University Middle School

🏐 UMS Volleyball Tryouts Are Here!

Calling all rising 6th–8th graders — come compete, grow your skills, and earn your spot on the court! 💪🔥

📅 June 10–11, 2026
⏰ 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
📍 3749 Kimball Ave, Memphis, TN 38111

✅ Current physical required
✅ Athletic attire & indoor volleyball shoes required
✅ Bring a water bottle
✅ Bring inhalers if needed

We can’t wait to see our future Tigers in action! 🐯🏐

🤩

👏 👏 👏

We had a blast celebrating our amazing student athletes and coaches at the 2025–2026 University Middle School Athletic Awards Ceremony! Huge shoutout to all the award winners—your hard work, dedication, and teamwork made this year unforgettable!

🏃‍♂️CROSS COUNTRY
Girls MVP: Margaret Chiles
Girls Hustle Award: Morgan Hunter
Girls Tiger Award: Mara Pence
Boys MVP: Declan Murphy
Boys Hustle Award: Thomas Fox
Boys Tiger Award: Clark Schallert

⚽️ SOCCER
Girls MVP: Alescia Scott
Girls Hustle Award: Walifsin Desissa
Girls Tiger Award: Ella Myers
Boys MVP: John Langston
Boys Hustle Award: Nolan Reynolds
Boys Tiger Award: Knox Helton-Clark

🏐 VOLLEYBALL
MVP: Linden Turns
Hustle Award: Ellie Grantham
Tiger Award: Noa Gookin

🎾 TENNIS
Girls MVP: Ellie Grantham
Girls Hustle Award: Lowe Bates
Girls Tiger Award: Lyla Jussely
Boys MVP: Harry Taylor
Boys Hustle Award: Theodore Harris
Boys Tiger Award: Thomas Lopez

📣 CHEER
MVP: Aarolyn Ford
Hustle Award: Nyriah Arnett
Tiger Award: Milan Lowery

🏀 BASKETBALL
Girls MVP: Ellie Grantham
Girls Hustle Award: Sabine Schrader
Girls Tiger Award: Karsyn Burton
Boys Varsity MVP: Carter Brown
Boys Varsity Hustle Award: August Akers
Boys Varsity Tiger Award: Max Peacock
Boys JV MVP: Chase Gordon
Boys JV Hustle: Jackson Young
Boys JV Tiger: Noah Wilson

🏊 SWIM
Girls MVP: Elle Porter
Girls Hustle Award: Clara Haag
Girls Tiger Award: Margaret Chiles
Boys MVP: Reuben Bakker
Boys Hustle Award: Clark Schallert
Boys Tiger Award: Caden St. Clair

👟 TRACK
Girls MVP: Margaret Chiles
Girls Hustle Award: Dakota Taylor
Girls Tiger Award: Fatima Watkins
Boys MVP: Thomas Fox
Boys Hustle Award: Declan Murphy
Boys Tiger Award: August Akers

⚾️ Baseball
MVP: Oliver Vanaman
Hustle Award: Tillman Spann
Tiger Award: Noah Wilson

🥎 Softball
MVP: Ella Myers
Hustle Award: Annabelle Haag
Tiger Award: Evey Vanaman

⭐️ Cornerstone Award for Dedication in Athletics: Carlos Lambert
⭐️ UMS Rookie Coach of the Year Award: Ashley Gordon and Lyric Harlmon
⭐️ Student Coach Recognition Award: Zoe Tucker

✨ Celebrating the Arts: Spring Concert 🎵

🎶 Last Thursday afternoon, our Fine Arts Department showcased the incredible talent and growth of our student musicians during our Spring Fine Arts Concert! ✨ Performances from the Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, Orchestra, Choir, and House Band energized the audience and highlighted the creativity, dedication, and musical growth of our students. 🎤🎻🥁

A special THANK YOU goes to Mrs. Beard, our Orchestra teacher, and Mr. Jackson, our Band and Choir teacher, for their dedication, leadership, and commitment to helping students grow both musically and personally. 💙🎼 We are incredibly proud of all of our performers for their hard work, teamwork, and outstanding performances! 👏🎵

⚽🏆 Boys Soccer: Section Runner-Ups

Congratulations to our Boys Soccer Team on an outstanding season! The team finished the year as District 31 Champions, Region 8 Champions, and TN Section 4 Runner-Up. 🎉

Congratulations to our Boys Soccer Team on an outstanding season that included earning the titles of District 31 Champions and Region 8 Champions. The team faced off against Martin Middle School on Saturday, May 8 in the Section Final with a trip to State on the line. UMiddle battled hard and competed with determination and heart, but Martin ultimately secured the win, leaving UMiddle as the TN Section 4 Runner-Up.

We are incredibly proud of the dedication, teamwork, and perseverance shown by these student-athletes all season long. Congratulations to the players, Coach Lazar, and Coach Gil on an incredible year! 💙🥅

⚽The 2025-2026 school year has been a history-making year for UMiddle Soccer with both the girls and boys teams finishing as TN Section 4 Runner-Up, an incredible first in program history for both teams! 🎉 🐯

⚾ An Unforgettable First Season for UMS Baseball

Congratulations to the inaugural UMS Boys Baseball Team on an incredible first season! In their debut year, they finished the season as the TMSAA District 31 Champions, Region 8 Champions, and TN Section 4 Runner-Up. AMAZING! 🏆🥇🥈

The season came to a close on May 7 with a hard-fought game against Inman Middle School from Paris, TN. We are so proud of the dedication, perseverance, and teamwork displayed by these student-athletes throughout the season. 🎉

Congratulations to the entire team and to Head Coach Vanaman, along with assistant coaches Coach Spann and Coach Wilson, for building a strong foundation for the future of UMS baseball! 💙⚾ 🐅

🌏AAPI Assembly Highlights

Our recent Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Assembly was a meaningful celebration of culture, diversity, and student leadership! ✨ Students engaged in presentations, performances, and moments of reflection that highlighted the importance of learning from and celebrating one another.

One of the best parts of the program was the respect and attentiveness shown by our students throughout the assembly. 💙 That positive and inclusive culture is what makes UMiddle so special!

A huge thank you to the Asian American Student Association for their leadership and hard work in creating such an impactful event. 👏🐯

👏 👏 👏

The U Middle Tiger Baseball team is on a historic run, and last night was one for the books! 💙⚾

Down 7–5 in the final inning, the Tigers battled back with clutch hitting and brilliant base running to tie it up. Then, with 2 outs and the game on the line…

💥 Gabe Rock drives in Noah Wilson for the WALK-OFF WIN and the REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!

Huge performances all around, including an incredible outing on the mound from Harry Taylor. This team is showing heart, grit, and belief every step of the way.

Next up: SECTIONALS
📍 USA Stadium (Millington)
⏰ 5:30 PM TODAY

Come out and support your Tigers as they fight for a spot in the STATE PLAYOFFS and continue making history! 💙