By THERESA HOGUE
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 12:00 am
For the first time since 2001, Crescent Valley High School has been awarded the Oregonian Cup, recognizing the school's high level of academic and athletic achievement and excellence in activities such as band and choir.
High schools throughout Oregon who participate in the OSAA State Championships and are top 10 finishers in the OSAA Academic All-State Program receive points for those accomplishments. They also receive points for having no ejections during athletic events. The schools are ranked by OSAA classification. Crescent Valley is a 5A school.
The grade-point average of teams also is calculated, giving each school points for academic success as well.
Crescent Valley Principal Cherie Stroud said that since winning in 2001, the school has been in the top six every year since. This year, a number of achievements pushed CV back into the winner's circle. CV took three first-place titles in state competition, including the girls and boys swim teams and boys golf. The school took second place in girls soccer and girls tennis, third place in girls cross country, and fifth place in girls basketball.
"In other words, girls rock," Stroud said with a laugh.
The school also received six first-place conference titles. The CV band placed third in state, choir placed fifth and orchestra placed sixth.
"I think it's been an accumulative effect," Stroud said.
The school will receive a commemorative trophy. It earned 4,875 points during the '06-'07 school year. Churchill High School in Eugene came in second with 4,422 points.
Stroud said they're not sure when they'll receive the actual trophy, but Tuesday, they planned to play "We Are the Champions" by Queen over the school PA system to celebrate.
Stroud said she was proud of her school's achievement.
"It speaks to the character of the student body and the fact that athletes can be scholars as well."
Since 2000, Santiam Christian of Corvallis had taken the Oregonian Cup each year in its classification. This year, however, Santiam Christian was beaten by Burns High School for the first time since the creation of the award.