APS recognizes students, hears project updates

Alamogordo School Board members unanimously approved the renaming of the Tiger Pit sports complex at Alamogordo High School to honor Lawrence E. Johnson.

"It's an honor," Treyon Johnson, Lawrence Johnson's nephew said. "It was great to be here and to witness the changing of (the Tiger Pit's) name and I just want to say thank you guys so much." 

Johnson was a teacher, coach, athletic director and mentor in the public school district who died in October from large B-cell lymphoma.

Student recognition

Several student groups were recognized at the meeting, including the MESA teams, the athletic trainers and Shockwave Physics AP team.

The Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement group has four students who are OSHA certified and the group expects to have all members OSHA certified next year.

The AHS Athletic Trainers brought home the blue trophy signifying it took state.

"There's absolutely nobody that works harder than this crew here," APS Superintendent Jerrett Perry said. "I can't tell you how proud I am. You are out there in the weather. You're out there when it is 105 (degrees) and you're out there when it's five (degrees) and you never give up. Your dedication is second to none."

Shockwave went to the Holloman High Speed Test Track to test a 130 pound rocket sled students helped design.

The sled traveled 18,000 feet of the track and reached a speed of Mach 2.4. 

Imago dei Academy had a team at the Holloman High Speed Test Track that day also.

Shockwave plans to do the project again next year.

the board also recogized the awarding of the New Mexico Board Association 2019 Excellence in Student Achievement Award given to Order of Eagles President Alessio Zagra for donations to APS activities.

Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on twitter at @nicmaxreporter