Over the last decade plus, our Fine Arts, Agriculture, and Athletic programs have flourished as God has blessed Concordia with students and leaders that have taken these programs to new levels around Texas and the country. Every school year, TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) distributes several “Of the Year” awards for fine arts, athletic participation, and overall performance.
We are proud to announce that Concordia swept all three of the TAPPS 6A Fine Arts of the Year Awards for the 2025-2026 school year!
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- Ella Reed '26 was named the TAPPS 6A Female Student of the Year.
- Elijah Iwama '27 was named the TAPPS 6A Male Student of the Year.
- Carson Clark '26 was named the TAPPS 6A Male Athlete of the Year.
- Mrs. Jessie Thompson recieved the TAPPS 6A Linda Wolfe Fine Arts Leadership Award.
Award Recipients and Resumes
Coach Jessie Thompson - TAPPS 6A Linda Wolfe Fine Arts Leadership Award:
Coach Jessie Thompson ‘12, Head Cheer Coach, was selected as the TAPPS 6A Linda Wolfe Fine Arts Leadership Award. Mrs. Linda Wolfe served on the TAPPS Executive Board and as the Fine Arts Chair during her tenure, overseeing the growth of Fine Arts and assisting many of the teachers serving our member schools. This award honors Mrs. Linda Wolfe and is presented annually to the fine arts teacher of the year who has been nominated by TAPPS member schools. Coach Thompson has continued to build a strong and competitive cheer program at Concordia Lutheran High School, finishing a close 2nd place this past year at the TAPPS 6A Cheer State Championships. Four Crusader senior cheerleaders received high recognition from the year, including 1st Team All State Kenzie Kangas, 2nd Team Taylor Tills, and Honorable Mention Mia Bowman. Coach Thompson also previously served at Concordia as the Head Cheer Coach and Educator from 2016-2022. She looks to continue pushing our cheer program to new heights under her exceptional leadership. In TAPPS, cheer is one of the many fine art extracurricular programs offered with a competition season in the winter months.
Ella Reed '26 - TAPPS 6A Fine Arts Female Student of the Year:
Ella Reed ‘26 was selected as the TAPPS 6A Fine Arts Female Student of the Year. Ella was heavily involved in the fine arts program at Concordia, being present in academic speech and debate, choir, and our theatre program. Winning four consecutive state championships in vocal music as an alto 1 while earning All-State honors in 3 of the 4 years. This past year Ella achieved:
- Vocal Music State Champion
- State Academic Speech & Debate
- Academic Speech & Debate (Duet Acting): 2nd place
- Concert Choir: “1” rating, Sweepstakes Award
- Vocal Solo (Class 1): “1” rating (All-State Honors)
- Chamber Choir: “1” rating
- Sacred 2 Ensemble: “1” rating
- Women’s Chorale” “1” rating, Sweepstakes Award
This past year Ella also was cast as Anna for our theatre program’s winter musical Frozen. We cannot wait to see what Ella will continue to accomplish in the near future as she heads off to The University of South Carolina, where she plans to study mechanical engineering.
Elijah Iwama '27 - TAPPS 6A Fine Arts Male Student of the Year:
Elijah Iwama ‘27 was selected as the TAPPS 6A Fine Arts Male Student of the Year. Elijah is currently heavily involved with not just Concordia’s choir and band programs, but also our theatre program! Collecting 6 state championships across both instrumental and vocal music, Iwama also collected various individual fine arts awards and nominations. This past year, Elijah achieved:
- Vocal Music State Champion
- Instrumental Band State Champion
- Vocal Solo (Class 1): “1” rating (All-State Honors)
- Chamber Choir: “1” rating
- Sacred 2 Ensemble: “1” rating
- Men’s Chorus & Concert Choir: “1” rating, Sweepstakes Award
- Symphonic Band: “1” rating, Sweepstakes Award
- Field Band (Tier 1): State Champion
- Drumline (Tier 2): State Runner-Up
- Jazz Band: “1” rating
- Sader 7 Jazz Combo: “1” rating
- Jazzband Solo: “1” rating (All-State Honors)
- Small Ensemble “1” rating
As a sophomore Elijah was nominated for a Tommy Tune Award for Outstanding Performer and Actor in a Lead Role, ultimately finishing as one of the Outstanding Lead Finalists for his performance as Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Elijah looks to continue his incredible Concordia Fine Arts journey as a rising senior, and we can’t wait to see all that he will continue to accomplish this upcoming year!
Carson Clark '26 - TAPPS 6A Male Athlete of the Year:
Carson Clark ‘26 was selected as the TAPPS 6A Male Athlete of the Year. Clark, known across TAPPS to many as one of the fastest, Clark holds many personal, school, and TAPPS records across track & field such as:
- 100m (10.51)
- 200m (21.55)
- 4x100 (41.43)
- 4x200 (1:28.26)
While Carson shined heavily in Track and Field, he also was a standout athlete within Concordia’s football program, reaching the TAPPS 6A football state semifinals this past season. Carson will continue his athletic career at Trinity University in track & field, one of the best NCAA Division III universities in the nation. We can’t wait to see what he will continue to accomplish.
One of the benefits about sending your student to Concordia is the opportunity to be involved in many different activities including athletics, ag sciences, clubs/organizations, AND fine arts. Concordia has an expansive list of Fine Art opportunities for students to participate in, and we strive for excellence in everything we do.
At Concordia, we value our fine arts and are very thankful for the support given to these students and faculty. Thank you, Crusaders, for blessing others with your God-given gifts and talents! We are looking forward to another great year in 2026-2027 with a full list of fine art concerts and productions.
To learn more about all of our Athletic and Fine Art Programs at Concordia, or any of our extra-curricular activities, visit www.SaderNationTX.com