Mesa Ridge High School

Mesa Ridge High School is a school in Widefield School District 3, a school district in El Paso County, Colorado. The school is zoned to receive students from Fountain, and the Colorado Springs suburbs of Security and Widefield. Mesa Ridge opened in 1997. The first graduating class commenced in 1999. Mesa Ridge is the newest of three high schools in the district, after Widefield High School and Discovery High School.

Mesa Ridge High School
Location
6070 Mesa Ridge Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colorado

United States
Information
TypePublic school
Established1997
School districtWidefield 3
PrincipalLevka Craft
Staff70.50 (FTE)[1]
GradesGrades 9-12
Enrollment1,287 (2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio18.26[1]
Color(s)Purple and black   
Athletics conference4A Southern Colorado Springs Metro League
MascotGrizzly
Websitehttp://mrhs.wsd3.org/

Academics

Mesa Ridge is a comprehensive public high school offering traditional high school courses as well as honors and Advanced Placement, Career & Technical Programs, and Concurrent Enrollment. [2]

Career & Technical (CTE) Programs include Automotive Services; Business Management & Marketing; Cabinetry and General Construction through the MiLL; Cosmetology through ISSA; Information Technology; and Work-Based Learning.[3]

Mesa Ridge also offers Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a national program that brings together industry, higher education, and public schools to prepare students for post-secondary careers. Students can study Biomedical Science and Engineering.[4]

Mesa Ridge is also an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) school. [5] AVID is a national program designed to close college opportunity gaps.[6] In 2021, 100% of Mesa Ridge students enrolled in AVID were accepted to 2-year or 4-year colleges.[7]

Activities

Mesa Ridge High School has many clubs, organizations and activities. In 2021, the school offered nearly 30 clubs for students to participate in, as well as co-curricular programs like Marching Band, Sources of Strength, Yearbook, Student Cabinet, and NJROTC.[8]

Marching band
  • The Mesa Ridge High School marching band (known as “The Pride of Mesa Ridge Marching Band”) is
    • a 2-time (2004, 2005) State Marching Band Quarterfinalist;
    • a 15-time (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) State Marching Band finalist (Top 8 in Colorado);[9]
    • the 2017 Bronze Medalist at the Colorado Bandmasters State Marching Band Competition;[10]
  • In 2009, The Pride of Mesa Ridge received the GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Award and $5000 from the GRAMMY Foundation.[11]
  • In 2014, The Pride of Mesa Ridge High School Marching Band collaborated with Trapdoor Social, an alternative Los Angeles-based band to record “Fine on My Own.”[12] [13] The official video is available on YouTube.
  • Mesa Ridge Concert Bands have performed in Missouri, California, and Texas, earning Superior #1 ratings at all contests they have participated in since 2007.[14]

NJROTC
  • Students have the opportunity to join Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC). In addition to studying Naval Science, cadets can also participate and compete in Drill Team, Marksmanship (Air Rifle), Academic Team, Color Guard, PT Team, and Raider Team. [15]
  • The NJROTC unit is often a top-performing unit and won the Colorado Navy Drill, Physical Fitness and Academic Championship 15 years in a row (2000-2014).[16]

Winter guard & percussion ensemble
  • The Winter Guard team has won four State Championships (2001, 2006, 2012, 2022).[17]
  • The Mesa Ridge Percussion Ensemble is an 8 time State Championship Finalist. They won State in 2012.[18]

Other activities
  • The student cabinet has been recognized as a community entity, serving through methods such as the Drive Smart campaign.
  • The speech and debate team has had many distinguished competitors throughout the short span of the school's history. Former Coach Bob Goycoolea was a distinguished coach in the National Forensics League.
  • The mathematics club has had distinguished achievements, including a first-place finish in the 2005 Colorado State University-Pueblo mathematics competition. The team has produced honorable mentions several times in school history.

Athletics

Mesa Ridge offers the following athletic programs:[19]

  • Baseball
  • Basketball (men's/women's)
  • Cheer (co-ed)
  • Cross Country
  • Football
  • Golf (men's/women's)
  • Soccer (men's/women's)
  • Softball
  • Swimming (men's/women's). This is a combined team with Widefield High School. Athletes are known as the Grizzliators.
  • Tennis (men's/women's)
  • Track & Field
  • Volleyball
  • Wrestling (men's/women's)

Notable highlights

Mesa Ridge has a strong athletic tradition with notable achievements in several sports.

Basketball (women's)
  • In 2011 the women's basketball team made it to the Final Four for the first time in school history and was defeated by Longmont High School.[20]
  • In 2014, the team won the 4A State Championship title.[21]
  • In 2018, the team made it to the Final Four and was defeated by Pueblo South.[22]

Football
  • 4A State Playoffs in 2006, 2012, 2021. In 2012, the team made it to the state semi-finals.[23]

Track & field
  • The boys track and field team also produced 2 State Champions; Jr. Zack Little in the Long Jump, and Jr. Mykal Torres in the Triple Jump. Jr. Akil Gipson also took Third Place in the High Jump at the State track meet.

Wrestling
  • Mesa wrestling won League titles in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018,[24] 2019, 2020. The team won the Regional Championship title in 2020.[25]
  • The highest team State finish is 4th (2016 & 2018), but the team has finished in the Top 10 at State eight times between 2012 and 2020. In 2020, the men's team finished 9th in the State and the women's team finished 5th.
  • Since 2012, seven wrestlers have earned more than 100 wins.
  • Since 2012, the team has had five State Champions and seven State runners up.

Notable alumni

Katrina Miller (Class of 2000). Owner of Blackat Video Productions, Boulder, Colorado.[26]

Glenn Carlson (Class of 2002). 2021 Colorado Springs City Council candidate and local business owner.[27]

Fatima Maddox (Class of 2003). Harlem Globetrotter.[28]

Erik Huffman (Class of 2005). Cybersecurity expert and founder of Handshake Leadership. Recipient of the 2018 Pikes Peak Small Business young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Mayor's Young Leaders awards.[29]

Chrissy Williams (Class of 2006). Colorado Springs community leader.[30]

Kylie Shook (Class of 2016). WNBA (New York Liberty).[31]

References
  1. "Mesa Ridge High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  2. "Academics - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  3. "Academics - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  4. "Academics - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  5. "AVID - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  6. "AVID® / Closing the Opportunity Gap in Education". www.avid.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  7. "About Us - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  8. "Activities - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  9. "CBA Marching Recap History". Colorado Bandmasters Association. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  10. "CBA Marching Recap History". Colorado Bandmasters Association. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  11. MCGRAW, CAROL. "It's music to their ears: Mesa Ridge HS gets $5k from Grammy Foundation". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  12. debbie.kelley@gazette.com, DEBBIE KELLEY. "Mesa Ridge marching band's collaboration with LA band nets $7K donation". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  13. Money, Music and Hope for Mesa Ridge High School, retrieved 2021-12-21
  14. "Band - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  15. "NJROTC - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  16. carol.mcgraw@gazette.com, carol mcgraw. "Mesa Ridge JROTC takes state championship". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  17. "Archives". Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  18. "RMPA". rmpa.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  19. "MHS Teams - Mesa Ridge HS". mrhs.wsd3.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  20. "2011 Colorado Girls State Basketball playoff bracket; CHSAA (4A) - MaxPreps". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  21. "Mesa Ridge defeats Broomfield for Class 4A girls basketball title". The Denver Post. 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  22. "Pueblo South outlasts Mesa Ridge in overtime to return to Class 4A girls basketball title game for second straight year". The Denver Post. 2018-03-09. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  23. "2012 Colorado State Football Championships (2012 Class 4A Championships) - MaxPreps". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  24. Smith, Lindsey. "Mesa Ridge wins Colorado Springs wrestling title, now focuses on a bigger bucket-list item". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  25. "Colorado High School Athletics Activities" (PDF). CHSAA Wrestling 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. "Blackat Video Productions". Mysite. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. DAGENDESH, WILLIAM J. "Colorado Springs native Glenn Carlson seeks District 1 city council seat". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  28. jen.mulson@gazette.com, Jennifer Mulson. "Harlem Globetrotters's TNT went to Mesa Ridge High School". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  29. bill.radford@gazette.com, BILL RADFORD. "Passion, purpose drive Mesa Ridge grad's flourishing cybersecurity career | Colorado Springs young professional profile". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  30. Hill, Marcus. "2020 Rising Star: Chrissy Williams". Colorado Springs Business Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  31. "Colorado native Kylee Shook embarks on rookie WNBA season: "It feels great representing my state"". The Denver Post. 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
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