Libby High earns top academic award

Libby High School student athletes are the cream of the crop in Montana when it comes to hitting the books.

On Wednesday, the Loggers were named Class A recipients of the MHSA NorthWestern Energy Academic Excellence Award for the 2018-19 school year. The award is given annually to one school in each classification with the highest grade point average among all activity participants.

Libby won the honors with a combined 3.810 GPA, the highest among all the classes.

“It’s very exciting for us,” said Nik Rewerts, activity director for Libby High School. “Our athletic programs are coming along and we’re doing really well in the classroom. That’s the whole goal.”

Winners are determined by averaging the grades earned by students who took part in athletic, music, speech or drama programs during the 2018-2019 school year. Participating students must have each met a specific criterion to be in the averaging process.

Rewerts said he was surprised to see how many Libby students take part in activities. Last year, Libby had 292 participants out of a total enrollment of 323 students.

“That was a real eye-opener,” he said.

He said the award is a testament to the hard work put in by students, teachers and coaches, both on the field and in the classroom.

“The kids are working really hard,” he said. “And I feel like our head coaches are on top of academics, as well. That has a lot to do with it. What we are doing [at Libby High School] is working out well.”

Libby principal Ruth VanWorth-Rogers agreed that it took a team effort.

“Our coaching staff and teaching staff work closely,” she said, noting the tutoring and mentoring programs made available to students. “It shows that as a culture, our focus is on academics and our athletes are rising to the top.”

This is the first time Libby has earned the honor, but Rewerts believes it can be repeated.

“Now that you have it once, the goal is to get it again. It will be a good challenge for the underclassmen.” Rewerts said.

The Class A runner-up was Dillon, with a 3.479 gpa.

Billings Skyview took the Class AA honors, with Bigfork High School earning the Class B award, and Winnett in Class C.

The award will be presented during Libby High School homecoming celebrations in October.

“Our school board is excited and the superintendent is very pleased,” VanWorth-Rogers said.

“It’s going to be a great celebration to start the school year.”