Student Standouts: Li ’28, Guan ’30, Gong ’31, Zhu ’31, Gardner ’31, Hosto ’30, Mock Trial, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, and Field Hockey Players
Congratulations to this week’s standouts below. Way to go #RamNation! And as always, if you have a story to share, please email weeklynews@micds.org.
Sophomore Advances to the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam
Andrew Li ’28 took the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) St. Louis Local Exam recently. As a finalist of the competition, he was invited to participate in the National Exam in April.
According to the website, “The USNCO is a multi-tiered competition designed to stimulate and promote achievement in high school chemistry. It is sponsored by the American Chemical Society.”
Dr. Bruce Hamper, the Chemistry Olympiad Coordinator of the ACS St. Louis section, says, Li is “one of the top contestants in the Chemistry Olympiad Local Exam – St. Louis Section. We had over 70 students participate in the local exams during the month of March. He had one of the top scores and is therefore eligible to take the National Exam.”
Li says, “It is my great honor to represent MICDS at the national level and demonstrate the academic excellence at the school.”
Way to go, Andrew!
Four Middle Schoolers Compete in the International Academic Competition’s Central Missouri Regional Bees
On Saturday, March 14, four MICDS seventh and eighth-grade students traveled to Ashland, Missouri to compete in the International Academic Competition’s Central Missouri Regional Bees. Boyka Guan ’30, Angela Gong ’31, and Selena Zhu ’31 competed in the Science, History, and Geography Bees. Ainsley Gardner ’31 competed in the Science and History Bees.
Science Bee Results:
8th Grade
Boyka – 2nd place (national and international qualifier)
7th Grade
Ainsley – 1st place (national and international qualifier)
Angela – 2nd place (national and international qualifier)
Selena – 3rd place (national qualifier)
History Bee Results:
8th Grade
Boyka – 2nd place (national and international qualifier)
7th Grade
Angela – 1st place (national and international qualifier)
Ainsley – 3rd place (national and international qualifier)
Geography Bee Results:
8th Grade
Boyka – 3rd place (national and international qualifier)
7th Grade
Angela – 1st place (national and international qualifier)
Selena – 2nd place (national and international qualifier)
Ainsley shared, “Competing in the International Academic Competition Bees was such a special experience. It was the perfect way to challenge my academic skills while having a wonderful time with other people who are just as curious about learning as I am.”
Eighth Grader Competes at 2026 USA Hockey National Championship
Congratulations to Elliott Hosto ’30, who traveled to New York this week for the 2026 USA Hockey National Championship. The 14U AAA St. Louis Lady Blues were the Central District Champions, which qualified them for Nationals. Great Job, Elliott and team!
Mock Trial Competes at State
On Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, the MICDS Mock Trial team competed at State Championships in Downtown St. Louis. The team advanced to the quarterfinals, which include the top eight schools in the state. Although they lost their trial against Clayton High School, the MICDS team had a great run this season.
Students began preparing for the case in October 2025. In January and February, the team competed in the first two preliminary rounds of competition. They advanced to regionals the first week of March, securing their place at State Championships as one of the top 16 teams in the state. Altogether, approximately 100 high school teams competed in the Missouri Mock Trial competition this season.
Akira Washington ’26 – Not pictured, competed on the plaintiff team for state championships.
Varsity Boys Basketball Claims State Championship
The MICDS Boys Basketball team scored an exciting State championship during spring break! Check out some of the articles and recaps of their journey to first place!
In a double overtime victory over Holt, the Rams secured their first final four appearance since 2002. Check out this article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which recaps the high-stakes game with remarks by Head Coach Travis Wallace and highlights Brandon Clemens ’26 who scored a game-high of 21 points during the victory. The final score was 59-47 for the Class 5 quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 14.
In the State Final Four contest, the Boys Basketball team took on Hillcrest on Friday, March 20 in Mizzou’s Basketball Arena. The Rams secured a 62-35 win against Spring Hillcrest. A recap by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch highlights Tyler Ray ’27, who scored a career-high 25 points.
On Saturday, March 21, the MICDS Varsity Boys Basketball team took home the Class 5 State Championship from Mizzou Arena! This was the first title since 2002 and the second in program history. Congratulations to the State Championship team for an impressive third-period explosion, which led to their win over Sikeston, 55-38! Read the game summary by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch here and check out the video highlight from KSDK here. Also, The St. Louis American summarizes the boys’ journey to State in this article. Way to go, Rams!
In addition, the MICDS Boys Basketball team is ranked #5 in the Final 2025-26 Missouri Top 25 Boys High School Basketball State Rankings list on Sports Illustrated. Congrats, Rams!
Second at State for Girls Basketball
In the Class 5 Girls Basketball State Quarterfinal contest at Fort Zumwalt West High, Lauren Smith ’27 nailed a three-pointer in the final 113 seconds of the game to secure a 42-38 win over St. Dominic. This secured the Rams in its fourth final four appearance in school history. Check out the game recap by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch here.
The Girls Basketball team defeated Marshfield 59-52 on Wednesday, March 18 in Mizzou’s Basketball Arena for the Class 5 State Semifinal contest. In the game overview by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jordyn Haywood ’28 is featured for scoring 35 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. The team rallied from a 12-point second-quarter deficit.
In the State Championship round on Thursday, March 19, the Varsity Girls Basketball team battled hard against Lift for Life Academy, but came up short 60-41. What a terrific season of grit, Rams!
In additional Girls Basketball news, Jordyn Haywood ’28 was announced as the Class 5 Player of the Year, the Class 5 District 3 Player of the Year, and the Missouri Defensive Player of the Year. Congratulations also to Lily Harris ’28 and Riha Obinegbo ’28 who made the All-District Team for the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 5 District 3.
Seven Rams Named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association
- Emma Allen ’26
- Anna Dehlendorf ’26
- Ellemieke Ferguson ’27
- Georgia Lochhead ’26, Scholar of Distinction (GPA 3.9+)
- Katherine Schott ’27, Scholar of Distinction (GPA 3.9+)
- Katie Sheehan ’26
- Sienna Snyder ’27
