Mesa Ridge High School Explained

Mesa Ridge High School is a school in Widefield School District 3, a school district in El Paso County, Colorado. The school is zoned to receive students from Fountain, and the Colorado Springs suburbs of Security and Widefield. Mesa Ridge opened in 1997. The first graduating class commenced in 2000. Mesa Ridge is the newest of three high schools in the district, after Widefield High School and Discovery High School. The district also includes a K-12 online school, The Haven.

Academics

Mesa Ridge is a comprehensive public high school offering traditional high school courses as well as honors and Advanced Placement, Career & Technical Programs, and Concurrent Enrollment.^[2]

Career & Technical (CTE) Programs include Automotive Services; Business Management & Marketing; Cabinetry and General Construction through the MiLL; Cosmetology through ISSA; Information Technology; and Work-Based Learning.^[2]

Mesa Ridge also offers Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a national program that brings together industry, higher education, and public schools to prepare students for post-secondary careers. Students can study Biomedical Science and Engineering.^[2]

Mesa Ridge is also an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) school.^[3] AVID is a national program designed to close college opportunity gaps.^[4] In 2021, 100% of Mesa Ridge students enrolled in AVID were accepted to 2-year or 4-year colleges.^[5]

Activities

Mesa Ridge High School has many clubs, organizations and activities. In 2021, the school offered nearly 30 clubs for students to participate in, as well as co-curricular programs like Marching Band, Sources of Strength, Yearbook, Student Cabinet, and NJROTC.^[6]

Marching band

• In 2009, The Pride of Mesa Ridge received the GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Award and $5000 from the GRAMMY Foundation.^[7]
• In 2016, The Pride of Mesa Ridge was featured in the song "Fine On My Own" By the alt rock band Trapdoor Social.^[8]

NJROTC

• The NJROTC unit won the Colorado Navy Drill, Physical Fitness and Academic Championship 15 years in a row (2000-2014).^[9]

Winter guard & percussion ensemble

• The Winter Guard team has won five State Championships (2001, 2006, 2012, 2022, 2023).^[10]
• The Mesa Ridge Percussion Ensemble won State in 2012.^[11]

Other activities

• The mathematics club has had distinguished achievements, including a first-place finish in the 2005 Colorado State University-Pueblo mathematics competition. The team has produced honorable mentions several times in school history.

Athletics

Mesa Ridge offers the following athletic programs:^[12]

• Baseball
• Basketball (men's/women's)
• Cheer (co-ed)
• Cross Country
• eSports
• Football
• Golf (men's/women's)
• Soccer (men's/women's)
• Softball
• Swimming (men's/women's). This is a combined team with Widefield High School. Athletes are known as the Grizzliators.
• Tennis (men's/women's)
• Track & Field
• Volleyball (women's)
• Volleyball (men's). This is a combined team with Widefield High School. Athletes are known as the Grizzliators.
• Wrestling (men's/women's)

Achievements

Basketball (women's)

• In 2014, the team won the 4A State Championship title.^[13]

Basketball (men's)

• In 2024, the team won the 5A State Championship title.^{[14] [15]}
• In 2023, the team won the 5A State Championship title.^[16]

Winter Guard

• In 2023, the team won the RMCGA Scholastic AA State Championship.^[17]
• In 2022, the team won the State Championship title.^[18]

Wrestling

• In 2024, Isabella Cross (110) won the 4A Women's State Championship^{[19] [20]}
• In 2024, Isaiah Jones (165) won the 4A Men's State Championship^{[19] [20]}
• In 2023, Isabella Cross (125) won the 4A Women's State Championship,^[21] becoming the first female state wrestling champion in Widefield School District history.

Notable alumni

• Kylie Shook (Class of 2016). WNBA (New York Liberty).^[22]
• Fatima Maddox (Class of 2003), WNBA (Houston Comets). Harlem Globetrotters.^[23]

External links

• Widefield School District 3

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mesa Ridge High School. National Center for Education Statistics. February 26, 2021.
2. Web site: Academics - Mesa Ridge HS. 2021-12-21. mrhs.wsd3.org. en-US.
3. Web site: AVID - Mesa Ridge HS. 2021-12-21. mrhs.wsd3.org. en-US.
4. Web site: AVID® / Closing the Opportunity Gap in Education. 2021-12-21. www.avid.org. en.
5. Web site: About Us - Mesa Ridge HS. 2021-12-21. mrhs.wsd3.org. en-US.
6. Web site: Activities - Mesa Ridge HS. 2021-12-21. mrhs.wsd3.org. en-US.
7. Web site: MCGRAW. CAROL. It's music to their ears: Mesa Ridge HS gets $5k from Grammy Foundation. 2021-12-21. Colorado Springs Gazette. 5 May 2009 . en.
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4hELdrMNUc/ Trapdoor Social - Fine On My Own ft. The Pride of Mesa Ridge
9. Web site: carol. mcgraw. Mesa Ridge JROTC takes state championship. 2021-12-21. Colorado Springs Gazette. 27 January 2014 . en.
10. Web site: 2011-02-02. Archives. 2021-12-21. Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association. en-US.
11. Web site: RMPA. 2021-12-21. rmpa.org.
12. Web site: MHS Teams - Mesa Ridge HS. 2021-12-21. mrhs.wsd3.org. en-US.
13. Web site: 2014-03-15. Mesa Ridge defeats Broomfield for Class 4A girls basketball title. 2021-12-21. The Denver Post. en-US.
14. Web site: 2024-03-09 . 5A Boys Basketball: Mesa Ridge Wins Back-to-Back Championships . 2024-03-15 . chsaanow.com . en.
15. Web site: 2024-03-09 . Bryce Riehl scores 30 points to lead Mesa Ridge past Windsor to win second straight Class 5A title . 2024-03-15 . The Denver Post . en-US.
16. Web site: 5A boys basketball: Mesa Ridge caps off perfect season with program's first championship . 2023-03-18 . chsaanow.com . 11 March 2023 . en.
17. Web site: The Pride of Mesa Ridge - Color Guard . 2024-01-16 . sites.google.com . en-US.
18. Web site: MRHS Winter Guard outperforms the competition to earn state title . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406163928/https://www.epcan.com/story/2022/04/06/sports/mrhs-winter-guard-outperforms-the-competition-to-earn-state-title/11882.html . 2022-04-06 . 2023-03-18 . Fountain Valley News . en.
19. Web site: Gazette . The . 2024-02-18 . State wrestling finals recap: 10 local athletes bring home state titles . 2024-03-15 . Colorado Springs Gazette . en.
20. Web site: 2024-02-17 . Five Teams, 196 Individuals Win State Wrestling Titles . 2024-03-15 . chsaanow.com . en.
21. Web site: Mohrmann . Dan . 2023-02-19 . Running list of 2023 CHSAA state wrestling champions . 2024-03-15 . Colorado Preps . en.
22. Web site: 2020-06-27. Colorado native Kylee Shook embarks on rookie WNBA season: "It feels great representing my state". 2021-12-21. The Denver Post. en-US.
23. Web site: 2015-03-05 . Mesa Ridge alum Fatima Maddox "made to be Globetrotter" . 2024-03-15 . The Denver Post . en-US.