Buckhannon-Upshur honors two National Merit Scholarship semifinalists and other achievers at academic assembly

Buckhannon-Upshur High School held an Academic Achievements Assembly honoring students for SAT, AP and honor roll success, naming National Merit semifinalists Declan Gowers and Lila Wright and recognizing various academic awards and programs.

Lily Hicks
November 4, 2025

Buckhannon-Upshur High School held an Academic Achievements Assembly on Tuesday, Oct. 28, celebrating students for their academic accomplishments, dedication and character.

Principal Katie Woofter opened the ceremony by welcoming students, staff and families, emphasizing that the event was about more than just high grades.

“Today isn’t only about high grades and impressive test scores,” she said. “It’s also about celebrating character, those students who show up every day with a positive attitude, who demonstrate respect, kindness and integrity, and who make B-UHS a better place for everyone around them.”

The assembly featured recognition for students who achieved high marks on the SAT and AP exams, earned placement on the honor roll and received BigFuture and Advanced Placement awards. Principals and staff members highlighted the importance of perseverance, effort and curiosity in each student’s success.

One of the event’s notable recognitions included the announcement of Buckhannon-Upshur’s National Merit Scholarship semifinalists: Declan Gowers and Lila Wright, who scored among the top 1 percent of PSAT test-takers nationwide.

Wright, a senior, shared advice for younger students preparing to enter high school.

“Don’t worry about it too much,” she said. “Confidence is a large part of going into any standardized test or class. It’s really important to be confident; you know what you know. Study, of course, but don’t take it too hard. Just be confident.”

The program also spotlighted the accomplishments of the school’s Educators Rising chapter, which recently earned top placements at national competitions, and recognized students who demonstrated exceptional achievement in multiple academic areas.

Below is the awards list provided by the school.

2026 Awards Day

National Merit Semi-Finalist – Among 16,000 students nationally who have met the cutoff scores.

Declan Gowers
Lilah Wright

AP Scholars – Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

Reese Curry
Mallory Moss
Lila Wright

AP Scholars with Honors – Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

Declan Gowers
Alex Sappey

AP Scholars with Distinction – Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Bryce Nguyen

School Recognition Award – Among the top 10% of test takers at B-UHS and scored 3 or more on at least 2 AP exams.

Seth Allen
Riley Ayars
Ariel Blackburn
Domenick Castillo
Reese Curry
Declan Gowers
Cody Hanline
Jeremiah Jeffries
Sidney Hollen
Emma McGinnis
Bryce Nguyen
Abigail Radabaugh
Alex Sappey
Gavin Sauls
Hunter Shipman
Alayna Spotloe
James Tenney
Mitchell Tracy
Lila Wrig

Rural and Small-Town Recognition Award – Must have a GPA of at least 3.3 and achieve either top 10% PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 scores in WV, or a score of 3 or higher on at least two AP exams in grades 8-10.

Seth Allen
Reese Curry
Cody Hanline
Abigail Radabaugh
Gavin Sauls
Alyana Tenney
Mia Winter

First-Generation Recognition – Honors students who are the first in their family to attend college, based on academic achievement like high scores on the PSAT/SAT or AP exams, and a GPA of at least a B+