The Lynx Way

BV’s Lippert named ‘ARC Female Athlete of the Week’

Buena Vista junior Chloe Lippert has been on a hot streak as of late, and last week was named the American Rivers Conference Female Athlete of the Wee (Sept. 11-17).

Lippert scored her first two career goals earlier this season, and last week added to that total with her first career hat trick during a 6-0 win at Maranatha Baptist on Sept. 14. It was also the program’s first hat trick since 2016.

The Sioux Falls native and Brandon Valley High School graduate, followed up the next week with a strong start by scoring the team’s first goal during a 3-0 non-conference road win at Faith Baptist Bible College.

Lippert now has a team-leading six goals this season and 14 total points which is ranked in the top-4 of the ARC. She’s the program’s first to earn such weekly honors since 2015.

Bastian named to Oregon State University honor roll

Abigail Bastian, of Brandon, was named to the Scholastic Honor Roll for Summer 2023  semester at Oregon State University. 

A total of 3,385 students earned a B-plus (3.5) or better to make the listing. To be on the Honor Roll, students must carry at least 6 graded hours of course work.

Brandon students selected to play with opera troupe

The Friday, Sept. 22, presentation of Puccini’s “La Boheme” brought an internationally-recognized opera troupe to South Dakota State University.

Designed to demystify the art form and present accomplished musicians both on stage and in the pit orchestra, the show provided opportunities for 30 Jackrabbit students to perform in the world’s most frequently presented opera. Among the student performers from Brandon are Mercedes Lodmell and Grace Wilford.

The students had to audition and commit to 16 hours of rehearsals.

David Reynolds, director of the SDSU School of Performing Arts, said opera is not new to the prairie and Midwest audiences.

“There are historic connections with opera and the migration to the great American West,” Reynolds said. “Most fledgling communities felt they were finally on the map when they were able to host their first opera. I am thrilled that the Oscar Larson Theatre was a stop for Teatro Lirico D’Europa and that Brookings has the opportunity to see for itself what magic lies in store.”

Part of the Woodbine Productions performance series, “La Boheme” is the first opera to be presented in the 18 years of the program, but the story being told is surprisingly familiar to many who love theater and music.

“‘La Boheme’ is especially significant to contemporary musical theatre artists, as it is the basis for Jonathan Larson’s widely influential and generation-defining musical, ‘Rent,’” SDSU theatre instructor Casey Paradies explained. “The fact that a professional company is visiting us is an enormous gift to our students’ creative education.”