LSMSA Junior Classical League Wins Over 200 Awards at 75th Annual Louisiana Convention

4/6/2026

“In harmony, small things grow,” the 2026 Louisiana Junior Classical League (LJCL) Convention’s theme, from Sallust, Bellum Jugurthinum, seemingly foreshadowed the spectacular performance of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) Junior Classical League (JCL) club. What was expected to be a rebuilding year for the LSMSA chapter resulted in a series of successes at the three-day competition in Baton Rouge, where students competed in academic, athletic, creative art, graphic art, and spirit competitions. LSMSA’s delegation of twenty-three Latin, Greek, and Classical Studies students won 190 individual awards, 30 group awards, and placed 2nd overall in Convention Sweepstakes.

“Most of our group are 11th graders in Latin I or Latin II,” explains club sponsor Dr. Morris Tichenor, Lecturer of Latin. “All the club officers are juniors, and they worked well together all year, pushing themselves, these past few weeks especially, to complete all their individual projects and group entries for state convention.”

The dedication of the LSMSA JCL members resulted in the club receiving its highest-ever point total at LJCL in the more than forty years that the school has offered Latin classes. The club’s preparation and enthusiasm also earned them 1st place in all three spirit events, a school first.

LSMSA’s 2026 LJCL Convention delegation was led by the following club officers: consul Jackson Coplin (president), proconsul Annalise Perez (spirit leader), quaestor Stevie Rimmer (graphics art captain), praetor Hope Dollard (academics captain), aedile Traylor Nagem (athletics captain), and state board member, editor Izzie Olinde.

Students also campaigned for state office at the 2026 LJCL Convention to steer the organization through the 2027 convention. LSMSA consul Jackson Coplin was elected next year’s LJCL President. Hope Dollard and Izzie Olinde also ran successful campaigns for election and re-election to the state board as Parliamentarian and Editor, respectively.

LSMSA’s JCL club would like to thank the alums and everyone who donates to the LSMSA Foundation; a portion of the funds to attend the convention was supplied through the school’s Student Enrichment Fund.

A full listing of LSMSA’s 2026 LJCL Convention attendees and awards for individual and group events is included below:

Individual Awards

Sophia Bartlett (’27) Academics, Level II: 5th Place Art and Architecture, 3rd Place Classical Mythology; Graphic Arts, Upper: 4th Place Charts (Drawn), 3rd Place Ink, 2nd Place Jewelry, 2nd Place Miscellaneous Handicrafts, 1st Place Photography (Computer-Enhanced), 1st Place Photography (Traditional), 2nd Place Sculpture, 7th Place Graphic Arts Sweepstakes

Grady Boron (’27) Academics, Level I: 1st Place Ancient Geography, 2nd Place Classical Literature, 1st Place Latin Derivatives, 1st Place Latin Grammar, 2nd Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 5th Place Latin Vocabulary, 2nd Place Mottoes and Abbreviations, 4th Place Roman History, 1st Place Roman Life and Customs, 7th Place Academics Sweepstakes; Graphic Arts, Upper: 3rd Place Maps (Drawn)

Cameron Brunson (’26) Academics, Level II: 3rd Place Greek Derivatives, 4th Place Latin Derivatives, 3rd Place Latin Grammar, 3rd Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 4th Place Latin Vocabulary, 3rd Place Mottoes and Abbreviations, 5th Place Roman History; Creative Arts, Latin II: 1st Place Latin Oratory; Olympika, Upper: 4th Place Marathon

Sage Capello (’28) Academics, Level I: 4th Place Ancient Geography, 5th Place Latin Vocabulary, 4th Place Mottoes and Abbreviations; Creative Arts, Latin I/Lower: 1st Place Costume (Pair), Dramatic Interpretation, 3rd Place Creative Arts Sweepstakes; Graphic Arts, Lower: 2nd Place Games, 2nd Place Mixed Media

Jackson Coplin (’27) Academics, Level II: 4th Place Classical Literature, 5th Place Greek Pentathlon, 3rd Place Latin Derivatives, 4th Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 3rd Place Latin Vocabulary, 3rd Place Roman Life and Customs; Creative Arts, Upper: 1st Place Slogan; Olympika, Upper: 2nd Place Discus

Khylee Dial (’27) Academics, Level I: 5th Place Classical Literature; Creative Arts, Upper: 1st Place Costume (Pair), 3rd Place English Oratory, 3rd Place Slogan, 6th Place Creative Arts Sweepstakes; Graphic Arts, Upper: 1st Place Large Models

Hope Dollard (’27) Academics, Level II: 2nd Place Classical Mythology, 5th Place Greek Derivatives, 1st Place Greek Pentathlon, 3rd Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 2nd Place Mottoes and Abbreviations, 4th Place Roman Life and Customs; Graphic Arts, Upper: 3rd Place Chalk/Pastel; 1st Place Jewelry, 4th Place Mixed Media, 1st Place Pottery, 2nd Place Small Models

Carlos Este-McDonald (’26) Academics, Level II: 4th Place Classical Literature, 4th Place Latin Derivatives, 2nd Place Latin Grammar, 3rd Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 2nd Place Latin Vocabulary; Graphic Arts, Upper: 3rd Place Individual Website; Olympika, Upper: 4th Place 100-Yard Dash, 4th Place Long Jump, 2nd Place Marathon

Owen Hill (’26) Creative Arts, Upper: 4th Place Modern Myth; Graphic Arts, Upper: 1st Place Charts (Drawn)

Immanuel Laurent (’27) Olympika, Upper: 2nd Place 100-Yard Dash, 1st Place Discus, 2nd Place Long Jump, 2nd Place Obstacle Course, 2nd Place Olympika Sweepstakes

Manessah Majesty (’27) Academics, Level I: 4th Place Art and Architecture, 4th Place Latin Vocabulary; Graphic Arts, Upper: 3rd Place Charcoal, 2nd Place Ink

Traylor Nagem (’27) Academics, Level II: 5th Place Art and Architecture, 3rd Place Classical Literature, 2nd Place Greek Derivatives, 5th Place Greek Pentathlon, 2nd Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 5th Place Latin Vocabulary, 3rd Place Roman History; Olympika, Upper: 5th Place 100-Yard Dash

Izzie Olinde (’27) Graphic Arts, Upper: 4th Place Multimedia Presentation; Olympika, Upper: 2nd Place Marathon

Annalise Perez (’27) Academics, Level I: 4th Place Art and Architecture, 4th Place Classical Literature, 3rd Place Greek Derivatives, 2nd Place Greek Pentathlon, 5th Place Latin Derivatives, 5th Place Latin Vocabulary, 5th Place Roman History, 3rd Place Roman Life and Customs; Creative Arts, Upper: 1st Place Costume (Individual); Graphic Arts, Upper: 5th Place Greeting Cards, 4th Place Illustrated Quotations, 1st Place Impromptu Art, 3rd Place Large Models

John Phillips (’27) Creative Arts, Upper: 2nd Place Modern Myth

Kylie Pierce (’27) Academics, Level I: 5th Place Ancient Geography, 3rd Place Classical Literature, 3rd Place Greek Derivatives, 5th Place Latin Derivatives, 1st Place Latin Grammar, 4th Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 3rd Place Mottoes and Abbreviations, 5th Place Roman History, 1st Place Roman Life and Customs, 10th Place Academics Sweepstakes

Luca Prosino (’28) Academics, Level II: 3rd Place Ancient Geography; Graphic Arts, Lower: 3rd Place Multimedia Presentation; Olympika, Lower: 5th Place 100-Yard Dash, 4th Place Discus, 4th Place Long Jump, 4th Place Marathon

Stevie Rimmer (’27) 8th Place Overall Individual Sweepstakes; Academics, Level II: 3rd Place Art and Architecture, 5th Place Classical Literature, 3rd Place Greek Derivatives, 5th Place Greek Pentathlon; Creative Arts, Upper: 2nd Place English Oratory; Graphic Arts, Upper: 2nd Place Black Pencil, 2nd Place Cartoons, 2nd Place Chalk/Pastel, 1st Place Decorative Stitching & Textiles, 2nd Place Greeting Cards, 1st Place Illustrated Quotations, 2nd Place Impromptu Art, 3rd Place Mixed Media, 2nd Place Watercolor, 4th Place Graphic Arts Sweepstakes; Olympika, Upper: 4th Place Discus, 3rd Place Long Jump, 5th Place Obstacle Course

Eli Robb (’27) Academics, Level I: 4th Place Art and Architecture, 4th Place Classical Literature, 5th Place Latin Derivatives, 5th Place Latin Grammar

Loralei Sorrells (’28) Academics, Level I: 4th Place Classical Mythology; Creative Arts, Latin I: 1st Place Dramatic Interpretation; Graphic Arts, Lower: 1st Place Decorative Stitching & Textiles; 5th Place Miscellaneous Handicrafts

Madelynn Weatherford (’26) Academics, Level III: 5th Place Art and Architecture, 5th Place Greek Derivatives, 5th Place Greek Pentathlon, 2nd Place Latin Derivatives, 3rd Place Latin Grammar, 2nd Place Mottoes and Abbreviations; Graphic Arts, Upper: 3rd Place Acrylic/Oil, 3rd Place Black Pencil, 4th Place Illustrated Quotations, 5th Place Mixed Media

Madison-Renee Whittaker (’27) 7th Place Overall Individual Sweepstakes; Academics, Level II: 5th Place Latin Reading Comprehension, 4th Place Mottoes and Abbreviations; Creative Arts, Latin II/Upper: 2nd Place Latin Oratory, 1st Place Sight Latin Reading, 4th Place Slogan, 6th Place Creative Arts Sweepstakes; Graphic Arts, Upper: 1st Place Black Pencil, 2nd Place Charcoal, 3rd Place Charts (Drawn), 1st Place Colored Pencil, 1st Place Greeting Cards, 2nd Place Illustrated Quotations, 4th Place Ink, 2nd Place Maps (Drawn), 1st Place Mixed Media, 1st Place Watercolor, 2nd Place Graphic Arts Sweepstakes; Olympika, Upper: 4th Place Obstacle Course

Kelsey Whitten (’28) Academics, Level I: 4th Place Ancient Geography, 4th Place Latin Derivatives, 2nd Place Latin Grammar, 4th Place Latin Vocabulary, 2nd Place Roman History; Creative Arts, Latin I/Lower: 1st Place Latin Oratory, 2nd Place Latin Sight Reading, 3rd Place Slogan, 4th Place Creative Arts Sweepstakes; Graphic Arts, Lower: 3rd Place Black Pencil, 3rd Place Decorative Stitching & Textiles, 4th Place Handmade Dolls

Academic Group Awards

3rd Place Novice Certamen – Team: Kylie, Kelsey, Manessah, Sage

4th Place Intermediate Certamen – Team: Hope, Jackson, Madison, Traylor

3rd Place Advanced Certamen – Team: Madelynn, Hope, Izzie, Stevie

2nd Place Students Placing in Academic Tests

Creative Arts Group Awards

2nd Place Creative Video Drama – created by Jackson and Owen

2nd Place Local Publications – edited by Izzie

2nd Place Local Website

1st Place Students Placing in Creative Arts Contests 

Graphic Arts Group Awards (designs by Stevie with Madelynn)

2nd Place Chariot Decoration

3rd  Place School Banner

4th Place School T-Shirt

2nd Place Scrapbook

2nd Place Students Placing in Graphic Arts Contests

Olympika Group Awards

100 Meter Relay: 3rd Place Boys, 5th Place Co-ed – Teams: Cameron, Carlos, Immanuel, Khylee, Kylie, Madison, Stevie, Traylor

Tug-o-War: 3rd Place Boys, 4th Place Girls, 3rd Place Co-ed – Teams: Annalise, Carlos, Hope, Immanuel, Izzie, Jackson, John, Khylee, Kylie, Luca, Sage, Stevie, Traylor

1st Place Catapult – built by Carlos, Jackson, John, Owen, and Traylor

1st Place Students Placing in Olympika

Publicity Awards

3x winner of Club of the Month (March, September, and October)

3rd Place Club Membership

2nd Place Publicity Portfolio

Spirit Group Awards (all led by Annalise and Stevie)

1st Place Roll Call Skit

1st Place General Assembly I Spirit (Large Schools)

1st Place General Assembly II Spirit (Large Schools)

1st Place Procession Spirit (Large Schools)

1st Place Service – recognizing, among other community service, LSMSA’s twice-monthly volunteering at the Cane River Food Pantry