Bigfork takes third place in academic competition

By FAITH MOLDAN / Bigfork Eagle

Bigfork High School's student athletes made their mark last year, not on any playing field but in the classroom.

The school's student athletes combined for a 3.27 grade point average (GPA), which placed BHS third in class A schools in the Montana High School Association's Academic Excellence Award. Billings Central and Butte Central took first and second, respectively.

"We've never been lower than fourth in the six years I've been here," BHS principal Thom Peck said. "It's not what you teach, it's what you emphasize."

Being a good student — maintaining good grades, a high GPA, and handing in homework on time — is what BHS coaches emphasize, according to Peck. He said the teachers and coaches, many of whom are teachers at the school as well, work together to prevent and tackle any problems with student athletes and their eligibility to participate in an activity.

"It makes a big difference," Peck said of the teamwork between staff members and the personal relationship many teachers and coaches have with their students and athletes.

As Montana's smallest class A public school, BHS sees a number of students involved in more than one activity. Its enrollment of 337 beats out Billings Central's 317 enrollment and Butte Central's 132. Butte Central is Montana's smallest A school.

Taking a break from studying and working on club/group projects, four BHS student athletes spoke with the Eagle Monday afternoon. All are or were multi-sport athletes.

"It should be important to you," senior Hattie Bowen said of maintaining good grades and a high GPA.

Bowen said that there's an added pressure to remain eligible to participate as not to disappoint teammates. She's learned to manage her time between school and sports as a two-sport athlete (basketball and track).

"You just need to find the time and keep up." She said she usually makes time before practices or games to do her schoolwork.

Bowen added that she hopes her time management skills transfer to college, as she moves on to the University of Montana Western in Dillon to play basketball. She said Western's block schedule should make it easier, because she'll have just one class to concentrate on every 18 days.

The pursuit of athletic endeavors keeps sophomore Logun Koch working hard. When she's not practicing or playing soccer, basketball or track and field, Koch hits the books.

"It's really important. You have to have expectations for yourself," she said. "I want to play soccer in college. That's definitely a motivation."

With so many other factors adding to student athletes' lives, senior Julian Taylor said it's not always easy to balance school and activities but added that the teachers and coaches do a nice job helping students and emphasizing good study habits.

"They're getting us ready for life," Taylor, who has competed in cross country, basketball and track and field, said.

Freshman Ben Sandry agreed with Taylor. Both said they do their homework after practice, as it's easier that way. Sandry plays both football and basketball.

Peck said that while many student athletes do well, those that hit a bump in the road are faced with the school's "Studybacks," which some kids deem a worse punishment than not being allowed to participate in an activity.

"They hate the seven in the morning thing," Peck said. "They'll try to achieve in the classroom to avoid Studybacks." Studybacks are mandatory 7 a.m. study sessions for students who drop below the required 2.0 GPA. They also have to complete weekly grade checks, in addition to attending three Studybacks per week. Once their GPA reaches 2.0 again and they have no F's in any classes, they're allowed to participate.

It doesn't just start at the high school level either. Bigfork Middle School principal Wayne Loeffler said the middle school has the same system and rules pertaining to students' eligibility as the high school does, just with a few tweaks.

"Finishing in the top four year after year is pretty impressive," Loeffler said of Bigfork's continued success in the academic award competition.

Bigfork finished the competition in first place for the 2002-2003 school year and the 2003-2004 as well. BHS was the first place class B school in 1989-1990.

Peck said it is harder to place among the top schools in the smaller classes due to enrollment numbers and the percentage of students who participate in activities. He figured that BHS has an average of 70 percent of students who participate in at least one activity, whereas Butte Central's percentage is closer to 95. Smaller schools — class B and C — which have much smaller enrollments also have a high percentage of students participating in activities.

The schools figure out each student athlete's semester GPAs and then find the average of all those GPAs to find the school's GPA. The GPA is based on a 4.0 system, and all varsity letter winners' GPAs are used, as well of the GPA of those students who receive a superior rating at the district music festival, speech and drama students who participate in the state meet and varsity cheerleaders.