The CHS SAIL (Scholar Athlete Innovative Leaders) Team is hosting a Silent Online Basket Auction to benefit the Crusade for Children and the CHS SAIL Scholarship Fund!
Every CHS athletic team, cheer squad, band, WPMQ, and the athletic department has donated awesome themed baskets—now it’s your chance to BID & WIN while supporting a great cause!
Not into bidding? Drop a on the Crusade for Children or SAIL Team logo to make a donation!
Auction is OPEN NOW through Noon EST, Friday, May 16!
Winners announced that day.
Pickup at CHS by May 20 (7:30 AM – 3:15 PM) or make arrangements.
Payment: Cash or check (payable to Charlestown High School, memo: SAIL Team).
Questions? Email Melissa Stewart at: mstewart@gccschools.com
HOW TO BID
Go to the post on the WPMQ Facebook page and comment on the basket photo with your bid:
Shiver me timbers! Join the scurvy dogs o’ the CHS SAIL Team (Scholar Athlete Innovative Leaders) at Charlestown High School for the maiden voyage o’ our SS Pirate Night! We’re gatherin’ the whole bloomin’ community to hoist the colors for Spring Sports, plunder some grub from six fine food galleons, and have a treasure trove o’ fun for young and old alike.
Come lend yer voices to cheer on our swashbucklin’ teams—baseball, softball, and tennis will be battlin’ on their home waters, starting at the fifth hour o’ the evenin’ (that’s 5:00 PM for ye landlubbers).
Got a chest o’ wares ye be lookin’ to peddle? We’d be thrilled to have ye aboard! Send a message in a bottle (or an email) to Melissa Stewart at mstewart@gccschools.com for more details, savvy?
What we’re saying is come join us for SS Pirate Night tomorrow May 15th, watch some spring sports, and enjoy any or all of the six food trucks who’ll be on site! And if you’re a vendor with product to sell, contact Melissa Stewart to set up!
Students in the WPMQ Sportscasting classes at CHS have been hard at work preparing content for the upcoming winter sports season and they’re happy to share some schedule graphics with you! Feel free to save our graphics to your camera roll so you’ve always got them handy! We hope you’ll make it out to support our Pirates this winter! You can always follow the action through WPMQ or team’s individual social media accounts:
Charlestown High School senior Hannah Burns was recently joined by family, friends, and coaches to sign a celebratory letter of intent to attend school and play softball at Illinois Wesleyan University in the fall.
Located in Bloomington, Illinois on 86 beautifully city-scaped acres, Illinois Wesleyan is a nationally recognized, exclusively undergraduate, independent, private university. When colleges are stacked up based on what they do for the world, Illinois Wesleyan University is #5 in the nation among four-year baccalaureate institutions – a Washington Monthly ranking that looks at contribution to the public good. Illinois Wesleyan University ranks #7 in the nation and #1 in Illinois on Zippia’s 2023 list of The Best Colleges for Getting a Job, based on Department of Education College Scorecard data.
With over 100 areas of study, including majors, minors, concentrations & programs, with an undergraduate 11:1 student–faculty ratio, an average class size of eighteen students, and 95% of full-time students receiving financial aid with a 59% acceptance rate.
The IWU Titans compete at the NCAA Division III level in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) conference with member schools: Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL), and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL).
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans Softball program has boasted a 1134-591-3 record in its 47 year program history with sixteen conference tournament titles, twenty NCAA Tournament appearances, and a national runner up billing.
Burns will major in nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University. When asked about her choice to attend school there and play softball, she replied “I chose Illinois Wesleyan because from the moment I stepped on campus it felt like home. Coach Prager and Coach Miller are such amazing people and made me feel like I fit right in. They have given me the opportunity to carry out my childhood dream and I am truly grateful. Additionally, I get the opportunity to attend one of the top nursing programs in the state. Everything about Illinois Wesleyan left me speechless. Since the moment I stepped foot on campus, I knew that this was the place I was meant to be and I am so excited to see where the journey takes me! “
Charlestown softball coach Joe Witten shared his sentiments on Burns saying, “If you have a chance to build a team from scratch, you would start with Hannah Burns. The first thing you would recognize about her is her work ethic. She never cuts corners. Holds her teammates accountable. She leads by example and is positive in every aspect of her life. Willing to take a challenge and improve no matter what the situation is. She wins because she does things the right way. Good things happen to good people. Her best days are ahead of her.”
WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulates Hannah and wishes her a healthy and prosperous future as a Illinois Wesleyan University Titan.
Recently, Charlestown High School senior Aiden Stewart was joined by family, friends, and coaches as she became the first in the Pirates’ Class of 2025 to sign a celebratory letter of intent to attend school and play softball at Piedmont University next year.
Located in Demorest, Georgia and nestled on 300 beautifully wooded acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont’s main campus lies just minutes from the Chattahoochee River and about an hour each way to Athens and Atlanta. Students at Piedmont University are fortunate to live in one of the finest outdoor recreation areas in the U.S. and can enjoy hiking and camping in several nearby state and federal parks, get away from it all on the nearby Appalachian Trail and the Chattahoochee National Forest, or enjoy all a big city has to offer within an hour’s drive.
Piedmont University has 80 programs of study, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and the education specialist degree, with an undergraduate 10:1 student–faculty ratio, an average class size of ten students, and 99% of full-time students receiving financial aid with a 64% acceptance rate.
The Piedmont Lions compete at the NCAA Division III level in the Collegiate Conference of the South with member schools in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee including Agnes Scott College (GA), Asbury University (KY), Belhaven University (MS), Covenant College (GA), Huntingdon College (AL), LaGrange College (GA), Maryville College (TN), and Wesleyan College (MS). Piedmont is home to twenty two varsity sports for men and women. Piedmont University has earned three consecutive NCAA DIII Commissioners Cups which are given to top athletic program in USA South.
The Piedmont Lions Softball program has boasted a 511-281 record in its 20 year NCAA era with ten divisional titles, six conference tournament titles, and nine NCAA Tournament appearances under the same head coach.
Stewart will major in biology/chemistry with a concentration in marine science at Piedmont University. Ironically, the science building is named Stewart Hall. When asked about her choice to attend school there and play softball, she replied “I chose Piedmont for the home away from home feeling. Coaches Martin, Greer, and Whiteside have offered me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing collegiate softball while also inviting me into a community of Christ where I can lead and build relationships with those around me. Additionally, I’ll be able to study biology in ways I didn’t know I could do. From the moment I stepped on campus to the non-traditional route of recruitment, and seeing so many signs of what feels like divine intervention, I knew Piedmont was the place for me and I can’t wait to begin my journey there and see where it leads me in this life!”
Charlestown softball coach Joe Witten shared his sentiments on Stewart saying, “Homerun-Goal-Touchdown-Score- Slam Dunk” : Piedmont tallies a winner! When I first met Aiden as a freshman, I was immediately drawn to her ability to ascertain what my message in class and to the team was very quickly. She has an instinctive ability to absorb information and then apply it much faster than nearly everyone her age. This is a real eye catcher for a coach and one that easily leads people without delay. She makes her day full of information, knowledge, and grit. Then she delivers on time as very few can these days. I am so fortunate and blessed to have had her briefly play a role through my life during these past few years. I can’t wait to see her name and her leadership forge these new waters as she continues to row the boat down south for her hometown, where it all began, as a Charlestown Pirate.”
WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulates Aiden and wishes her a healthy and prosperous future as a Piedmont University Lion.
Recently in the presence of family, friends, and coaches, Charlestown senior Savannah Gaither signed to attend school and play softball at Indiana University Southeast in the fall.
Indiana University Southeast, a regional campus of Indiana University, is a four-year, public, comprehensive university located in New Albany, Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1941, it provides high-quality educational programs and services that promote student learning and prepare students for productive citizenship in a diverse society, and that contribute to the intellectual, cultural, and economic development of our region. IU Southeast competes at the NAIA level in the River States Conference and is home to ten varsity sports.
When asked about her choice to play at IU Southeast with the Grenadiers, Gaither replied, “I chose Indiana University Southeast because it felt like a home away from home. Coach Buckmaster and the team treated me like family from the moment we met and that made the decision easy! I felt so comfortable and welcomed and I realized this is the place I want to be!” Gaither plans to major in nursing.
Charlestown softball coach Joe Witten shared his sentiments on Gaither saying, “Savannah has a gift in her soul that most of us will never experience as a student-athlete. She is blessed with the tools to make her very successful not only on the ballfield, but also in life. I am very proud of her and her accomplishments, but more importantly her drive to continue to grow and improve each and every day. It’s a blessing to be a part of her life on the ball diamond.”
WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulates Savannah and wishes her a healthy and prosperous future as an Indiana University Southeast Grenadier.
Article contributed by WPMQ, The Pirate Network staff member Aiden Stewart.
WPMQ would like to welcome Coach Joe Witten to Charlestown Lady Pirate softball for the 2021-22 season!
Coach Witten comes to us with an extensive and impressive resume. He spent ten seasons at Floyd Central before he made the move to Indiana University Southeast where he spent the last nine seasons as the head of the Grenadiers’ very successful NAIA program.
While at Floyd Central, Coach Witten earned five Hoosier Hills Conference titles, five sectional titles, one regional title, and one state finals appearance. He was a five-time HHC Coach of the Year, a four-time ICGSA District V Coach of the Year, and a four-time Indiana All-Star game coach. With 222 wins for the Highlanders, Witten is the all time winningest coach in school history.
More recently at Indiana University Southeast, Witten compiled a 293-129-1 record and is the program’s all-time wins leader. Under his direction, the Grenadiers made six national tournament appearances in eight possible seasons. Witten was named conference Coach of the Year four times. Each of his nine Grenadier teams were named NAIA Scholar Teams with 3.0 GPAs or higher and 22 scholar-athletes were named NFCA Scholar-Athletes during his tenure. The Grenadiers placed 47 student-athletes on all-conference teams from 2013-2021.
WPMQ is excited to have Coach Witten on the softball field and in the classroom at CHS.
IT’S AUCTION TIME! 
Silent Online Basket Auction 
Every CHS athletic team, cheer squad, band, WPMQ, and the athletic department has donated awesome themed baskets—now it’s your chance to BID & WIN while supporting a great cause!
Not into bidding? Drop a 
on the Crusade for Children or SAIL Team logo to make a donation!
Auction is OPEN NOW through Noon EST, Friday, May 16!
Winners announced that day.
Pickup at CHS by May 20 (7:30 AM – 3:15 PM) or make arrangements.
Payment: Cash or check (payable to Charlestown High School, memo: SAIL Team).
Questions? Email Melissa Stewart at: mstewart@gccschools.com
HOW TO BID 
Go to the post on the WPMQ Facebook page and comment on the basket photo with your bid:
No edited comments
Start at listed minimum
Increase bids by at least $5
No payment = item goes to next highest bidder
All sales final
