Montrose’s Loyd, Widefield’s Owen Selected to Receive Outstanding Performing Arts Educator Awards

INDIANAPOLIS – The NFHS has announced a total of 59 individuals across the country that have been selected to receive Outstanding Performing Arts Educator Awards, with two state recipients coming from Colorado. Montrose’s Sheridan Monroe Loyd has been named a state recipient for the Outstanding Music Educator Award and Widefield’s Stephanie Owen a state recipient for the Outstanding Speech and Debate Educator Award.

Loyd is a respected music educator and conductor in Colorado, known for her ability to elevate student musicianship. She currently serves as the Director of Bands at Montrose High School, where she teaches two concert bands, two jazz bands and the “Pride of Montrose” marching band. Her leadership pushes the boundaries of what rural area band students can achieve, while her dedication to fostering inclusive and innovative music programs has made her a leader in the field.

Owen is a two-diamond speech and debate coach at Widefield High School, where she has earned the NSDA Distinguished Service Bronze Plaque for having 74 service citations. She has coached her students to state and national success while fostering personal growth and resilience. Her contributions to Colorado speech and debate include mentoring coaches, hosting tournaments and serving on state committees. Owen’s unwavering belief in her students’ potential is a testament to her dedication as an educator.

“Sheridan Monroe Loyd and Stephanie Owen exemplify the kind of dedication, passion, and leadership that elevate not only their students but the entire Colorado high school activities community,” said CHSAA Assistant Commissioner Rashaan Davis, who oversees student activities at the state level. “Their tireless efforts – whether through advancing music education or guiding students to success in speech and debate – are making a lasting impact on schools and students across the state. We are deeply grateful for their hard work and commitment to providing opportunities that inspire personal growth, resilience, and excellence in our student participants. Their contributions are invaluable to CHSAA and to the future of education-based activity participation in Colorado.”

Under Loyd’s direction, Montrose’s marching bands have placed fourth and sixth in the state the past two years after winning regional championships. Meanwhile, her ensembles have set several new school records, including a record high score and placement for marching band, a first-ever performance at the Colorado Music Educators’ Association state conference selected by blind audition, and a bronze medal winter guard performance at the Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association state competition in class Scholastic A. In addition, her Advanced Jazz Ensemble was named the Outstanding High School Jazz Band in 2022 and 2024, earning straight superior ratings and “Outstanding Soloist” awards each year.

Prior to this appointment, Loyd was the Director of Bands for the Estes Park School District, where she taught the 5th-12th grade bands, jazz band and marching band. She increased the middle school band participation by 57 percent over three years while her high school marching band won the Colorado 1A State Marching Band Championship three years in a row, (2015-17).

An active guest conductor and clinician across Colorado, she’s served as guest conductor with the CSU Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band and Concert Band. She also performed as a clarinetist in the Wild Symphony in 2018-19. Since 2019, she’s served as the Colorado Chair for the National Band Association, promoting programs that improve the level of excellence and educational significance of bands in Colorado. She’s also served as the Recording Secretary for the Colorado Bandmasters Association since 2017 and was the Small School Representative for the CBA Marching Band Committee prior to that.

A graduate of Miami University (Ohio), Loyd received a Bachelor of Music in both music education and clarinet performance. She entered college a National Merit Scholar, completed the University’s Honors Program with distinction, graduated summa cum laude and was named the Presser Scholar – Miami University’s most prestigious award in music. She was also the principal clarinet in the Miami University Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, and as drum major for the Marching Band, she led the band’s nationally televised performance in the 2013 Presidential Inauguration Parade. She also performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2011.

Sheridan’s contributions to state and regional music organizations reflect her commitment to excellence in music education.

Owen began her speech and debate journey as a high school student in Illinois, where she earned an NSDA rank of Distinction and was a state finalist in Performance in the Round. In 2013, she was hired as an English teacher for Widefield and became one of the school’s speech teachers. The very next year, she reopened forensics as a class, which hadn’t been offered since 2006. In 2016, when Mesa Ridge High School (Widefield’s rival) lost its coach, Owen didn’t hesitate to combine the two teams into one. Over the years, she has coached more than 389 students, and she not only believes in each of them, but she does the work to help them become the best version of themselves.

A District Committee member for the Colorado Grande District of the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) since 2016, Owen also served on the Colorado State Tournament Planning Committee and for the last two years, was the TAB Chair for the Colorado 4A State Tournament. She’s a three-time presenter at the CHSAA Speech Coaches Conference and has been a CHSAA Speech and Debate Tournament Committee member for more than 10 years.

A mentor to newer coaches, Owen has hosted many tournaments – including the first tournament of the season for the last eight years and the National Qualifying Congress Tournament twice – and has shared her resources and tips every step of the way in order to help new coaches find success. Over the years, Owen’s has churned out more than 50 state qualifiers, 35 national qualifiers, two Colorado Grande Students of the Year and nine Academic All-Americans. Her teams have been honored as a CHSAA Teams of the Month on three occasions and several students have been chosen for the Wendy’s High School Hot Shot Award.

Recognized twice by the Widefield High School Board of Education for Outstanding Coaching, Owen has also racked up honors such as Colorado Grande Coach of the Year, Colorado Grande Alumni of the Year and NSDA 2 Diamond Coach, a prestigious recognition given to coaches with a high level of achievement and longevity in coaching, which is achieved by accumulating a significant number of points through their students’ competitive success over many years of coaching.

Owen’s unwavering belief in her students’ potential is a testament to her dedication as an educator.

Since 1988 when the first Outstanding Speech/Debate/Theatre Educator Awards were presented, 262 individuals have received section awards and 428 have been honored with state awards. The Outstanding Music Educator Awards began a year later in 1989, and 221 individuals have received section awards and another 411 have been honored with state awards. The Outstanding Theatre Award was given for the first time two years ago, separating it from the Outstanding Speech/Debate Educator Award, and 19 individuals have received section awards and 17 have earned state awards.