By Dr. Tonia Warzecha, Superintendent The Tea Area School District Teacher of the Year Committee recently selected four outstanding finalists for the 2026 Tea Area Teacher of the Year honor, following another strong year of nominations from across the district and from the community. Nominations opened on April 1, and the committee was pleased, but not surprised, by the number and quality of submissions. The response reflects what our community already knows: Tea Area is hom

The Tea Area High School baseball team has faced a demanding stretch of games over the past week, taking on strong competition in multiple outings. On Tuesday, April 21, the Titans hosted Sioux Falls Lincoln in a doubleheader, falling 13-9 in the opener and 19-6 in the second game. In game one, Sioux Falls Lincoln struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning behind a run-scoring single from Timat. The Patriots extended their lead in the second inning, capitalizing on w

The Tea Area High School softball team delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday, April 21, shutting out Watertown 13-0 in a game shortened to five innings by the run rule. The Titans set the tone early behind a strong showing from pitcher Brynn Kline, who struck out multiple batters and kept Watertown off the scoreboard throughout the game. Tea Area broke the game open in the bottom of the second inning. Allie Wallum ignited the offense with a triple, followed by another

The Tea Area High School track and field teams turned in a series of strong performances across two meets last week, highlighted by multiple top-three finishes at the USD Battle of the Border on April 21. Leading the way was sophomore standout Beckett Martens, who captured the 100 meter title in 10.77 seconds, a personal best and one of the top times in South Dakota this season. Martens also added a third-place finish in the 200 meter dash (22.30), marking another personal be

Two Tea Area High School seniors were recognized among the top academic students in the state during the annual Academic Excellence Recognition luncheon held Monday, April 27, in Pierre. Jaycie Babb and Ashlyn Karpenin, both members of the Class of 2026, received Academic Excellence Awards for ranking in the top one percent of their class. The honor places them among an elite group of students selected from schools across South Dakota. The awards were presented by Lt. Gov. To

Three hundred seventy South Dakota FFA members were recognized for receiving their State FFA Degree during the 98th South Dakota State FFA Convention on Tuesday, April 21 during the second session at First Bank and Trust Arena, sponsored by SD Army National Guard The State FFA Degree is the highest honor the South Dakota FFA Association can bestow upon its members. Recipients have dedicated several years to developing their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs, b

Officer Taylor White, City of Tea Police Department, was recognized with the Ken Prorok Traffic Safety Officer of the Year for his professionalism, dedication, and proactive enforcement. The award is given out by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Highway Safety to recognize the outstanding efforts of a South Dakota law enforcement officer who has made significant impacts on highway safety in their community. “Taylor exemplifies professionalism through

The Tea Area High School softball team battled throughout but ultimately fell 10-5 on the road to Brandon Valley on Thursday, April 16. Tea Area threatened early in the top of the first inning, as Abby Boom drew a walk and Brynn Kline followed with another free pass. The Titans looked poised to strike when Allie Wallum delivered a deep fly ball for a double, but Brandon Valley’s defense cut down the runner at the plate to end the inning and keep the game scoreless. Brandon Va

The Tea Area High School baseball team faced a tough test Thursday, April 16, falling in both games of a doubleheader against Watertown. The Titans dropped the opener 10-0 before coming up short in a more competitive 6-4 loss in game two. In the first game, Tea Area struggled to generate offense against Watertown’s pitcher, managing just one hit in the contest. Avery Hangman recorded the Titans’ lone hit with a single in the second inning, but Tea Area was unable to advance h

The Tea Area track and field teams turned in a strong showing at the SF Metro Quad held Tuesday, April 14, highlighted by multiple first- and second-place finishes and a long list of top-eight performances. Leading the way for the Titans were several event champions. Sophomore Jayna VanLaecken captured the girls 300-meter hurdles title in 48.08, while Logan Castle soared to a first-place finish in the girls high jump, clearing 4-10. Kelsey Kramer took seventh for the Titans