Tiger Trap Team excels this year
By Carmen Ensinger
The Greenfield/Northwestern Tiger Trap Team had an outstanding year and presented their accolades to the Greenfield School Board at their June 23 meeting.
Head Coach Brandi Rynders said the team had an outstanding 2025 season. They fielded 18 athletes in trap singles, seven in skeet and five in sporting clays.
Competing through the USA Clay Target League, the team represents their school at the conference, state and national levels. Their hard work paid off with a major accomplishment – earning the title of 2025 1A State Champions in Trap.
Multiple individual awards were received during the season as well. Five trap team members have qualified to compete at the National Shoot in Mason, Mich.
Superintendent Andy Stumpf informed the board about the reason for the increase from Prairie State Insurance Cooperative. The District’s insurance package for property and casualty insurance and workman’s comp will see a 22% increase.
“One of the main reasons for this increase is because if something happens to one of our buildings, like a tornado or fire, the cost to replace that building has gone up,” Stumpf said. “The valuation is way higher than it was six or seven years ago, pre-COVID and so that is why we are seeing such a big increase there.”
With the retirement of District Architect Tony Audo, the District was forced to look for another firm. After careful consideration and interviewing several different firms, the board approved Steckel Parker Architects of Springfield.
The board approved a one year extension on the Superintendent’s contract and approved an alteration to the Director of Maintenance contract.
“We had to amend our Director of Maintenance, Shannon Seaton’s, contract because he is also taking on the position of high school custodian,” Stumpf said. “We didn’t end up getting anyone for that position so he is just going to assume it, which required amending his contract.”
In other action, the board:
- Approved one-on-one aide Heide Dowland to transfer to classroom teacher aide.
- Hired teacher aide Ashley Becker.
- Hired full-time cook Melissa Walden.
- Hired pee wee girls basketball head coach Jessica Vetter.
- Hired Julie Williams as Dean of Students for the 2025-26 school year.
- Accepted the resignation of DeAnna McClure as Title I teacher.
- Accepted the resignation of Emily Eitzenhefer as special education teacher.
- Accepted resignation of high school softball head coach Krisse Pitchford.
- Approved three-year Notice of Retirement for Karen Krotz.
