Senior Dylan Konop earns prestigious

Eagle Scout rank

By James Gross - Knight Writer

Student Journalist - Lourdes Academy

OSHKOSH, WI - This fall, senior Dylan Konop earned the prestigious Eagle Scout award.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is no easy task. Many boys start in Boy Scouts in elementary school as Cub Scouts, but very few make it all the way to the Eagle Scout rank.

Konop said he has been in scouts since first grade which means that he has been dedicated to the Boy Scouts for 11 years.

In the beginning ranks of Cub Scouts, the main focus is building friendships and having fun. Although, when the boys advance in rank, they learn more about life, survival skills, leadership, and they have more responsibilities.

According to Konop, getting to the Eagle Scout rank involves much time and dedication. To begin, he had to complete four months of paperwork to prepare for his final project which was building a new basketball court at Father Carr’s Place 2B.

Konop said the project itself took him a full weekend to complete. To begin the basketball court renovation, Konop worked with his pack, grandfather, and his dad, to grind down the existing concrete so it was level. After that, they painted the lines, built four benches, and installed a new basketball hoop. According to Konop, it is now a completely new court that is in perfect condition for use.

There are many reasons why Konop said he wanted to work toward his Eagle Scout award.

“The Eagle looks very good on college resumes because the colleges know how much work is put into receiving the award. In addition, there are some scholarships for it, and some are automatic. It helps at giving you a better chance of going to college,” Konop said.

Although Konop has enjoyed being a part of the Boy Scouts, he is unsure if he will stay in it. At this point, Konop is simply enjoying his high rank in the organization.

“When you are in the highest levels, some responsibilities are automatically yours. You already have to lead the pack a little,” Konop said.

Looking back at his long journey, Konop said that his mom was the one who encouraged him in elementary school to join the Boy Scouts, and he said he was always driven by having the Eagle Scout award in the back of his mind.

“Earning the Eagle Scout was a good experience, and I learned a lot of important life lessons that I will use in the future,” Konop said.

Konop said he is planning on attending college, but he hasn’t chosen one yet. He said he is waiting for more offers and then he will decide.

Currently, Konop said he is looking at Bradley College in southern Illinois, Michigan Technical University in Houghton, MI, and Marquette University in Milwaukee. Konop said he has also applied to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is waiting to hear if he has been accepted.

Junior Ellen Moore competes at state cross country meet

By Noah Ralofsky - Knight Writer

Student Journalist - Lourdes Academy

Oshkosh, WI- Junior Ellen Moore was the sole state cross country qualifier from Lourdes to competed in this year´s state cross country meet in Wisconsin Rapids.

Her father and Lourdes cross country and track and field coach Tim Moore traveled with Ellen and other teammates to Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids on October 27 to cheer her on at state.

To be able to run at the state meet, runners must place in the top five at their sectionals meet. If they do so, they will have the opportunity to compete against the top runners in the state. Moore has qualified for state for her third year in a row.

During Moore’s freshman year, the Lourdes team was hoping to earn its fourth state title in a row but placed second overall. Moore was the second Lourdes runner to finish the race. Sophomore year was full of injuries for the Lourdes team, but some made it to state where Moore was the first Lourdes runner to finish.

This year, however, Moore was the only Lourdes cross country member to make it to the state meet.

“It’s always an honor to compete at state, but it’s more fun to go as a team,” Moore said.

Moore explained she was a little nervous prior to the state meet but felt more excited than any other emotion.

Moore said she prepared for state this year just as she would for any other race by trying to stay relaxed. Along with relaxing before the meet, Moore also braided her hair in two french braids as part of her pre-race tradition.

Moore finished this year’s race with a time she said could have been better,“There’s always room for improvement,” she said.

Moore comes from a family of strong runners, and she said her inspiration is her parents who are also naturally gifted runners.

Moore said her dream is to one day attending college and continue her running career there, although she has not decided where she will attend college yet.

In addition to running in cross country in the fall, Moore also dominates track and field in the spring.