Sandpoint High students earn academic honors

Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376 has announced students of the month at Sandpoint High School.

To be selected as an Elks student of the month, students must meet guidelines for character, citizenship, service, scholarship and leadership.

The Elks actively seeks to reward youth through many different programs including scholarship awards, Hoop Shoot tournaments, dictionary donations to third graders, drug awareness programs and many other activities and programs.

Sandpoint Elks Lodge awards thousands of dollars in scholarships and local students also received an additional money in state and national Elk scholarships. The Elks are the third-largest awarder of scholarships in the county and several students have received large scholarships from the state and national level of Elks.

Those honored are Elizabeth Storms and Knox Williams, who were selected for September; and Jens Lopez and Teagan Newsom, who were selected for October.

Elizabeth Storms

Elizabeth Storms has been named an Elks Student of the Month for September. She is the daughter of Jacob and Joanna Storms.

Elizabeth Storms is a member of both the Cross Country and Track and Field teams and was the 2026 Idaho Track and Field State Champion in the 800-meter race with a school record-breaking time of 2:26.94. She also was an All-State (top 20) finisher at the 2025 Idaho State Cross Country Championships and is ninth in school history in the 5K with a time of 19:00.04. 

She is a captain of both the cross country and track and field teams but is also the president of Sandpoint High School's HOSA club, as well as editor in chief of Sandpoint High School's yearbook class. She has not only led a class of students to create a yearbook that was highly regarded by the community but has also grown the membership of the HOSA club to double the size from last year with the help of her vice president and other enthusiastic students. 

Storms is also a member of the National Honor Society at SHS and serves as the secretary for this year's club. 

Storms has a 4.3367 weighted GPA, 4.0 unweighted and is ranked 11th out of 252 students weighted (in the top 10% of her class).

In the future, Storms' target school to attend is the United States Military Academy at West Point and major in chemistry. She hopes to run for West Point in cross country and track and field as well. Her goal career is to become a general surgeon and serve in the Army as such.

Knox Williams

The son of Chase and Mahle Williams, Knox Williams was selected as a student of the month at SHS for September.

Knox Williams is a four-sport letterman in soccer, football, basketball and track and field. He is a three-year starter in basketball going into his senior year and he recently broke a 30-year-old record in the 400-meter dash. 

When Williams isn't playing sports, he enjoys hanging out with friends on the water or in the woods, coaching young kids and volunteering with the PAFE Gala. 

While keeping busy with sports, Knox has maintained a cumulative 3.9 GPA. After graduation, Knox is planning on attending college in the fall and studying in the medical field.

Teagan Newsom

Teagan Newsom has been named an Elks Student of the Month at Sandpoint High School for October.

She is the daughter of Jodie Newsom and Charles Newsom and a senior at Sandpoint High School.

Teagan Newsom has captained the girls wrestling and softball teams since her junior year, winning wrestling districts twice, placing fourth at the Idaho state wrestling tournament, and earning IEL All-League honors twice in softball. 

She maintains a 3.83 GPA, ranks 52nd in her class, participates in student council and National Honor Society, and received the 2026 Duane Hagadone-North Idaho Hall of Fame High Character Award. She plans to continue athletics in college while pursuing a BSN to become an oncology nurse.

Jens Lopez

The son of Rich and Suzette Lopez, Jens Lopez has been named a student of the month at Sandpoint High School for October.

A senior at Sandpoint High School, Lopez has grown up in a strong, unified family focused on Jesus Christ. From birth, he has been taught important values and ethics. 

The principles of grit and discipline are a part of him, which has driven him in school leadership positions such as the president of the freshman class, National Honor Society President and JustServe Club President, a club that he started last year.

He holds a part-time job as a pharmacy technician at White Cross Pharmacy. He was a member of the Chamber Choir for three years, lettering each year. He has also been playing the piano since second grade. 

Most of all, hard work has impacted his schoolwork. It has driven him to have unweighted 4.0 and weighted 4.31 GPA with several honors and AP courses over his years at SHS. He is ranked 11th out of 245 students. He has received awards such as high honors and AP scholar. He is planning to go on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years right after high school, and then hopes to attend BYU in Provo, Utah.

    Lopez
  

    Williams
  

    Newsom