News

Congratulations to Kaya Sgro ‘26, who was selected as one of 10 students this year to be awarded the Schubert Award, which covers full tuition for four years of study at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Cleveland.com took a survey of the girls' basketball coaches to list the top guards and top forwards for the 2025-2026 season. Congratulations to Jordyn Meyer '27, Olivia Schneider '26, and Tristan Williams '26 for making the list!

Laurel parent and sports journalist Nina Mandell (Mia C. '38), published a book, A Fraction of a Point: A Gymnastics Dynasty on the Line (Kent State University Press, March 2026). 

Jami Morris ‘21 was featured in a Chagrin Valley Times article about her recent induction to Laurel’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Jami is a two-time golf State Champion and founder of the non-profit organization Hit Fore Hope, which raises money for cancer research and the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center.

Congratulations to Taya Offut Decker ‘27, who produced an album through her Capstone project and gave a “Tiny Bench” performance at WJCU this month!

Summer at Laurel was highlighted in the special camp issue of Cleveland Magazine. The story focused on micro-camps, shorter camp options that offer new opportunities without the full-summer commitment.

Congratulations to Hannah Rosenfeld ’27, whose Capstone Project, RISE (Reentry Inspiring Systemic Equality), has been selected as one of just three finalists in the Veale Youth Forum’s ThinkBIG! Competition.

 

Ann Thoburn Fauver ‘40 was included in a WGBH video news story that takes a behind the scenes look at how figure skating is judged. 

Congratulations to Claire Witalec ’28, who recently competed at the Columbia University Invitational, where she finished as co-champion, a performance that earned her a second bid to the Tournament of Champions (TOC), the most prestigious national circuit debate tournament of the year.

 

Congratulations to the 27 students in Grades 8-12 who earned an incredible 41 honors in the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! Sixteen students were recognized for their visual art, earning four Gold Keys, eight Silver Keys, and 11 Honorable Mentions, while 12 students received writing awards, including one Gold Key, eight Silver Keys, and eight Honorable Mentions.

Yesterday’s Cleveland.com high school sports update “In a girls basketball game that lived up to every bit of the hype, the Laurel Gators outlasted the Brush Arcs 74–73 in overtime Monday night in a non‑conference showdown at Brush.” Another amazing win for the No. 2 ranked Gators!

 

Congratulations to Laurel’s Figure skating team on their 3rd place overall win at the Ohio High School Team Figure Skating Championships. 

Congratulations to Laurel’s gymnastics team on their 3rd place team finish at the Lakewood meet!

Congratulations to Rida Tahir ‘27 on being one of only 16 students statewide to be named to the Ohio Safety Advisory Council.

The Laurel Gators took on Green High School on January 22 for a Special Senior Night honoring Tristan Williams ‘26, Olivia Schneider ‘26, and Sydnee Robinson ‘26, and walked away with an impressive 68-20 win, which capped off a month of exciting wins.

Laurel swimmers have had a successful season thus far. On January 7, the swimming and diving team competed at Baldwin Wallace and achieved impressive results. Elizabeth Matsievich ‘29 placed 1st in the 500 freestyle with a PR and is currently ranked 30th in the state among Division II girls.

Laurel’s Speech and Debate team has had a stellar season so far, with Claire Witalec '28, Ana Rubio-Calvillo '27, and Julia Duong '26 having qualified early to the State Tournament. 

Sable Comet ‘27, August Sumlin ‘27, and Shaashwatiyaa Balamurugan ‘28 represented Laurel at the District 7 OMEA Solo & Ensemble at Madison High School, each performing a Class A solo, the highest level of difficulty for high school musicians. 

 

Congrats to Zip Tried, our Upper School Robotics team, on earning the Sustain Award at the Kirtland FIRST Tech Challenge tournament and the Motivate award at the Northeast Ohio District Competition. The team has advanced to States!

Congratulations to Reese Samala '29, who competed in the highly competitive Junior Olympics fencing tournament.

Congratulations to Eloise Porter ’30, who earned an 8th place medal at the Power of the Pen District Tournament!

Hannah Feldkamp ‘28 authored a piece about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for the Youth Environmental Press Team (YEPT).