Staff & Reader Submitted

Coppell Cowboys and Cowgirls Battle Weather at Marcus Invitational

Patricia Chi — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 16:02:36 Z

The Coppell cross-country teams had the opportunity to race at the Coach T. Marcus Invitational this weekend at North Lakes Park in Denton, the same course where District will be held in October. Running the course early provides valuable experience, but storms forced the cancellation of the JV boys and JV girls races, sidelining about 40 Coppell runners. That left the Varsity squads to lead the way against more than 100 schools, many among the states toughest programs.

Despite the challenging conditions of heat and mud, Coppells Varsity athletes, including Maya Easterwood and Diego Morales, delivered standout performances.

Coachs Highlights on the Cowgirls

In the Elite Varsity Girls race, Coppell finished 13th out of 31 teams. Senior Maya Easterwood dominated from start to finish, winning the race while setting the pace alone at the front. Freshmen Finleigh Sanders-Burk and Rachel Stumm followed as Coppells 2nd and 3rd finishers, both posting mid-19-minute times that exceeded expectations. Anusha Patki and Bishakha Sinha rounded out the top five with strong efforts in their first high school 5K races. Four of Coppells top five finishers were freshmen, a promising sign for the future.

In the Varsity Girls Open division, Coppell placed 29th out of 36 teams. Charlotte Baade led the way for the Cowgirls, with Hannah Stumm and Vanini Agarwal following close behind.

Coachs Highlights on the Cowboys

The Elite Varsity Boys finished 16th out of 43 teams. Senior Diego Morales and sophomore Sam Meier paced Coppell with strong races, while Rohit Kalpathy, Sidharth Kerthipati, and freshman Tyler Kim rounded out the top five. For Kim, it was an impressive debut at the 5K distance.

The Varsity Boys Open team earned Coppells top finish of the day, placing 9th out of 45 squads in a race of 384 runners. Seven Coppell athletes placed in the top 102, led by Itsuki Pena, Vihaan Sahni, Srivanth Rudrangi, Marco Noyola, and Lukas Stumm. Pena and Sahni also ran the 6th and 7th fastest times of all Coppell athletes on the day.

Coachs Perspective

Coach Wren summed up the weekend:

Overall, Im extremely encouraged by what I saw from the athletes that were able to run on Saturday. We have a lot of talented runners that either ran their first 5K ever or their first one in a while. I look forward to continuing to build in practice this week leading up to the Southlake Carroll Invitational next weekend.

Looking Ahead

Next up, Coppell will compete on September 6 at the Southlake 5K Cross Country Invitational. The meet will provide another early-season test for both the Cowboys and Cowgirls as they continue to build experience at the 5K distance. The program will aim to carry its momentum forward and keep improving with each race.

Until next time, Coppell Cross Country will keep pushing forward!

Contact Information

For more details or to support Coppell High Schools Cross Country program, please contact:
Patricia Chi
Email: chi.patricia@gmail.com
Cell: (469) 831-3709

Community Unites to Build 52 Beds for North Texas Children

Kara Schofield — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:00:00 Z

Prosper, TX On Saturday, June 1, distant rain clouds threatened the sky, but that did not thwart the dedicated Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) staff wearing red shirts with the motto No kid sleeps on the floor in our town. With the gracious help of interfaith groups and humanitarian funds granted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the nonprofit produced 52 handmade beds in about two hours to meet an ongoing demand in communities across North Texas.

SHP has been building and delivering fully furnished beds for communities nationwide since 2012. The idea began with one family in Idaho wanting to give back to their community and build a single bed for a family in need. The leftover wood became another bed, and the family soon discovered that they could connect this same need in other communities with volunteers ready to help. The organization has now built and delivered 200,000 beds to individuals and families through more than 300 locally based chapters in 44 U.S. states and four countries.

For this project organized by the Sleep in Heavenly Peace - TX, Dallas/Fort Worth chapter, SHP volunteer Curtis Green gave safety instructions and supervised the work. Approximately 180 youth and adults from the Church of Jesus Christ, the Islamic Center of Frisco (ICF), and the Walnut Grove High School and Rock Hill High School archery teams gathered to construct each beds frames, slats, and headboards. SHP has perfected the construction process by setting up stations in an assembly line where volunteers can focus on just one or two tasks, such as carrying fresh-cut lumber to stations or sanding, assembly, staining and branding. When the rain did start that afternoon, the crew was ready with tents and awnings, allowing the work to go forward.

When asked about her interest in the Sleep in Heavenly Peace mission, Angela Johnson, a JustServe coordinator for Prosper, commented, I had never heard of SHP prior to speaking with a JustServe specialist for Carrollton [who had been involved in a bed build for SHP]. I loved the idea of that project. As she researched more about it, she worked to bring together the nonprofit organization, the volunteers, and the funding for the project.

Ellie Schofield, a recent high school graduate, shared her feelings about this kind of service. Ive never done a type of volunteering like this, where were building something and [doing] a hands-on experience like this for my own community. ... Its really a cool experience to be able to do this for somewhere in my own community, knowing that it is impacting people around us.

Saba Ilyas and Rafia Munir measured out and wrapped bed slats for transport. As a lead for the interfaith and outreach department and former media relations manager for ICF, respectively, they spoke about their experiences with interfaith ministry and the value of getting involved in service in the community.

Ilyas explained, [ICF] started doing interfaith and outreach in 2007; weve had a wonderful time and just a lot of wonderful churches and synagogues and other houses of worship [have] been able to grow partnerships together.

Munir added that interfaith efforts can strengthen ties in a community and build bridges. You cannot just be in one place and say, we are just here; we are okay; we are good so we don't need to be affected by anything else, she said. Her view is that we are all part of the fabric of a community. You get affected because its the whole body and when one body is hurting [or] part of our body is hurting, then all of [the body] is affected by it, and they should get over to help you.

The women emphasized that bringing youth of different faiths together is important. Ilyas commended the teens choice to gather on a summer morning to work together. No ones forcing them, she said, and [I hope] they learn that they are more similar than they thought. They mess up the same. They laugh the same. [This] just gives them a stepping ground to be able to work on continuing those relationships. I think that is super important, for us to live in the same community and grow as one.

Kevin Brandvold, bishop of a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ in Prosper, agreed. They work, they play, they go to school with everyone in the community. And its incredibly important for me that they know how to interact well with others, [to] respect others beliefs while sharing our own beliefs and just being good citizens and good disciples of Christ, he said. Every time that we can do an opportunity like this where were working together, it helps break down barriers. It helps tear down some of those walls and it just allows them to be in a natural environment and have fun with one another.

Presley Rothe, an incoming high school freshman, said that she enjoyed making new friends and made it a point to do so. I wanted to work with people I dont already know, she said. I really liked their perseverance. Theyre helping me and Im helping them, and its really cool that we can connect with each other even though we arent the exact same.

Johnson considers the Saturday service project a success. We did more than build beds; we served side by side with youth and adults of different religious backgrounds, she said. We came together with a common goal and new friendships were formed. Im confident those who built beds [will] serve again. And those that received the beds will realize they are loved and cared for.

As local chapter SHP vice president Jeannie Stone summed it up, Love is something we can all give.

Ongoing needs of SHP can be found on their website and at JustServe.org.

Festival of Joy to Bring a Colorful Celebration of Indian Culture to Klyde Warren Park - April 27th

Taylor Mayad — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 11:08:00 Z

Kick off spring with a colorful celebration of spirituality and Indian culture at the fifth annual Festival of Joy. The festival willtake place at Klyde Warren Park (2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy., Dallas) on Saturday April 27, beginning at 11 a.m. and culminating with a live headline stage performance from 7 p.m. on. Presented by acclaimed East Dallas restaurant Kalachandjis,the Festival of Joy brings togetherthousands of families, young adults and dignitaries for a fun-filled day of bright colors, beautiful flowers and a free vegetarian feast, along with riveting music, dance, and interactive holistic living and cultural exhibits. A variety of ethnic vegetarian foods will also be available for purchase.

New this year is an evening stage performance by popular Indian artist Gaura Vani, an internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary artist fluent in music, film and the visual arts. Vani performs a genre of traditional Indian kirtan music with Western elements such as 12-string guitar, gospel choruses and hip-hop rhythms.

Dallas is a diverse, forward-thinking city, and the Festival of Joy has become a much-anticipated tradition that brings thousands of people together every year, said Dallas City Council Member Jesse Moreno, who represents the district where Kalachandjis and the Radha Kalachandji Temple are located. The festival is a great way to fully immerse yourself in a holistic experience focusing on mindfulness, fun and harmony.

The Festival of Joy, also celebrated as Ratha Yatra or Festival of Chariots, has its roots in the ancient Indian bhakti tradition. It has been observed annually for more than 3,000 years in the holy city of Jagannatha Puri in the South Indian state of Orissa, making it the worlds longest-running street festival. It is now held in major city centers worldwide, including New York Citys Fifth Avenue and Londons Piccadilly Circus.

The energy and joy felt by the thousands who attend reminds us that hope and faith can conquer all. Our lives can be filled with anxiety and fear, or with love and wholesomeness. We strive to build the consciousness of love and oneness with the universe. The Festival of Joy spreads this inner consciousness to inspire others, and we hope more people will come and experience this special celebration of spiritual culture, said Nityananda Das Adhikari of the Radha Kalachandji Temple.

The festival will start at 11 a.m. with a welcome ceremony at Klyde Warren Park, followed by a parade at 11:30 a.m. through the Dallas Arts District and back to the park at 1:30 p.m. Hundreds of festivalgoers, pilgrims and faith leaders will pull the colorful chariot carrying the sacred deities of Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balarama along the route. Hundreds more will dance, sing sacred mantras and play traditional musical instruments. Devotees believe that if they get the opportunity to pull the ropes of the giant chariot carrying Lord Krishna, known as Jagannatha or the Lord of the Universe, they can obtain eternal service to the Lord in the spiritual world.

After the procession returns to Klyde Warren Park, families and guests can enjoy a free vegetarian feast and live stage entertainment, sample regional Indian street food favorites, visit an ethnic clothing bazaar, and explore holistic living exhibits revealing the spiritual heart of India, featuring Ayurveda, yoga, traditional crafts, mehndi, try-a-sari, ask-a-monk, vegetarian cooking and more.

At 7 p.m., Vani will be featured in a concert performance on the main stage with kirtan (musical mantra meditation) and bharat-natyam (classical Indian dance).

The Festival of Joy has been a wonderful addition to Dallas spring traditions, showcasing our growing diversity and the cultural enrichment that the Indian community brings to the city and our community, said Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, VISIT DALLAS director of cultural tourism.

Note: Although the free feast and some activities will close at 5 p.m., the Indian street food concessions will remain open during the evening concert.

Festivalgoers who would like to experience more can get info on the Kalachandji Konnect program of daily philosophy classes and kirtan, and continuing education programs in meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and vegetarian cooking.

Go to festivalofjoydallas.com for updates on entertainment and activities.