In an effort to build community, school spirit, and healthy competition, earlier this year, I announced the creation of Water Tower Championship. Working with West Ada, we want to celebrate our youth in a fun way between Meridian’s four 6A high schools - Meridian, Mountain View, Rocky Mountain, and Owyhee.

This new initiative is designed to celebrate our youth, their achievement, and create school pride in our community. With a generous sponsorship by Capitol Educators Credit Union (CapEd), this championship will promote friendly competition in every sport and activity under the umbrella of the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) and efforts in the classroom.

How It Works: High school students can earn points in three ways: athletics, activities, and academic achievements. IHSAA sports and activities will be divided into two categories: head-to-head competition and end-of-season results. Additional points will be awarded to the teams with the highest GPA, as well as the schools with the highest GPA.  At the end of the year, the school with the most points will be honored with a celebration at their school, the Water Tower Trophy, and have school banners along Main Street in downtown Meridian for the summer.

While this is a competition, the Water Tower Championship is more about a testament to our students' remarkable talent, dedication, and teamwork that has been demonstrated by numerous state championships in athletics and activities. It will engage participants from football, cross country and soccer to debate and drama. Whether it’s a thrilling head-to-head match on the field or an impressive debate performance by a student at a competition, these achievements will count towards the Water Tower Championship.

The competition was officially kicked off last Friday night at the Rocky Mountain versus Mountain View football game, and I want to congratulate Rocky Mountain for their hard-fought victory. Look for standings to be shared in November and March before the Champion is announced in May.

We aim to foster a sense of pride, excellence and sportsmanship within our youth, schools, and the community, and I hope everyone—students, parents, teachers, and community members—will join us in cheering on our local schools and celebrating their achievements. Let’s use this to come together, support our students, and celebrate all that makes Meridian the premier city to live, work, and raise a family.

Let the games and learning begin!