At the March 2025 Board Meeting, the Board of Trustees recognized outstanding achievements across Allen ISD.
Boys Basketball Advances to State Semifinals
The Allen ISD Board of Trustees proudly celebrated the Allen High School boys basketball team for a record-setting season. The team reached the UIL Playoff State Semifinals, secured the District 6-6A Championship, and were named Regional Champions, finishing with an impressive 34-2 record.
Team roster:
Antonio Shannon
Trent Pane
Antoine Shannon
Nehemiah Lawrence
Shiyan Amedi
Nnamdi Ubawike
Isaiah Dozier
Khalil Walker
Austin Lowenberg
Sylan Matlock-Reed
Cade Erickson
Deandre Thomas Jr.
Nathan Zerby
Langston Mosley
Gabriel Osorio
Jacob Javelona
Coaching and support staff:
Head Coach: Clark Cipoletta
Assistant Coaches: Chris Blakeley, Grayson McClure, John Olchak, Kingsley Akinwole
Managers: Daniel Williams, Fedor Fedechkin, Karter Brown
Student Trainers: Chloe Portlock, Max Estrada
Swim and Dive Team Competes at State Meet
Ten Allen High School student-athletes were recognized by the Board for competing at the UIL 6A State Swim & Dive Meet held in Austin. Several earned top finishes in the state:
Katelynn Zhou – 4th place, Girls' 200-yard Individual Medley; 12th place, 100-yard Freestyle
Nathan Jacobbe – 10th place, Boys' 200-yard Individual Medley
Girls’ 200-yard Medley Relay – 16th place (Janelle Zhou, Ella Villano, Phoebe Brookner, Katelynn Zhou)
Additional participants:
Girls Team: Phoebe Brookner, Georgia Hyland, Janelle Zhou, Ella Villano, Katelynn Zhou
Boys Team: Conner Broderick, Andy Chou, Nathan Jacobbe, Tiago Silvia, Kian Mir Mehrkar
Coaches: Brent Mitchell and James Vaughn
Justin Quest Named Tennis Coach of the Year
The Board recognized Allen High School Tennis Coach Justin Quest for being named the Texas High School Coaches Association’s 2024-2025 Tennis Coach of the Year. The award, based on peer nominations from across Texas, recognizes outstanding coaching and leadership.
Students Earn Top Awards at Regional Science Fairs
The Board honored elementary, middle, and high school students for earning top awards at regional science fairs, with several advancing to the state level.
Elementary Division – Regional Science Fair
Grand Prize:
Luke Perkins, 1st Grade, Cheatham – "Rev It Up," Physical Science
Dylan Pastorelli, 6th Grade, Olson – "Automatic Irrigation System," Engineering
First Place:
Mrityunjay Kartik, 3rd Grade, Kerr – "The Hydraulic Launcher," Engineering
Evan Kim, 3rd Grade, Vaughan – "Bubble Blast," Physical Science
Madison Wallace, 4th Grade, Marion – "Ants in the Dark vs. Ants in the Light," Life Science
Lillian Sun, 4th Grade, Cheatham – "Remote Control Dog Door," Engineering
Sreshta Kodali & Ayushi Tammana, 4th Grade, Vaughan – "Solar Desalination to Solve the Water Crisis," Physical Science
Second Place:
Hemamkari Gorrela, Green – "Puff Switch," Engineering
Darsh Singh, 5th Grade, Boon – "Self-Illuminated Crosswalk," Engineering
Aarva Khurna, 6th Grade, Preston – "Can You Taste the Color?" Life Science
Pranshul Pati, 6th Grade, Cheatham – "Good Write," Engineering
Third Place:
Charlotte Petrosino, 6th Grade, Boon – "Plants vs. Music," Life Science
Makena Amadon & Aadhya Vivek, 6th Grade, Lindsey – "Rerouting Rural Roads," Engineering
Honorable Mention:
Sahana Rakesh & Janisha Isamudra, 2nd Grade, Preston – "The Ultimate Bottle Flip," Physical Science
Siddharth Pundru, 3rd Grade, Boon – "Saltwater Electric Circuit," Physical Science
Secondary Division – Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
First Place (Advancing to State):
Nikhitha Swaminathan, 8th Grade, Ereckson – Mathematics
Nikila Swaminathan, 11th Grade, Allen High School – Translational Medical Science
Second Place (Advancing to State):
Devaj Bhogireddy, 10th Grade, Allen High School – Computational Biology and Bioinformation
Adrian Lin, 11th Grade, Allen High School – Engineering Technology: Statics
Abhirama Sonny, 10th Grade, Allen High School – Biomedical and Health Sciences
Special Awards
First Place:
Sebin James, Junior – Space Exploration Scholarship, National Space Society of North Texas
Third Place – Terracon Environmental Excellence Award:
Avishi Kamal, Junior
Arushi Kamal, Junior
Madeline Nie, Junior
Other Special Recognitions:
Nikila Swaminathan, Junior – Kathryn and Ashley H. Priddy Award, Southwestern Medical Foundation
Nikhitha Swaminathan, 8th Grade, Ereckson – Best Electronics or Computing Project, Texas Instruments
Aristaa Bhardwaj, Junior – Most Outstanding 11th Grade Exhibit, Yale Science and Engineering Association, Inc.
Purchasing Department Earns Statewide Operations Award
The Board recognized the Allen ISD Purchasing Department for receiving the 2025 TASBO Award of Merit for Purchasing Operations. This marks the fifth consecutive year the department has earned the award, given to only 80 districts statewide.
Staff:
Luis Rosado
Jennifer Graves
Tim Carter
Amy Pedison
Deann Riley
Shannon Beck
Tracy McGoldrick
Keith Taylor
Communications Department Wins State Honors
The Board recognized the Allen ISD Communications Department for receiving multiple honors from the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) for work completed during the 2023–2024 school year.
Star Award:
Steven Offield – Press Box Redesign (Commemorative)
Gold Star Awards:
Renee Cunningham – New Family Information Card (Invitation)
Renee Cunningham – "Green Elementary Chefs" (Writing)
Steven Offield – 2024 Employee Awards Program (Program)
Steven Offield – Security Monitor Facebook Ad (Advertisement)
Steven Offield & Jesse Oquist – "Primary Teacher of the Year" (Video)
Keith A. Taylor – "AHS Cheer Squad" (Writing)
Keith A. Taylor – "Skygazing" and "Naval Pilot Program" (Published News Features)
Keith A. Taylor – "Curtis Middle School Virtual Reality" (Photography)
Silver Star Awards:
SOAR Magazine, Spring 2024 – Renee Cunningham, David Hicks, Steven Offield, Jesse Oquist, Keith A. Taylor, Tracey Bradley
Keith A. Taylor – The Loop Staff Newsletter (E-Newsletter)
Bronze Star Award:
Steven Offield – Convocation Logo (Logo, Trademark, Symbol)
