at Finals, along with Luca Anerino ’26, Declan McGrath '27 and Quinn McCormick ’25 who qualified for the relays.
Valentina Ramos '26, was awarded second prize in the prestigious international harp competition, Concours Francais de la Harpe in Limoges, France. Valentina was one of 131 contestants representing 20 countries. She wowed the judges with her jazz rendition of Lullabye of Birdland.
Last weekend the Archmere wrestling team competed at the DIAA Independent Conference Championships, held at Saint Mark’s. This meet was a State Qualifying Meet for the upcoming DIAA State Championships. Ten teams participated in the weekend long event.
On Tuesday, February 20, the Archmere boys basketball team took on Concord High School at home in the Moglia Fieldhouse. This was the last regular game of the season, and the Auks took the opportunity to honor their seven seniors with a 52-49 win. The team is led by seniors Miles Kempski, Drew Duncan, Jack Dellose, Matthew Malloy, Gavin Lee, PJ Blessington, and Ryan Campbell.
Fourteen swimmers on the Archmere swim team qualified for the DIAA State Championship Meet, held Wednesday, February 21 through Saturday, February 24. Boys prelims will take place on Wednesday, February 21 at the University of Delaware Carpenter Sports Building with the girls prelims on Thursday, February 22. Finals are slated for Saturday, February 24.
Josie Calder '25 and Archmere History Teacher Mrs. Tara Creekmore have been selected to attend the Young People’s Continental Congress in Philadelphia this summer. Hosted by National History Day (NHD), this is the first-ever Young People's Continental Congress (YPCC). NHD has collaborated with Carpenters’ Hall, the home of the nation’s First Continental Congress in 1774, to produce a one-of- a-kind program for high school students from around the country, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the First Continental Congress.
Archmere senior Lucy Oliver scored her 1,000th basketball point, hitting the milestone in the first half of the game against Wilmington Charter on Thursday evening, February 16, in the Moglia Fieldhouse. Lucy is the fourth player in Archmere history to hit 1,000 points.
Archmere seniors Alicia Chu and Sophia Chen have met all requirements to advance to the Finalist standing of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) after being named Semifinalists in September 2023. These academically talented seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships worth more than $28 million that will be offered to the winners. The selection of approximately 7,140 Merit Scholarship award winners from the group of nearly 15,000 will be decided in March.
Congratulations to the six members of the Helena Raskob Arts Institute String Ensemble, who were awarded Superior Plus, which is the highest grade possible, at the Delaware State Music Teachers Association Ensemble Festival, held last Sunday at the Music School of Delaware. The Ensemble performers for this event were Sophia Chen '24, Michelle Zhang '24, Alex Xu '25, Ryan Dam '26, Daniel Qi '26, and McKayla Hwang '27. This was the first time a string ensemble participated in the Ensemble Festival.
In the last meet of the year, Archmere's 9th grade Math League team placed first in the meet and first in the region overall, scoring an impressive 72 points.
After four Math League meets this year, the Archmere team qualified to participate in the State Invitational, held in in Dover, Delaware. The 10-12th grade Math League team played in 4 rounds of online competition, from November to January, winning every single match and then the region with an impressive 107 points. The next team was 11 points behind.
The 2023-24 Delaware high school indoor track and field season came to a close on Saturday in Landover, Maryland. The 200 meter oval at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex was the perfect site for the DIAA State Championship meet. After an incredibly successful season, the girls ended the indoor track season with a 6th place finish and the boys ended the season in 8th place, the highest in program history. Senior Jack Maister took 1st overall in the long jump, with a leap of 22-8.5.
The Wilmington Friends Quaker Classic Wrestling Invitational took place on Saturday, February 3rd . Ten teams participated in the meet, with five Archmere athletes reaching the podium. Participating schools included Howard HS of Tech, John Dickinson School, Mt. Pleasant HS, Newark Charter School, Sanford School, St. Elizabeth HS, Tatnall School and Woodbridge HS.
Fashion Group International has appointed Maryanne Grisz as its new president and chief executive officer.
“I am honored to be working with Chairman James D’Adamo, a collaborative Board of Directors, all leaders in their industries and our amazing New York office team to start this journey and transition to a new era,” Grisz said in a letter to FGI members. “Be assured, I am listening to your input in service to the organization and hope to meet each of you as we grow.”
McKayla Hwang '27 has been named one of six finalists invited to compete at the American Viola Society (AVS) 2024 Festival Solo Competition this summer. The 2024 AVS Festival Competitions will include live final rounds and featured performances at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, California, June 19-22, 2024.
On Saturday, January 27th, the Archmere boys basketball team took on Tower Hill on the road at the Carpenter Field House. With just 4:21, Charlie Malloy '25 hit a three-point shot, one of his four of the night, to give the Auks the lead. After an exciting back and forth battle, Archmere claimed the 46-38 win.
Archmere jumped out to a 15-1 lead after one quarter, and the Auks were never in trouble in a 49-17 girls basketball win over St. Georges on January 26th at the Moglia Fieldhouse. Archmere’s defense kept the Hawks from getting good looks, and they limited St. Georges to a single shot on most possessions.
The Global Studies Program is humming along these days. After Mr. Dougherty's successful trip to India over Thanksgiving with twelve students, Ms. Witte is leading forty students and four teachers to the British Isles over Easter break, where they will visit such famed cities as Dublin, Belfast, Derry, and London. After school ends in June, six other students will accompany Ms. Yu to Taiwan where they will initiate what we hope will become a student exchange with a partner school. While in Taiwan, the group will explore Taipei, pick tea, visit a 19th century trading port, take a train ride through the forest in Alishan...and more.
The Archmere Academy Drama Club is proud to present its Winter Musical, the classic, Roald Dahl's Matilda. This modern stage musical has an amazing score by Tim Minchin featuring several songs, including "Revolting”, "When I Grow Up", and "Loud!". The book and lyrics capture the wonderful children’s story of Matilda and her journey to find a place to call home.
Tapestry 2023, the Archmere Academy Student Literary Magazine, has been recognized as a Superior "Distinction" magazine by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. The mission of NCTE’s REALM program is to publicly recognize excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. Published annually, Tapestry is a student run literary and fine arts magazine, supported and advised by Archmere English Teacher Mr. Stephen Klinge.
On January 13th in the Moglia Fieldhouse, the boys basketball team took on Indian River High School, recording their fourth straight win in a row. Senior Miles Kempski had 24 points in the 59-28 win.
Archmere senior Lucy Oliver is one of three Delaware girls basketball players nominated by the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee to play in the All-American Games on April 2, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. This class of nominees are vying for a spot among high school basketball’s elite company – joining names like Candace Parker, Trae Young, Caitlin Clark, Jayson Tatum, Angel Reese, Kevin Durant, Breanna Stewart and so many others.
Congratulations to Michelle Zhang '24, who earned the second seat for Violin II in the Delaware All-State Orchestra, and Daniel Qi '26, who was awarded the first chair for Violin I, and will therefore serve as Concertmaster for the March 9th performance. This was the first time that Archmere string students were able to audition for All-State Orchestra, as students in the HRAI String Ensemble are now acknowledged as a school ensemble.
Congratulations to Zimo Liu '25, who advanced to the national level of the Music Teachers National Association student competition as winner of the Eastern Division Piano Duet Competition. Zimo and his partner Jessica Li will compete for the national title at the association convention in Atlanta, Georgia this March. Zimo is a student musician in Archmere's Helena Raskob Arts Institute, under the supervision of Mrs. Mary Ellen Schauber.
In the Diamond State Athletic Conference opener for both teams on January 4 at the Moglia Fieldhouse, Archmere controlled the fourth quarter after a back-and-forth third to defeat Newark Charter, 40-29. After a slow start, the Auks went into the half with a 12-10 lead thanks to senior Miles Kempski's shot with 10 seconds left on the clock.
Archmere earned a split with Tower Hill when the teams met in the pool on January 4th at the Walnut Street YMCA in Wilmington. The boys team won the meet in an exciting match up with a final score of 83-81, while the girls finished 97-71.
Maxwell Football Club President, Mark Dianno, announced the 2023 Mini Max High School Award winners for the state of Delaware last week. Archmere senior Cole Fenice has been named one of forty-four Mini Max high school award winners for Delaware by the Maxwell Football Club. Cole joins 155 student-athletes from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Players were nominated by their coaches throughout the 2023 season and were evaluated based on criteria that includes: football performance, academics, and community service.
The indoor track and field team traveled to NY again last weekend to compete in the Hispanic Games at the New Balance Track and Field at the Armory. Competing against 14 other combined teams, our Auks recorded several personal bests and one school record.
The 2023-2024 wrestling season kicked off on December 9th with the Milford Invitational. With sixteen students on the roster this year, the Archmere team came out strong in multiple weight classes. Jimmy Buggy '26 made the podium at 138 pounds, placing third. Jason Suydam '26 took fifth at 126 pounds and Seamus Naughter '26 placed fifth at the 144 pound weight class.
The Viking Invitational Basketball Tournament took place over the Christmas holiday, with games starting on December 27th and running through December 30th. With five different states represented, the Saint Elizabeth Basketball Center hosted 24 boys and girls teams over the four days. Founded in 2020, the tournament provides a competitive and dynamic basketball event that raises awareness and funds for the Leukemia Research Foundation of Delaware.