Seward High Junior, Lauren Frihauf was presented the first Seward “Woman of Note” award at the recent meeting of the award sponsor- the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club. She was recently named the first female from Seward High become a State Champion in Wrestling. Lauren is a scholar, student leader and also involved in Cross Country and Track at SHS.
The award was presented at the March 12th meeting at the Seward Memorial Library. The award was created to honor living women in the Great Seward area who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and well representing community spirit! The club plans to present and recognize ten women during 2025- as part of the GFWC Seward Womans Club’s 125th Anniversary/Birthday.
Lauren was presented with a framed, signed certificate of recognition and appreciation and some special Seward mementos. L-R Lauren Frihauf and Angela Belew- GFWC Seward Woman’s Club President!

SHS Senior, Edison Knott of rural Seward, was selected to be the March Youth Rotarian by the Seward Rotary Club and honored on Wednesday, at the noon luncheon meeting of the Seward Rotary Club in the Jones Bank Auditorium.  He was introduced by Rotarian Amber Fiala.  He is the son of Nate and Mindy Knott. 

Edison has learned the value of academics and has been involved in a host of dual credit and AP Classes at Seward High School.  He is a member of the SHS Academic Honor Roll consecutively and a willing tutor when called upon by other students.

Edison loves every aspect of sports at Seward High and every year kicked off that love of sports by participating in the SHS Football program.  He was very successful and was one of the few that started the SHS Football Varsity Team as a Sophomore.  His football honors include “All Conference,” three-year letterman, “All State Honorable Mention”-Junior Year and “All State” in Football his Senior Year.  His senior year football team was very successful and qualified for the State play-offs.  Eddie has been selected to represent SHS at the Shrine Bowl this summer.

He is a three-year letterman with the SHS Basketball program and an SHS Varsity Basketball Team starter both his Junior and Senior years. 

Edison is involved in the SHS Track and Field program-participating in both the High Jump and the Pole Vault.  He is a three-year letterman in “Track and Field” and was a state qualifier in both events-Pole Vault and High Jump-placing First at Districts in Pole Vault and Second at Districts in High Jump. 

He is a senior leader with the Seward High Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and participates in local projects as well as various FBLA Workshops and State Conferences.

He has been employed by the Sloup/Thorell Detasseling Company in the summer and the Extra Innings Roguing Crew of Seward.  He has also worked as an official for the Seward Parks and Recreation for their youth sports when needed. 

Edison will be going to Doane University next fall.

His community service-“Service Above Self” efforts  have revolved around assisting with a host of youth athletic events.  He also participated in a variety of community service efforts by the SHS FBLA.  He has served as a camp counselor for the Summer Horizons Camp, along with a host of summer camps and workshops for youth football and youth basketball.  He has volunteered to assist with Youth Basketball Tournaments helping with the clock.  Edison ran the clock, worked at the concessions and prepared the fields for many Junior Jay’s Baseball Tournaments as well. 

Edison was recognized and honored at the Rotary Club meeting for his leadership in the classroom and on the athletic fields and thanked for a successful high school career.  He was presented with a Rotary Club banner for his graduation table and a packet of information on Seward and Seward Rotary. 

He is now a finalist for the Seward Rotary Club Youth Rotarian of the Year scholarship and receives a book scholarship and is recognized at Honors Night in May by the Rotary Club.  The Seward Rotary Club recognizes ten outstanding SHS students a year -from August to May.   Applications can be obtained from the Counselor’s Office at Seward High.

The 2025 SHS Academic Decathlon Team was recognized and honored at the February 26^th Seward Rotary Luncheon Meeting at the Jones Bank Auditorium.  They were honored for earning the Medium School State Championship Trophy at the recent Nebraska Academic Decathlon Team State Contest at Bellevue University. They were invited to have a  luncheon with the Rotary Club members and introduced by Rotary President Anita Foor and SHS Counselor and AD Coach and Sponsor Noelle Baker.

Mrs Baker shared what the Academic Decathlon is and how it operates.  The team first had to win the Regional Contest to qualify for state and then take all the tests again-new ones- at the state level, plus write an essay, give a speech, have an individual interview and participate in a Quiz Bowl competition.  The tests were online and included topics of Math, Economics, Social Science, Science, Music, Art, Literature and Language Arts. 

Individual medals were presented, and the team score was compiled to name the SHS AD Team the State Champions in the Medium Division-they placed fourth overall-losing to Mt Michael, Creighton Prep, Gretna and then Seward. Team captain, Jack Schulz was the top individual score generator both at the Regionals and the State Level.

Schulz shared the fun experiences at the two-day contest in Omaha and thanked the Seward Rotary Club for being the team’s sponsor and furnishing the team with Team Tee Shirts and many “treats” during the tests both at regionals and at the state level.  The official sponsors for the team are both the Seward Rotary Club and the School District of Seward High Ability Learner program (HAL). This was a new project for the Seward Rotary Club and considered one of our “official” youth projects for the Rotary Club’s Centennial year in 2025!

They also shared with the membership the full-page ad honoring the students in the Seward Independent and thanked the advertisers for promoting and recognizing these students.  The members were each presented with an individual, signed certificate of recognition by the Seward Rotary to the members of the team and the team shared their Championship Trophy at the meeting.  The team will again be recognized on the May SHS Honors Night and share their success at that event as well. 

Members of the AD team include Noelle Baker-SHS Coach and Spondor,  Nathan Shafer, Connor Sveeggen, Elizabeth Pracheil, Jack Schulz, Abigayil Wunderlich, Liam Krahulik, Dylan Hochstein, Lincoln Stockwell, and David Shiner.

Photo: L-R SHS AD Coach and Sponsor-Noelle Baker,  and AD Team Members Nathan Shafer, Connor Sveeggen, Elizabeth Pracheil, Jack Schulz, Abigayil Wunderlich, Liam Krahulik, Dylan Hochstein, Lincoln Stockwell, David Shiner, Seward Rotary President Anita Foor