The first LDE, leadership development event, was held at the Mizzou Agricultural building in Columbia, Missouri. The knowledge team, made up of students Owen Harrison, Skylar Woody, David Bollman, and Bristol Morgan, and division one speaker, David Bollman, attended. Results from this event included the following: 6th place overall - Knowledge team, 4th individual overall - Owen Harrison, 1st place D1 Speaker - David Bollman. 

The next LDE competition is going to be held in Centralia on March 9th where the knowledge team, division one speaker, and creed speaker, Bristol Morgan, will compete. 

March 6th was the first CDE, career development event, taking the dairy foods team, floriculture team, and poultry team. Knowledge will also be in participation. These team participants are:

• Dairy foods: Mason Million, Maesyn Wayman, Monica Wahl, and Chloe Summers

• Floriculture: Lizzy Dameron, John McNamara, Toby Wolfe, and Nautica Brucker

• Poultry: Jacob Fish, Kaylee Knight, Ethan Million, and Sophia Mayfield

The teams traveled to Brunswick where the floriculture and knowledge team were competing, and then the poultry and dairy foods team was transported to Carrelton for them to compete there. The results were as follows:

• Knowledge: 6th place out of 52 teams

• Dairy Foods: 34th place out of 44 teams

• Floriculture: 22nd place out of 56 teams

• Poultry: 22nd place out of 43 teams

The Madison FFA chapter also has a dairy cattle evaluation team, and their first competition is the Columbia CDE, held on March 7. This team consists of seniors Tanner Wood, Raylee Griffith, Michael Winn, and Melena Bollman. They placed 16th out of 20 teams.

High school spring baseball is a time filled with energy, teamwork and excitement. As the weather starts to warm up and the fields dry out, players return after basketball to get back into the grove of things. Practice after school often brings long hours of drills  including lbatting practice, fielding, throwing, pitching and more.

The spring baseball season brings returning players from the fall season: Michael Winn, Carson Chick, Tanner Wood, Jacob Jackson, Jacob Fish, Brady Bollman, Lizzy Dameron, Sienna Brush, Toby Wolfe, Wyatt Tooley, Landon Rodgers, Mason Million, Connor Chick, David Bollman, Owen Harrison, Kayden McWilliams, Peyton Nickerson, and Justin Purdy.

This spring season allows the panther's to build upon skills gained from the fall season and offers more time to practice, whether it is inside or outside. With the reality of 4 senior pitchers leaving the program at the end of this year, new pitchers are being developed to prepare for next year. The spring season has also seen the addition of several junior varsity games which is a great opportunity for younger players to put their skills to work in live games. 

The spring season is in full swing at Madison, and with it comes one of the school’s most anticipated sports: track and field. Known for its wide range of events, track gives every athlete a chance to shine whether it’s sprinting down the straightaway, launching a shot put, or soaring through the air in jumping events. 

This year’s team is bigger than ever, fueled by determination, energy, and a strong sense of school pride. From day one, athletes have been putting in the work. Practices have been filled with focus and intensity as both returning competitors and new faces push themselves to improve speed, strength, and technique. There’s a clear excitement surrounding the team this season, and it’s already showing in their performances. 

That excitement carried into the first high school meet on March 26 in Monroe City, where Madison athletes wasted no time making an impact. The team turned in a strong and well-rounded performance, with several athletes placing across multiple events. Leading the charge was Kaylee Knight, who sprinted to a 2nd-place finish in the 100-meter dash and leaped to 3rd in the triple jump. She also added top-eight finishes in long jump (8th) and discus (5th), showcasing her versatility and athleticism. 

Jake Jackson made his presence known on the track as well, finishing 5th in the 400-meter dash and 6th in the 100-meter dash. Devyn Andrade contributed across several events, placing 9th in the 400-meter dash, 10th in the 100-meter dash, and 8th in the high jump.In the field events, Lizzy Dameron delivered a strong performance with a 6th-place finish in shot put, 7th in discus, and 9th in javelin. 

Chloe Summers also competed well, placing 10th in discus and improving to 9th in shot put. Jacob Fish rounded out the results with a 10th-place finish in shot put. Overall, the Monroe City meet highlighted the team’s depth and potential. With athletes consistently placing and gaining valuable early-season experience, it’s clear that Madison track is off to a promising start. 

The season is just getting started, with the junior high team set to open their season on April 2 in Paris. With strong leadership from Coach Knight at the high school level and Coach Franklin for junior high, the program continues to build a positive, hardworking culture. If the first meet is any indication, Madison track is on pace for an exciting and memorable 2026 season one full of growth, competition, and Panther pride. 

March marks the height of contest season for FFA, and members have been actively competing. Both Career Development Events (CDE) and Leadership Development Events (LDE) teams have already participated in several contests, with a few remaining. Among these teams, one has distinguished itself above the rest. The Madison FFA Knowledge Team has proven to be the most successful team in the chapter. The team consists of Owen Harrison, David Bollman, Bristol Morgan, and Skylar Woody. To date, they have participated in seven contests.

• Mizzou LDE: team placed 6th

• Brunswick CDE: team placed 6th

• Centralia LDE: team placed 1st

• California LDE: team placed 2nd

• Paris CDE: team placed 2nd

• Area LDE: team placed 2nd (advancing to districts)

• NCMC CDE: team placed 2nd

Overall, the Knowledge Team has demonstrated significant progress throughout the season, and Mrs. Haverkamp has expressed great pride in their accomplishments. Based on their continued improvement and performance, the team is well-positioned to advance to the state level.

In the month of March the junior class sold Shakespeare's pizzas to fundraise for their junior prom. This had a very successful turnout! It was the class goal for each student to sell 10 pizzas and every student reached this goal and some exceeded it. Ethan Million scoured the town and the many people he knew and sold around 35 pizzas in total. The delivery of the pizzas will be April 2nd. If you were one that purchased a pizza they will be delivered as soon as possible by the person you purchased them from. 

John MacNamara has moved on onto bigger and better things. Now that he has a license he has found how much gas it takes to go to sonic and get a number 16. Therefore he decided to go job hunting. 

He found himself getting an interview at the Paris Pharmacy. After getting the job he was informed he needed a pharmacy licence. He got the license online and went to MACC where he had his finger prints submitted for a background check. 

After getting his licence he is a Pharmacy Technician, John's after school routine has changed. John can now be found making pharmacy deliveries to senior living homes. So next time you are in Paris swing by and give him a visit.