Four SOL student athletes received scholarships at the Triangle Club’s 54th Anniversary Awards Banquet on Thursday night.
Upper Dublin senior Alexis Schneider was the recipient of the prestigious Dannehower Award at the Triangle Club of Montgomery County’s 54th Anniversary Awards Banquet at Presidential Caterers. As the winner of an award that takes into consideration sports, scholarship and service, Schneider was the recipient of a $3,000 scholarship.
North Penn senior Uchechi Nwogwugwu was named the first runner up and received a $2,000 scholarship while Souderton senior Connor McMenamin and Springfield Township senior Carly Munger both received $500 scholarships.
The second runner up was Upper Merion senior Ethan Miller, who received a $1,000 scholarship. Germantown Academy senior Abigail Goldstein and Spring-Ford senior Sonal Tyagi received $500 scholarships.
Alexis Schneider (Upper Dublin) – Dannehower Award ($5,000 scholarship)
Schneider’s grade point average is 4.9, and she is ranked in the top one percent of her class. Starting in ninth grade, she was involved with the first robotics club as their vice president of programming. As a junior, she performed a computational study for the MIT Inspire Competition, entitled “Exploring the Impact of the Internet and Online Search Engines on the Songwriter’s Creative Process.” In ninth grade, she performed studies on the impact of a soccer ball on the brain and resultant concussions. Her study resulted in a first place in Physics in the Montgomery County Science Research Competition, which also garnered the US Navy Physics Award and the Franklin Institute Award for Physics.
Schneider also has demonstrated an interest in film and animation. Her most recent video was on “Optogenetics: An ‘Illuminating’ Breakthrough.” She has produced six other vides since 10th grade. These productions led to numerous awards. She has authored many publications, which have appeared in the National High School Journal of Science. Schneider is a National Merit Finalist, a Coolidge Scholarship Semifinalist and National AP Scholar.
In sports, she received varsity letters in soccer, basketball, lacrosse and track. In 10th grade, she was a varsity starter in soccer and a first-year pole vaulter. In 11th grade, she made the Southeast PA All-Star team and was nominated to the All-State team. She also was a finalist in the Wendy’s High School Heisman competition. As a senior, she was elected captain of the soccer team and was chosen first team all-league. In pole vault, she qualified for the SOL Championships and District One meet. She will continue her pole vaulting career in college.
Schneider is an accomplished bassoon player and is a member of the high school concert band. As a member of the BioNote Club, she raised funds for after-school clubs. For her efforts, she received the Prudential Spirit of the Community Award. For the Upper Dublin Public Library STEAM Lab, she has worked with the robotics team and Catalyst for Success team to hold workshops on robotics for elementary school students.
In the fall, Schneider will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Uchechi Nwogwugwu (North Penn) First Runner-Up
Nwogwugwu’s cumulative grade point average is 6.18. She is ranked in the top five percent of her class, 15th out of 1066 students. She is a member of the National Honor Society and was a Distinguished Honor Roll Student all of her high school years. In 11th grade, she was awarded the Wellesley College Book Award for scholastic achievement. All of her high school courses were AP and Honors level.
Nwogwugwu received eight varsity letters, four in indoor track and field and four in outdoor track and field. In ninth grade, she was indoor and outdoor state medalist in the 4x400 relay and outdoor medalist in the 400m dash. In 10th grade, she was the PIAA state runner-up in the 400m dash and the anchor leg of the state champion 4x400 relay. In her junior year, she won the Indoor National Championship in the 4x800 and the 400m dash. In January of 2017, her 4x800m relay ran the fastest relay time in the US. In 2016, she was named All-American for both indoor and outdoor track and field and was selected Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year by the Intelligencer.
As a member of Key Club, Nwogwugwu has volunteered for numerous activities. She also was a camp counselor for the Lansdale United Methodist Church, serving as chairperson for distribution of food and beverages for the campers. As a member of the North Penn Student Government Association, she contributed to the school-wide holiday Spirit Drive.
In the fall, Nwogwugwu will attend the University of Pennsylvania.
Connor McMenamin (Souderton Area) - $500 Scholarship
McMenamin has a cumulative GPA of 4.58 and is ranked in the top five percent of his class. He has achieved Distinguished Honor Roll status in 10th through 12th grades, and he is a member of the National Honor Society. His course load included numerous AP classes.
McMenamin has won 12 varsity letters – four in cross country, four in indoor/winter track and field and four in outdoor track and field. He earned first team All-SOL recognition in cross country 10th through 12th grades and was a PIAA track and field state qualifier for the 3200 meters and state qualifier in cross country all three years. As a senior, he finished first in the cross country SOL championships and was sixth at the state meet. He was named to the first team PTFCA and was an indoor track and field state medalist in in the 3000m. He captained the outdoor track and field team as well as the cross country team while establishing 11 school records in the indoor mile, indoor 3000 meters, indoor two-mile, outdoor 1600m and outdoor 3200m.
As a Boy Scout, he obtained the rank of Eagle Scout, and his project consisted of restoring, indexing and archiving 18th century cemetery gravestones for the benefit of Little Zion Lutheran Church. He has volunteered three summer at Widener Camp for disabled scouts.
In the fall, McMenamin will be attending Bucknell University.
Carly Munger (Springfield Township) - $500.00
Munger is ranked second in her class of 155 students and has achieved a cumulative GPA of 4.65. She has been an honor roll student ninth through 12th grades and received the Class of 1966 Alumni Award as well as the Harvard Prize Book Award and has been recognized as the AP Scholar with Distinction and will graduate as the Class Salutatorian. Munger has excelled in her AP and honors/accelerated courses.
In athletics, Munger received eight varsity letters – four in water polo and four in swimming. In 10th grade, she received honorable mention all-state in water polo, and in swimming, she was a district and state qualifier. In 10th through 12th grades, she was named to the All-Conference first team in water polo. In 11th and 12th grades, she was second team all-state in water polo and again repeated as a district and state qualifier in swimming. She was named Montgomery County Media’s Athlete of the Year in her junior year and captained her water polo team in her senior year.
Munger was editor-in-chief of the school yearbook as well as editor-in-chief for the International Conference of the Model Organization of American States, where she leads a group of students in composing a bilingual newsletter. As President of the International Affairs Club, she oversaw the day to day management of the club and organized discussions about foreign affairs as well as a trip to Washington DC. She is an active participant at the Springfield Aquatic Club, volunteering as a coach and instructor for children in both swimming and water polo. She is a volunteer at the Philadelphia Treat for Troops. As a member of the National Honor Society, she participates in the mentor program and provides tutoring for fellow students.
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