Manhattan School Board Honors Top Student-Athletes and Academic Achievers

Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | November 12, 2025

Article Summary:
The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education celebrated student excellence by recognizing three cross country state qualifiers and three students who earned perfect scores on their 2025 state assessments.

Student Recognition Key Points:

• Cross Country: Eighth graders Greer Cullen and Ryder Ethridge, and sixth grader Bridget Holder were honored as state qualifiers. Ethridge finished second in the state by less than half a second.

• Perfect Test Scores: Bradley Us (Illinois Science Assessment), Willis (8th Grade IAR English), and Saddam Figabay (3rd Grade IAR English) were recognized for achieving perfect scores of 850.

• The board presented certificates to the students and took photos with them to commemorate their achievements.

MANHATTAN – The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education took time during its meeting on Tuesday, November 12, 2025, to celebrate exceptional student achievements in both athletics and academics.

The board first recognized three members of the junior high cross country team who qualified for the state meet. Honorees included eighth graders Greer Cullen and Ryder Ethridge, and sixth grader Bridget Holder. Coach Tracy Ethridge highlighted the athletes’ dedication, noting that Ryder Ethridge was the conference and sectional champion and finished second in the state by less than half a second.

Following the athletic honors, the district celebrated stunning academic success. Superintendent Dr. Damien Aherne announced that three students had achieved perfect scores on their 2025 state-mandated tests. A perfect score is 850.

The students recognized were:

• Bradley Us, who earned a perfect score on the Illinois Science Assessment.

• Willis, an eighth grader who earned a perfect score on the IAR English Language Arts assessment.

• Saddam Figabay, who, in his first time taking the state test, earned a perfect score on the third-grade IAR English Language Arts assessment.

“We are excited for all three of you because you represent the hard work that all of our students do,” Dr. Aherne told the students. “You are showing the very best of what we are able to do here.”