Minnechaug Regional High School
Minnechaug Regional High School (MRHS) is a public high school located in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, United States, and has a student population of approximately 1,200. It is the only high school in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. It serves the towns of Hampden, and Wilbraham. The current principal is Stephen Hale. The school's official colors are green and white. Its school mascot is the Falcons. Extracurricular activities. The school has extra-curricular activities such as the award-winning school newspaper ("The Smoke Signal"), a FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team, various debate and mock-trial teams , and the school's literary magazine, "Emeralds". Minnechaug is also home to one of the most award-winning Student Council programs in the state and nation having achieved the National Association of Student Council's highest honor, the National Gold Council of Excellence Award, every year since 2012. Roughly 70 students serve on the Student Council and dozens have been elected by peer schools to serve in regional and statewide student council positions. The school also has many clubs, including the Falcon Players, Equine Club, Students of Color Alliance (SOCA), Emeralds Literary and Visual Art Magazine, Gay-Straight Alliance, Snowboard  Club, Art Club, Above the Influence, School Store, Lumberjack Club, Outing Club, Key Club, Model United Nations, Model Congress, Mock Law, Chess Club (Chess Team), Computer Club, Mathletes, Teens Helping Teens (THT), Best Buddies, Smoke Signal, Student Council, As Schools Match Wits Team, Ultimate Frisbee Club, WAB (Wicked Advanced Biology) Lab, Celebrate Choice, and Newcomers Club. Sports. The MIAA Division I athletic program has teams in many different sports, and the school almost always captures at least one divisional championship each year. Athletically, Minnechaug's biggest rival is Longmeadow High School. Minnechaug has won numerous Western Massachusetts Division first place  titles, as well as some state titles. In the 2005 Fall Season, the Minnechaug Girl's Varsity Soccer, Boy's Varsity Soccer, Varsity Field Hockey and Girl's Varsity Volleyball teams all captured the Western Massachusetts Title on the same day known as "Green M Day." It has been one of the proudest days for Minnechaug Athletics. Boys and Girls Swimming The Minnechaug Boys and Girls Swim Team is coached by Head Coach Erik Mandell and Assistant Coaches Corey Lomas. It is under the coaching of Coach Mandell that the Boys Team has won 7 consecutive West Sectional Championships, the  latest being in February 2014, while the Girls Team captured 3 straight West Sectional Championships from 2009-2011. Minnechaug Swimming is the home of Division 1 State Champions Wiktor Karpinski (200 Free, 2011; 100 Free, 2011 & 2012; 50 Free, 2012), Michael Normoyle (Breaststroke, 2011 & 2012), and the Girls 200 Freestyle Relay (E. Avery, C. Tarpey, K. Webber, C. Greco, 2010; and C. Greco, H. Tarpey, E. Avery, K. Webber, 2012). Minnechaug is also the home of the 2012 Western Mass High Point Award recipient, Wiktor Karpinski. This award is given out each year to the graduating male and female swimmer  who has earned the most career points at the Western Mass sectional meet. Past winners of this award from Minnechaug include Tara Rooke (2009) and Paul Dyrkacz (2009). Minnechaug is the first boys team in the history of the Western Mass sectional meet to win all three relays in the same meet, which was accomplished in February 2012. The Boys Team has won 91 consecutive meets against public school competition, dating back to the second meet of the 2008-2009 season. This streak was broken by Westfield Bombers during the last meet of the 2014 season. Physical plant improvements. Several  areas within Minnechaug's physical plant, first constructed in the middle of the twentieth century, are beginning to fail, causing the communities of Hampden and Wilbraham to investigate how these issues should be resolved. Proposed solutions had ranged from moderate renovation to the construction of a completely new facility on the current site of some of the athletic fields. The decision was made in 2010 to begin the construction of a new facility, and the completion of this facility took place in the summer of 2012. The new facility has a completely different floor plan, and the prior failing physical  plants are now functioning and accessible.