On April 4 and 5, a group of Jesuit Latin Students traveled to Bellaire High School in Houston to compete in the JCL State competition. The students were led by Latin sponsors Ms. Jones and Mrs. Hudec and chaperones Mr. Pointer and Mr. Erickson. The entire Jesuit delegation gave an outstanding performance and showed great leadership during the event. The students not only had a great time competing in various classical competition but also enjoyed socializing with students from across the state.
Luke Nettune Showing Great Leadership
During the State event, Luke Nettune, the 2023 and 2024 State Treasurer ran for TSJCL president, and won! Luke has shown tremendous leadership in his 3 years as a JCL student and 2 years as a state officer and hopes to continue to show his passion of the classics to others. Luke’s role as president entails running the Texas meetings at the JCL national competition, leading the three state officer board meetings, and helping to organize the Texas JCL competition next year. This is a huge leadership opportunity for Luke and he hopes to make a large impact on the TSJCL organization.
Luke Nettune said, “JCL State was a super fun experience. I got to meet so many budding classicists from all over the state and make so many new friends. I am so thankful for the opportunity as President to greater serve this amazing community and make Texas JCL the best it can be.”
Jesuit Delegation’s Success
This year the Jesuit students performed exceptionally well at the JCL state convention with seven students placing first and all students at least placing in the top 10. Notably, the Jesuit boys won 1st place in the Ludi Volleyball and artists-Jonathan Shu, Brady Zeck, and Sam Falk- performed great in the competitive classical art competitions. The top 5 placing students are mentioned below:
1st- Luke Nettune- Pentathlon
1st- Evan Hou- Pentathlon
1st- Brady Zeck- Model of an Ancient Roman Construction Crane
1st- Sam Falk- Pentathlon
1st- Jonathan Shu- Pentathlon
1st- Charlie Tighe- Pentathlon
1st- Carson Wang- Pentathlon
2nd- Michael Hasenfratz- Pentathlon
2nd- Luke Nettune- Greek Derivatives
2nd- Nolan Nguyen- Pentathlon
2nd- West Rodgers- Pentathlon
2nd- Jonathan Lax- Pentathlon
2nd- Ryan Tian- Pentathlon
2nd- Sam Falk- Ancient Geography
2nd- Benny Hoefelmeyer- Pentathlon
2nd- Adam Jackson- Pentathlon
2nd- Diego Park- Pentathlon
3rd- Michael Hasenfratz- Greek Derivatives
3rd- Michael Hasenfratz- Latin Prose Reading Comprehension
3rd- Evan Hou- Greek Life & Literature
3rd- Ethan Lensing- Pentathlon
3rd- Brady Zeck- Pentathlon
3rd – Levi Anderson- Pentathlon
3rd- Sam Falk Miscellaneous Art – Map of the Roman Empire
3rd- Diego Park- Latin Reading Comprehension
4th – Evan Hou- Latin Reading Comprehension
4th- Isaac Ma- Mottoes & Abbreviations
4th- Isaac Ma- Pentathlon
4th- Ryan Tian- Latin Derivatives
4th- Carter Fagan- Pentathlon
5th- Jonathan Shu- Mottoes & Abbreviations
Michael Hasenfratz said, “I had a great experience competing at state and seeing some old friends! The JCL has a wonderful community and culture that is very inviting to all. It was especially fulfilling to see Luke Nettune win the presidency! I felt that our Jesuit brotherhood really unified in support for him. Thank you to Magistra Jones and Hudec, as well as all of our faculty chaperones who make this amazing program possible for us. Go Rangers!”
Ms. Jones said, “This year’s JCL state competition reminded me of the pre-pandemic times. Everybody was in great form; they showed leadership, respectfulness, and had a lot of fun and made new friends. Brady Zeck worked really hard on his [ancient roman crane model], and my favorite part was how much he learned about the ancient construction process and what they would use these cranes for. I am especially proud of the three men who brought the art: Brady who brought the crane, Jonathan Shu who painted a beautiful painting in the impressionist style of Echo and Narcissus, and Sam Falk who did an amazing hand-drawn map of the Roman Empire. I am really hoping that the leadership the upperclassmen showed will inspire others to keep competing. Especially, Luke Nettune ran for President and was elected which is a really great leadership position for him. We are very proud of Luke and proud of the entire team.”
Conclusion
To conclude, everyone who went to JCL had a great time at JCL, and there was never a dull moment during the two days in Houston. All of the students who are thinking about going to nationals in Ohio over the summer are extremely excited and are ready to study more. I would like to give a special thanks to Ms. Jones, Mrs. Hudec, Mr. Erickson, and Mr. Pointer who all made the trip possible by chaperoning. Lastly, if you take Latin and are not a part of JCL, consider joining!
For more news about JCL, stay tuned on the Jesuit Roundup!
