PALADIN PROUD Newsletter

December 2025

Congratulations to our High School Men's and Women's Cross Country teams who are once again BOTH the 2025 TAPPS 3A State Champions! This marks the sixth year in a row that our men are state champions and the fifth year for the women! The Lady Paladins had a decisive win with four of our athletes medaling in the Top 10 of their 2-mile race, earning the designation of TAPPS First Team All-State: Sarah Kleppel 1st, Savannah Ohmes 5th, *Isabelle Eppers 6th, and *Berkeley Scott 9th. Our remaining three women finishing right behind them with Sara Bachelder 11th, Ava Jones 13th, and Ava Witherspoon 21st place. The Paladin Men seized a massive victory in their 5k race, taking less than a third of the points of the next fastest team. First Team All-Staters include *Kaeden Beno 2nd, *Elijah Zuniga 3rd, Caedmon Rose 5th, *Carter Self 7th, and Owen Eppers 10th place. Our other men finished in the Top 20 with *Price Jenkins in 13th and James Wimberly in 15th place. Thank you to Coach Jones, Coach Zuniga, and all our parents and volunteers for investing in these student-athletes. Way to go, Paladins!

*These Paladins also earned TAPPS Academic All-State, awarded to juniors and seniors who placed in the Top 15 at State and have a cumulative average of 90 or above.

Congratulations to the Paladin Varsity Volleyball Team who, once again, are the TAPPS 3A District 5, Area, Regional, and STATE Champions! Earning a bye for the Bi-District and Area playoffs, the Lady Paladins won the Regional playoff in straight sets over Faith Academy Marble Falls. They advanced to the Final Four at the TAPPS State Tournament in Waco where they defeated Central Texas Christian (Temple) 3-1 in the semi-finals. In the championship game, the Lady Paladins shut out Heritage Christian Academy (Rockwall) in three sets to win the TAPPS 3A State Championship for the second year in a row! Mia Crowley, Savannah Goodwin, Peyton Pyle, and Makenzie Turosik were named to the All-Tournament team. We are incredibly proud of all these hard-working and talented student-athletes. A huge thank you to Coaches Mallori Howington and Chelsi May, our dedicated volleyball families, and our amazing PCS super-fans for a fantastic season! To God be the glory!

Back Row: Asst. Coach Chelsi May, Trainer Dan Barnes, Lillian Wenger (10th), ※Addie Metry (9th), *†◊Peytyn Pyle (12th), *†◊Mia Crowley (12th), *†◊Cambry Wick (11th), *†◊Savannah Goodwin (11th), Head Coach Mallori Howington

Front Row: Lexa Lancaster (10th), ※Eliana McDonough (9th), Emarie Graham (12th), ‡◊Makenzie Turosik (10th), *※Berkeley Scott (12th), ‡◊Charlotte Goodwin (9th)

*TAPPS Academic All-State
†1st Team All-State
‡2nd Team All-State
◊1st Team All-District
※2nd Team All-District

The PCS Middle School Cross Country teams had a great showing at the HAPS District Championship! Our Division II Boys and Division II Girls teams both took first place with decisive victories! Top-10 finishers who received medals include David Avery 2nd, Susanna Bachelder 3rd, Selah Birch 1st, Isla Ketchey 4th, Grace Kleppel 1st, Camden Lucenay 7th, Sarah McGehee 9th, Connor Morehouse 4th, Layala Mueller 7th, Kinley Newman 2nd, Jackson Rose 5th, and Isaiah Zuniga 4th place. Thank you to Coach Jones, Coach Zuniga, and our fantastic parent volunteers for another successful season of developing these young athletes!

PCS Athletics hosted Signing Day on November 18 for senior athletes Ben Conwell, Mia Crowley, and Peytyn Pyle! Ben has committed to play golf for Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO. Mia will play Division I volleyball for Stonehill College outside of Boston, MA, and Peytyn will play Division I volleyball at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. It’s wonderful to see our Paladins spreading far and wide to impact their culture for Christ!

The PCS Class of 2005 sent this photo from a recent “reunion dinner”! Jeff Faulkner, Justin Gaertner, and James Huizinga were the three members of our school’s second graduating class. Jeff visited campus a few weeks ago to see just how far PCS has come since its founding. We hope that many more PCS alumni will join us for 25th Anniversary events this year, including an Alumni Lunch & House Games on January 6 and our Anniversary Gala Weekend on April 11! Visit pcsclassical.org/25years for more information.

Over Thanksgiving break, 17 Paladins ran in the second annual "24-in-24" Ironman Mile Marathon Challenge benefitting CanCare.org. Participants completed a full 26.2-mile marathon over a 24-hour period by running 1.1 miles every hour for 24 hours straight.

In 2024, PCS students Kaeden Beno, Sara Kate Beno, and Henry Stevens hatched an idea to run an "Ironman Mile" marathon for fun, as well as to raise awareness and support for a local charity. Kaeden and Sara Kate built out "24-in-24" as a recurring event and selected CanCare as the 2024-2026 beneficiary. CanCare provides hope and healing to individuals living with cancer and their caregivers by connecting them to survivors who walk alongside them during their cancer journey. CanCare also provides free training to organizations who want to offer cancer support within their community and partners with healthcare organizations to make a difference in the patient/caregiver journey.

This year's runners represented PCS cross country, track & field, swimming, volleyball, soccer, and basketball athletes: Sam Bachelder, Kaeden Beno, Sara Kate Beno, Xavier Birch, William Bruce, Ethan Eppers, Owen Eppers, Savannah Goodwin, JT Hickman, Price Jenkins, Ava Jones, Santi Martinez, Savannah Ohmes, Carter Self, Henry Stevens (c/o 2024), Luke Williamson, and James Wimberly.

Between the ten minutes of running each hour, the kids shared snacks, discussions, and fun activities and had an opportunity to pray over newlyweds Crystal & Carrington Powell in preparation for Carrington's second brain cancer surgery at only 25 years old. Carrington shared with the Paladins what CanCare has meant to him and his family and how fundraising helps train volunteers to offer important emotional support.

For more information on the 24-in-24 fundraiser or to get involved with CanCare, please contact Sandra Beno at 713-922-2839.

PCS alumna and Latin teacher Caroline Young (c/o 2021) married Mark Bentick on November 22, 2025. Caroline is the daughter of Heather and John Young (PCS Advancement Director). Mark grew up in Cypress, TX, and works as a chemical engineer. The couple met as students at The University of Texas at Austin. Congratulations to Mark and Caroline and their families! Mrs. Bentick's new PCS email address is cbentick@pcsclassical.org.

HR Director Sandi Wyatt and her husband, Chris, welcomed their first grandson, Bennett Dean Wyatt, on September 18. Their son and daughter-in-law reside here in Houston, where Hayden practices law at BCH-Bailey Cowan Heckaman, and Brittany currently stays home with Bennett. Congratulations to the Wyatt families!

Fourth grade teacher and golf coach Amy Haaland and her husband, Erik, welcomed granddaughter Molly Briar Ellis in September. Daughter of Hannah and Michael Ellis Molly joins cousins Daphne, born in February, and Calvin, born in April, to finish out the Haaland Trifecta of 2025 grandchildren! She surprised everyone by coming three weeks early and weighed in at a hefty 7 pounds, 14 ounces! Molly lives in Jackson, MS, which her Mimi thinks is entirely too far away!

Once again, junior Turner Young has lobbied congress to adjust regulations so that minors may have improved access to more effective drugs for the treatment of psoriasis. Turner is a youth ambassador for the National Psoriasis Foundation and participated in their Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C. on October 30. He met with representatives from Congressman Hunt’s and Senator Cornyn’s office. Well done, Turner!

Senior Berkeley Scott and her parents ran in the 36th Annual YMCA Run Thru the Woods on Thanksgiving morning at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Berkeley placed 5th in her division in the 5-mile race and 57th out of all women who participated. This event supports local non-profits with the goal of strengthening The Woodlands, Spring, and Oak Ridge communities. Over the years, more than $3.5 million dollars has been raised. Way to go, Berkeley!

Join us in celebrating God's goodness! Send newsletter submissions to Dawn Adkins.

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18100 Stuebner Airline Road
Klein, TX 77379
281-320-0500
www.pcsclassical.org