Mesa Ridge is a comprehensive public high school offering traditional high school courses as well as honors and Advanced Placement, Career & Technical Programs, and Concurrent Enrollment.[2]
Career & Technical (CTE) Programs include Automotive Services; Business Management & Marketing; Cabinetry and General Construction through the MiLL; Cosmetology through ISSA; Information Technology; and Work-Based Learning.[2]
Mesa Ridge also offers Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a national program that brings together industry, higher education, and public schools to prepare students for post-secondary careers. Students can study Biomedical Science and Engineering.[2]
Mesa Ridge is also an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) school.[3] AVID is a national program designed to close college opportunity gaps.[4] In 2021, 100% of Mesa Ridge students enrolled in AVID were accepted to 2-year or 4-year colleges.[5]
Activitiesedit
Mesa Ridge High School has many clubs, organizations and activities. In 2021, the school offered nearly 30 clubs for students to participate in, as well as co-curricular programs like Marching Band, Sources of Strength, Yearbook, Student Cabinet, and NJROTC.[6]
Marching bandedit
In 2009, The Pride of Mesa Ridge received the GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Award and $5000 from the GRAMMY Foundation.[7]
In 2016, The Pride of Mesa Ridge was featured in the song "Fine On My Own" By the alt rock band Trapdoor Social.[8]
NJROTCedit
The NJROTC unit won the Colorado Navy Drill, Physical Fitness and Academic Championship 15 years in a row (2000-2014).[9]
Winter guard & percussion ensembleedit
The Winter Guard team has won five State Championships (2001, 2006, 2012, 2022, 2023).[10]
The Mesa Ridge Percussion Ensemble won State in 2012.[11]
Other activitiesedit
The mathematics club has had distinguished achievements, including a first-place finish in the 2005 Colorado State University-Pueblo mathematics competition. The team has produced honorable mentions several times in school history.
Athleticsedit
Mesa Ridge offers the following athletic programs:[12]
Baseball
Basketball (men's/women's)
Cheer (co-ed)
Cross Country
eSports
Football
Golf (men's/women's)
Soccer (men's/women's)
Softball
Swimming (men's/women's). This is a combined team with Widefield High School. Athletes are known as the Grizzliators.
Tennis (men's/women's)
Track & Field
Volleyball (women's)
Volleyball (men's). This is a combined team with Widefield High School. Athletes are known as the Grizzliators.
Wrestling (men's/women's)
Achievementsedit
Basketball (women's)edit
In 2014, the team won the 4A State Championship title.[13]
Basketball (men's)edit
In 2024, the team won the 5A State Championship title.[14][15]
In 2023, the team won the 5A State Championship title.[16]
Winter Guardedit
In 2023, the team won the RMCGA Scholastic AA State Championship.[17]
In 2022, the team won the State Championship title.[18]
Wrestlingedit
In 2024, Isabella Cross (110) won the 4A Women's State Championship[19][20]
In 2024, Isaiah Jones (165) won the 4A Men's State Championship[19][20]
In 2023, Isabella Cross (125) won the 4A Women's State Championship,[21] becoming the first female state wrestling champion in Widefield School District history.
^MCGRAW, CAROL (5 May 2009). "It's music to their ears: Mesa Ridge HS gets $5k from Grammy Foundation". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
^Trapdoor Social - Fine On My Own ft. The Pride of Mesa Ridge,.
^mcgraw, carol (27 January 2014). "Mesa Ridge JROTC takes state championship". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
^"Archives". Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
^"Bryce Riehl scores 30 points to lead Mesa Ridge past Windsor to win second straight Class 5A title". The Denver Post. 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
^"5A boys basketball: Mesa Ridge caps off perfect season with program's first championship". chsaanow.com. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
^"The Pride of Mesa Ridge - Color Guard". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
^"MRHS Winter Guard outperforms the competition to earn state title". Fountain Valley News. Archived from the original on 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
^ abcitydesk@gazette.com, The Gazette (2024-02-18). "State wrestling finals recap: 10 local athletes bring home state titles". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
^ ab"Five Teams, 196 Individuals Win State Wrestling Titles". chsaanow.com. 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
^Mohrmann, Dan (2023-02-19). "Running list of 2023 CHSAA state wrestling champions". Colorado Preps. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
^"Colorado native Kylee Shook embarks on rookie WNBA season: "It feels great representing my state"". The Denver Post. 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
^"Mesa Ridge alum Fatima Maddox "made to be Globetrotter"". The Denver Post. 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2024-03-15.