logo
Two high school juniors in Ascension Parish earn perfect score on ACT

Two high school juniors in Ascension Parish earn perfect score on ACT

Yahoo20-05-2025
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — 'Congratulations on being perfect.' Those are the words Principal Barry Whittington, Jr. of Dutchtown High School said to two students.
Whittington was speaking to Noah Owers and Emma Stewart, who are both juniors at the high school in Ascension Parish.
The duo both earned perfect scores on the ACT. They took the test on March 12, 2025, and later found out that they received a score of 36.
Stewart was proud and ecstatic when she learned what her score was, while Owers was happy and excited at the result.
Principal Whittington said, 'Their scores are a testament to their hard work and the support of their families and our Griffin community.'
Stewart said the toughest section on the ACT was science, but math was challenging too. Owers agreed that the science section was hard, along with English.
Whittington added, 'This accomplishment reflects their dedication and commitment to excellence.'
Both students talked about how they prepared for the test. Stewart said she used practice questions from ACT books and spent about 30 minutes a week practicing with a particular focus on science.
Owers, on the other hand, prepared through the Honors and AP classes at Dutchtown.
Zachary High student earns perfect ACT score after 4 tries
This was not the first time that Owers and Stewart took the ACT. Owers said it was his second attempt after producing a 34 on his first try.
Stewart said she took the ACT for the first time during her freshman year.
After getting a perfect score on the test, Stewart said students should definitely practice for the test. Owers suggested developing the base skills needed to take the exam.
At school, Owers said he enjoys STEM and, to a lesser extent, English and History.
Stewart said she enjoys her art, band, and math classes. She wants to take that love of art and study it along with illustration in college.
Owers wants to focus on an engineering degree, specifically Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. He would like to turn that education into a career in mechatronics and robotics engineering.
Stewart said she would like to cultivate a career in concept art for cartoons, and/or create the backgrounds for them on TV.
Will NFL players appear in Olympic flag football? Vote expected soon
What's the guidance on prostate cancer screening? It's complicated.
Two high school juniors in Ascension Parish earn perfect score on ACT
Hawaiian Airlines plane evacuated after alleged bomb threat at San Diego airport
Trump expected to announce 'Golden Dome' space missile defenses that would cost billions
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Netflix UK Scripted Chief Bristles At 'TV Tourists' Barb After Success Of ‘Adolescence'
Netflix UK Scripted Chief Bristles At 'TV Tourists' Barb After Success Of ‘Adolescence'

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Netflix UK Scripted Chief Bristles At 'TV Tourists' Barb After Success Of ‘Adolescence'

Netflix has been quick to respond to criticism that the streamer behaved like a 'TV tourist' in commissioning hit series Adolescence. In one of the talking points of the Edinburgh TV Festival, Channel 4's news and current affairs boss Louisa Compton said the network was 'proud parents' of Adolescence because of how the network gave opportunities to co-creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham early in their careers. More from Deadline Netflix's 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 Teases New Looks & Location In First-Look Photos; Sets Premiere Date Roy Wood Jr. Predicts Stephen Colbert Will Become Leading Anti-Trump Voice On YouTube Next Year Paramount UK Chief Ben Frow Says Channel 5 Won't Be Sold After Skydance Merger 'We've developed and nurtured the talent that has allowed Netflix to come in as TV tourists and effectively commission [Adolescence],' said Compton. 'Without us, that wouldn't have happened.' Speaking during an Adolescence masterclass, Netflix's Mona Qureshi was asked for her response to Compton's comments. 'My initial response is consternation,' said the streamer's UK director of scripted series. The former BBC executive added: 'I don't think I'm a tourist — I've been around.' She added: 'Nothing about where I am, where we sit, and the conversations we had about Adolescence comes out of anything other than us, within the UK network team, being solely about finding shows and speaking to our local audience. 'We are all part of the same ecosystem. Adolescence simply came out of something which is us reading a script and responding to this fantastic creative team and just being utterly compelled by delivering from the get-go… No one's thinking global, let's make something globally. It's just about being in tune with what the local market wants, and what we as commissioners feel inspires and compels us.' Speaking during the same masterclass, writer Thorne said: 'I started at Channel 4. I was lucky enough to get my first shows away at Channel 4 … I'm really grateful for Channel 4, but I'm excited that Netflix is moving into this space.' 'I think the real problem we've got in TV at the moment is a certain conservatism that's crept in because of the recession,' he added. 'I think any broadcaster that's prepared to take a risk, a wild swing, which is what this show was, it should be applauded for it.' Adolescence is Netflix's second most-watched English-language show of all time. Executives from UK broadcasters have previously said that the show would have been too expensive for them to make without co-production money. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About 'The Boys' Prequel Series 'Vought Rising' So Far Solve the daily Crossword

Former KSW star Robert Ruchala surrounded himself with greatness ahead of 'dream' UFC debut
Former KSW star Robert Ruchala surrounded himself with greatness ahead of 'dream' UFC debut

USA Today

time6 hours ago

  • USA Today

Former KSW star Robert Ruchala surrounded himself with greatness ahead of 'dream' UFC debut

Robert Ruchala's patience paid off. For months, two-time KSW interim featherweight champion Ruchala (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) heard frustration from fans eager to see him step back in the cage. But he listened to those he trusted – including his manager, Joanna Jedrzejczyk. He put his head down and grinded with elite training partners at American Top Team. And then it happened. "My exercise was a lot of training and waiting," Ruchala told MMA Junkie in his first interview conducted in English. "In Poland after four or five months, I had a lot of haters because I waited. 'OK, Rob. Rob, why are you waiting for UFC?' Because the UFC is something big, yeah? It's my dream, and I had to wait for my chance. After seven months, I signed the contract in the U.S. because I was at ATT for camp. Joanna told me that I had the contract on my email, and I had to sign it." Ruchala, 27, was one of a handful of top-tier veteran signings the UFC has made in recent months. His friend and fellow Pole, KSW bantamweight champion Jakub Wiklacz, was offered a contract at the same time as he was. Known for his fun personality and creative social media posts, it was inevitable Ruchala would pull out all the stops for the biggest announcement of his career. He rounded up Wiklacz (16-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Jedrzejczyk and another Polish fighter Robert Ceremuga and asked them to put their acting skills to the test. "I like funny videos. I'm very creative," Ruchala said. "I like to record something for my social media. When I got the call from Joanna and Joanna told me the contract would send to my person for maybe one week, I told her that it will be good to record something special for the UFC contract. I asked my friend Jakub if it would be good to record something, something good. After this, in Poland and in Europe, it was very loud after this video. I'm happy. Bro, it's my biggest dream to join the UFC. It's the best league in the world, like the Champion's League in football. I'm very excited to join to the UFC, and I can't wait for my next fight." Embedded in greatness Ruchala has to pinch himself sometimes. His heroes have somehow become his peers. He not only has UFC Hall of Famer Jedrzejczyk as his manager, but he's embedded himself deep in the most elite training sub-circle of American Top Team. He was a key member of the camp for Dustin Poirier's retirement fight and trains with Mateusz Gamrot on a weekly basis. Ruchala doesn't take the experience for granted. He sparred 20 rounds with Poirier prior to the bout. "Dustin is my inspiration, and Max (Holloway) was the same," Ruchala said. "When I was a child, I always watched Max (Holloway) and Dustin Poirier fights. ... Sparring was very stressful for me because Dustin is the legend. After sparring, Dustin told me that it would be very good to train with me. "... Dustin told me a lot of good words in sparring and in after. For me, it was a very, very big experience after sparring. ... For me, it's crazy. Crazy I watched his fights as a child and then I sparred with him. Brother, Dustin trained at American Top Team with a small group of fighters, and I joined into this group. I joined into this group and trained with him. Crazy." The big debut and beyond Ruchala enters the UFC with about as impressive a 12-fight pro resume as humanly possible. He has six finishes in 11 victories, an 8-1 record in KSW, and his only loss came against Salahdine Parnasse, a fighter many believe is the best pound-for-pound outside the UFC. "I think I'm very uncomfortable to fight," Ruchala said. "I like the show. I like striking. I like all MMA. I think I'm a MMA fighter. I like striking. I like wrestling. I like Brazilian jiu-jitsu. But in the UFC, I want to give a show. In my fight, I always want to give you a show. In this fight, it will be a big challenge for me. I have to show something special." For his first UFC assignment, Ruchala will enter enemy territory Sept. 6 with a Paris debut against Frenchman William Gomis at UFC Fight Night 258. Gomis (14-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) aims to bounce back from his first promotional loss, which came by split decision against Hyder Amil in March. "For me, it's good to fight with Gomis because this is my debut," Ruchala said. "I think Gomis is a very good challenge for me, for my debut. Because Gomis fought in the UFC five times. For me, this is a big challenge. In KSW, I always had a lot of challenges. For example, I fought Lom-Ali Eskiev. I fought Salahdine Parnasse. I fought Kacper Formela. I had a lot of big fights and now this is my new challenge. This is something big. This is my debut in the UFC." "... It will be a good show for fans and it'll be very good for the fans. But I had a lot of training. I had a lot of competition fights. For me, it'll be good to show my skills. After finishing my contract in KSW, I made very big progress in my game. I had a lot of trips to other clubs and now I'm a different fighter. I want to show you my new skills." With a victory, Ruchala thinks ranked opposition will be next. Given his experience outside the promotion, a title run could be fast-tracked. To hold UFC gold is unsurprisingly the ultimate goal. "I think when I win vs. Gomis, I think it'll be very good for me to fight with top-15," Ruchala said. "But I'm focused on my debut. I always focus on my fights. After, I will see. Because this is a fight. I have to focus on my fight now. "... I watched a lot of fights in my division and I feel I can (win gold). I have always been into the sport. For me, it's the biggest dream to fight for the UFC belt and in a championship bout. I think I can. But I have to wait. I have to wait. Because now I focus on my fight and after I will see."

Mondo Duplantis is inaugural Ultimate Star for World Athletics Ultimate Championship
Mondo Duplantis is inaugural Ultimate Star for World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Mondo Duplantis is inaugural Ultimate Star for World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Mondo Duplantis, who on Tuesday broke the men's pole vault world record for a 13th time, has been named World Athletics' inaugural Ultimate Star ahead of next year's first World Athletics Ultimate Championship. In the role, Duplantis will be "one of a select number of key collaborators pursuing their cultural passions outside of athletics in music, fashion, art, on-screen, who will promote the new global season-ending championship," according to World Athletics. In a press release, World Athletics President Seb Coe called Duplantis "one of the megastars of our sport." 'We're always looking for new ways to make sure that the spotlight shines on athletics and the Ultimate will light up Budapest," Duplantis said in the release. "I have great memories of winning world gold two years ago (in Budapest) and remember the incredible atmosphere inside the stadium that night. It would be a dream to break the world record in front of a packed crowd next year. 'This event is set to showcase our sport like never before, and I can't wait to be a part of it.' The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is an exclusive, biennial season-ending track and field meet for even years without a World Outdoor Championships. The first edition will be in Budapest from Sept. 11-13, 2026, with 28 events total, including the senior global championship debut of the mixed-gender 4x100m relay. World Athletics announced last year that the meet will include fields of eight to 16 athletes per individual event. Those fields will be based primarily on world rankings with no limits on athletes per country. Track events will have semifinals and finals. Field events will have strictly finals. All reigning Olympic gold medalists, world champions and Diamond League season champions are guaranteed spots in their respective events. Athletes will wear national team uniforms. Duplantis was among the first 26 athletes who qualified for the Ultimate Championship by winning their events at the Paris Olympics. Simone Biles, Mondo Duplantis lead Laureus World Sports Awards winners Simone Biles became the second woman to win Laureus Athlete of the Year four times after Serena Williams. Nick Zaccardi,

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store