BUENA -- Ricky Wilcox spent thousands of hours running, lifting weights, wrestling and sweating in the Buena Regional High School gymnasium. He helped the Buena wrestling team to conference championships and sectional championships. He forged friendships and built a respect among those in the wrestling community.

Thursday morning, Ricky Wilcox exited the Buena Regional gymnasium for the final time. Thousands paid respects in the very same gymnasium where Wilcox starred as a wrestling champion. Family, friends, teammates, coaches, teachers, and even past opponents, were in attendance for the funeral of one of Buena's most cherished young men.

Richard Michael "Ricky" Wilcox was killed in a one-car crash early Monday morning. He was 18.

Wilcox was buried at Friendship Cemetery, no more than 300 yards from the Buena gym. Wilcox grew up down the street in a two-story, country house his dad built.

"Ricky was in a class by himself," said Bill Wilcox, Ricky's father. "He had a lot going for him. He loved his brothers and sisters. He had a lot of drive and ambition. He was a loving, loving kid."

The news of Wilcox's death, just one day before his high school graduation, stunned this small, rural community he grew up in and where he went on to athletic success. A former middle school state champion, Wilcox was a tremendous wrestler, earning 94 wins in his career. He was a four-time district placer and three-time regional placer.

"I lost a friend, a teammate, and a brother," said Bobby Shea, who read a poem he wrote during one of the eulogies. "Everybody look around. Look at the sheer number of people here. Ricky Wilcox left an impression on all of us."

Wilcox's athletic achievements were noted in all parts of the gym Thursday. His wrestling weight class and career record were on the scoreboard. His wrestling shoes and blue-and-gold singlet rested atop his casket, next to his diploma.

"He made the most out of everything and he loved life," said Doug Castellari, his high school coach who struggled to hold back tears. "Everybody knew Ricky Wilcox, and he knew everyone."

Wilcox will be remembered as more than a wrestler. Over and over, friends said the same thing: He was a great person. He was a great friend. He was an all-around nice guy.

"Ricky was always there for you, if you needed someone to talk to about wrestling or anything," said Anthony Badaracco, Wilcox's high school teammate the last three years who served as a pallbearer. "He was there to hang out with. ... He was a great person to everyone. He didn't play favorites. He treated everyone like they were his best friend. That was the great thing about him."

Wilcox's upbeat, bubbly personality endeared him to the wrestling community. He was known as a fierce competitor, but also as one who maintained a level of humility.

That was evident by the overwhelming show of support from nearly every wrestling team in South Jersey, including Vineland and Sacred Heart, Delsea Regional, Kingsway, St. Augustine Prep, Oakcrest, Hammonton and Absegami.

"He was the kind of kid who would beat you up on the mat, then afterwards, he'd shake your hand and tell you that you'd wrestle again, and maybe you'd win that time," Bill Wilcox said. "He could beat someone and still be friends with them."

Delsea seniors were allowed to cut out of graduation practice early to pay their respects. The Oakcrest wrestling team presented the family with a pair of picture frames, one containing a photo of Wilcox wrestling and the other an Oakcrest varsity letter signed by the entire team.

"That's the funniest thing about wrestling," said Kevin Badaracco, Anthony's older brother and a former Buena wrestler. "It's like a family."

Wilcox's death also moved many wrestlers, coaches and parents throughout the state. The wrestling forum on nj.com was swamped with messages of condolence. Two of the heartfelt messages came from the Kittatinny and Voorhees wrestling families. Buena defeated Voorhees in the state semifinals this past season before losing in the finals to Kittatinny for a second year in a row.

"He was a great kid," said Mike Rossi, a Vineland High School senior who met Wilcox in eighth grade. "We met in mini-wrestling. Ever since then, we've been like brothers. ... I'm going to miss everything about him."

As will everyone who met Ricky Wilcox.

Key:

* Honor Graduate

** National Honor Society

Graduates

Victoria Dawn Agnew

Christopher J. Alvarez

Justin M. Arnold

David Robert Ashenfelter

Patrick D. Baldiserra

Melissa Lee Barcia

Anthony Louis Battelini

Cheryl Toria Benjamin

Brandon V. Berni

Britani Alison Bianco

Daniel Robert Bogdan

Julie Ann Boggs

Nicole Ann Bowman

Shannon Nicole Breder

Dominique Nichelle Brent

Vincent A. Brooks

Crystal Dominique Brown

Ryan Patrick Burns

Kyle William Burst

Joy Kristina Campbell

Francesca Marie Capriotti

Chelsea Elizabeth Carlino

Chelsea Lynne Carr

Michael Anthony Caruso

Patrick F. Casazza

Anibal Juan Centeno

Angela Catherine Cervino **

Melissa Marita Cifaloglio

Hector Cintron

Stephanie Angela Coccaro

Scott Collins II

Jasselle Tatiana Cruz *

Tara Marie Cullen */**

Ryan Robert Curcio

Natalie Marie Damico *

Amanda Lynn Dean

Steven Robert Decker */**

Stefan DelCotto

Anthony A. DeSantis

Vivian Diaz

Megan Marie DiPaola

Kevin Charles Donovan

Dmitriy N. Drozd

Jessica Lee Duda

Morgan Marie Duggan

Meghan Marie Eidam */**

Paul Faith III */**

Timothy C. Finkbeiner

Christian Franco

Gary R. Frank Jr.

Joshua Douglas Frick

Kristie Lin Fulginitti

Anna Mary Louise Germanio

Mark Allen Gilch

Stephen V. Gilmore

David D. Gladney

Christopher E. Glosson

Monica Rodriguez Gomez

Sergio L. Gonzalez

Daniel L. Goode

Jason Colby Gordon

Mark Christopher Gorgas

Brent Halley Grunow **

Karl E. Hansen

Jessica Christine Happle

Jessica Elizabeth Hawthorne

Richard Ernest Henderson

George Hicks

Matthew V. Hicks

Frank A. Hinds

Joelle Ashley Hopp */**

Alexander Hunter III

Litsa Michael Isihos

Krystle Chanel Jackson */**

Torey Johnson

Danielle Louise Kanady

Nacole Nancy Kanady

Michelle Kendall

Katy Marie Kelly

Adam Kennedy

Ryan Matthew Kiamos

Nicole Melissa Klimczak *

Christopher Michael Kocher *

Brian P. Krementz */**

Troy J. Krichmar

Geordin C. Krupski

Tara Nicole Larson**

Priscilla C. Lazarus

Jamie Lynn Leslie

Jennifer Marie Levering

Seann E. Linus

Voshell M. Little

Christopher M. Lund Jr.

Lee Edward Macho

John Michael Maher *

Robert E. B. Manning II

Emily Mangual

Amber Louise Marchesano

Robert E. Mason Jr.

Rose Elizabeth Mattera *

Kyle William Matyger *

Valerie Nicole Mendini*

Michael Lamar Middleton

Andres A. Miguel

Amanda Leigh Miller

Jessie Lee Minervini

Laura Elizabeth Moir

Michele Lynne Molinelli

Melonie N. Moore

Kenneth J. Morgenweck

Lindsay Ann Myers

Nicholas Anthony Nazzario

Dana Christine Nese

Michael Ray Newgas */**

Ryan L. Nilsen

Kai O. Nurmikko

Johnathon W. Oberempt

Julie A. Oliveri

David A. Olsen

Jenna Marie Olsen

Brittany E. Orlandini

Jennifer Lynn Pagano

Paul Franklin Panchesine

Albert Patterson

Christina Anne Peters */**

Mathew Vincent Petrie

Alison Nichole Phillips

Katelyn Marie Phillips

William Peter Pino**

Danielle Gail Pisano

Vasiliy Pokidyuk

Jesse Alexander Powell

Ashleigh R. Prevost

Tony James Quarella *

Yamil O. Quintana

Renwick Raymond

Lindsay Ann Rehmann

Melynda Elizabeth Ribardo

Melyssa A. Ribardo

Christopher Michael Ricci */**

Jonathan James Ricci

Frank Rivera III

Richard L. Rivera

Anthony Rashaan Rodgers

Catrina Marie Rodin

Andy Rodriguez

Elaina A. Rodriguez

Justin Anthony Rodriguez

Michael Douglas Rodriguez

Nestor A. Rodriguez

Vanessa Rodriguez

Laurel Elizabeth Ross

Alexcia Kathleena Rullan

Michael J. Santiago

Justin R. Sauble

Christine Alisha Schairer */**

Dana Leigh Schwiers

Steven A. Seelman */**

Kristy Nicole Serbeck

Kevin Omar Serrano

Joshua B. Sexton */**

Joshua Tyler Sharpe

Destiny Sherrer

Ashley Rose Shover

Samantha Marie Showell

Courtney Lynn Shultz

Amanda A. Silva

Sherri Lynn Simione */**

Matthew James Simpson

Daniel W. Smith

Maurice Jerome Smith

Nicholas A. Sparks

Dominic Andrew Speziali

Natosha N. Stanford

Andrew Jonathan Steiger

Michael Christopher Stellato

Matthew James Storar

Justin Edward Stricker

Catherine Arlene Stuart

Christine Swadis

Joshua M. Tantillo

Angelyne Elizabeth Taylor

Erin Victoria Taylor **

Robert Telenko

Jade Lindsay Temperino

Kevin M. Thompson

Tashon D. Thompson

Tyshana Thompson

Laura Anna Tomasello

Valerie S. Tomer

Vicky Johannie Valentin

Travis Spencer VanAcker *

Christopher John Vasinda

Jessie L. Voorhis *

Kristy Marie Wagner

Jennifer Rose Warren

William A. Warren Jr.

Edward Watkins

Ashley Amber Watson

James Webster

Melissa Louise Webster */**

Richard M. Wilcox - Posthumous

Ian Richard Wilkinson

John Robert Williams

Cullen W. Wright

Christa Michele Yacovelli

Roy E. Zafian

Anna I. Zakharova *

Melissa Zettlemoyer

BUENA VISTA -- A graduation gown draped over an empty chair.

A cap and framed senior portrait where Ricky Wilcox's athletic frame should have filled the seat.

The Buena Regional High School graduation was a somber occasion suffused with the poignant reminders that nothing was as it should have been.

"As you know, yesterday, in an unspeakable tragedy, the class of 2004 lost one of its members," Principal Ken Soboloski announced shortly after the graduation ceremony opened. He was referring to Wilcox's untimely death early Monday morning.

Soboloski then called for a moment of silence in honor of the "student, athlete and friend."

Wilcox, 18 -- a standout wrestler and affable teenager who was well-known and well-liked -- was killed when the older-model Ford Bronco he was driving hit a tree along Mays Landing Road and caught fire.

State police said Tuesday that an accident investigator determined the vehicle struck a very large tree -- perhaps 3 feet in diameter -- and dislodged it from the ground, moving its base at least 20 feet from the scene of the impact.

Friends of Wilcox relayed to police that he had been tired when last seen prior to the accident.

News of Wilcox's death hit this small community hard and the barely one-day-old tragedy loomed large over the graduation ceremony and its participants. Wilcox's diploma will be given to his parents.

"We gather for what should have been a most joyous occasion, instead we gather with heavy hearts," Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said to the graduates. "We taught you the skills to function after graduation, but we can't protect you from tragedy."

After learning of Wilcox's death, Valedictorian Brian Krementz amended his speech and, his voice breaking, spoke of the lessons to be learned from the tragedy.

Wilcox's fate underscored the knowledge that nothing in life is certain and students should continue to live their lives every day because at any minute, any second, it could end, he said.

Bearing a black ribbon and white carnation affixed to his gown -- like his fellow graduates -- Michael Newgas, 17, admitted his feelings were mixed.

"We're getting out of high school, but the tragedy that just happened... you can't really be happy about anything," he said.

Valerie Mendini, 17, of Buena Vista -- Wilcox's friend since second grade -- appeared distraught, clutching the items that had adorned his chair.

"It's horrible," lamented Kristie Fulginitti, 18, of Collings Lakes. Ricky was one of a group of 18 close friends, she said.

"Now there's only 17 and we don't know what to do."

BUENA VISTA -- Graduation caps floated in the air, riding high on a wave of triumph.

Cameras flashed, capturing brilliant grins and the elation that comes with fulfilling one of life's great accomplishments.

The members of Buena Regional High School's class of 2004 are graduates.

Ricky Wilcox wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Wilcox, 18, died early Monday morning when his Ford Bronco crashed into a tree along Mays Landing Road in Folsom and caught fire.

His untimely death came a day before Tuesday's Buena Regional graduation ceremony, in which he was supposed to participate.

Instead, a cap, gown and senior portrait occupied his seat, and spray-painted vehicles in the school's parking lot heralded his memory.

A moment of silence in Wilcox's honor was observed shortly after the ceremony began.

As sobering as it was, graduates said the tragedy of Wilcox's death had given them renewed appreciation for the milestone they had just achieved.

"We're doing this for Ricky!" shouted Lindsay Myers, 17, of Milmay as students embraced after the ceremony.

"He'd want us to be happy," said Krystle Jackson, 17, of Buena Vista. "So I think we should enjoy ourselves today and remember him."

Joe Sterchele knows full well the meaning of living in uncertainty.

A serious illness had kept his fiancée, Nacole Kanady, from school for weeks and threatened to keep her from graduating.

But she pulled through.

"I almost feel like a proud papa," beamed Sterchele, 20, of Newfield.

Melissa Webster, 17, of Estelle Manor hoped to remember fondly the hard-earned culmination of educational success.

"When you're 50 years old, you don't want to look back at this as a sad time," she said. "You spent four years waiting for this."

In his valedictory address, Brian Krementz, 17, fought off tears as he urged graduates to move forward despite the challenges they will face.

"We have to remember that life isn't going to be a slam dunk, or for those of us who can't jump, a layup," he said. "We are all going to have our ups and downs, but we have to just keep going, just keep on shooting."

Students learned perhaps the most valuable lessons of their high school careers by dealing with the tragedy.

"Don't put off what you can do today until tomorrow," Webster said.

"Never take anybody for granted; you never know when you might not see them again," added Bill Pino, 18, of Estelle Manor.

And there were the usual pre-graduation preparations and jitters.

Jaselle Cruz, 17, of Buena got her hair done.

Waiting to walk down the football field, where the graduation was held, she said,

"I'm glad it's over, but I'm scared to death. But I'm ready. I'm ready."

Cruz saw a silver lining in the dark cloud that has hung over the high school.

What she would take away, she said, was the knowledge of "our class coming together with everything that happened with Ricky."

FOLSOM -- What would have been a joyous celebration is marked instead by grief, as Buena Regional High School seniors graduating today cope with the loss of one of their own.

Ricky Wilcox, 18, a standout wrestler renowned for his popularity, was killed here when the Ford Bronco he was driving crashed into a tree and caught fire, state police said.

The accident happened around 2:38 a.m. Monday on Mays Landing Road, about a mile northwest of the intersection with Route 54. Wilcox was returning from Club Shampoo in Philadelphia, according to friends. Sunday night is 18-and-over night at the club.

He was pronounced dead at 3:43 a.m. There was no one else inside the vehicle.

State troopers who responded to the scene found the older-model Bronco "resting against a tree and fully engulfed in flames," spokesman Stephen Jones said. Fire crews from Collings Lakes and Folsom extinguished the fire, he said.

An autopsy performed Monday afternoon confirmed Wilcox's identity, but the manner of death remains under investigation. Toxicology results are pending.

Buena Regional High School Principal Ken Sobolowski, a 39-year educator, broke the news to seniors Monday morning during a graduation rehearsal.

"We've had tragedies at Buena High School before, but never something this close to graduation. Never a senior, never this close," Sobolowski said. "Ricky was a very popular senior -- very popular with the kids."

"I didn't know what I was going to say," he added. "Nothing in life prepares you for that."

Seniors reacted with disbelief and agony.

"It was like dead silence," said Matt Duff, a Buena Regional senior who ran into Wilcox at Shampoo. "Then a lot of the girls started crying."

Mourners gathered at the accident scene Monday, gazing at the charred, blackened wreckage that marred the woods off Mays Landing Road.

A heap of twisted metal, car lights, tree limbs and ash testified to Wilcox's tragic end. Two crosses framed the grim picture.

"I didn't know it was like this," said Claribel Mundo, a 17-year-old junior who said Wilcox was one of her first friends at the high school. "I just thought it was a car accident; I didn't know it was all this."

Mundo spotted teenagers approaching the site and indicated that one was Wilcox's younger brother, Michael.

Reaching the scene, Michael Wilcox fell onto his haunches and sobbed. He then proceeded to sift solemnly through the wreckage, as others had done.

"When I drove by the first time, I got butterflies because I knew that was it," said Dan Smith, 18, of Collings Lakes, who also sorted through the wreckage with a group of friends.

"He was just awesome," said Smith, a longtime friend who played on the same Little League teams with Wilcox when they were younger.

"Everybody knew who he was," he said. "You can't remember anything that he did that was, like, mean."

Wilcox was a three-time all-conference wrestler who qualified for the state championship three years in a row.

The Buena Chiefs, a perennial South Jersey wrestling power, finished second in the state during Wilcox's junior and senior years.

Wilcox was to receive the annual Mickey Caprice award today, given to the team's outstanding wrestler. Michael "Mickey" Caprice, the founder of the Buena Braves and a youth wrestling coach, died last Thursday.

Caprice's funeral is being held this morning.

Wilcox was planning to attend West Virginia University, where he would try to walk on to the wrestling team, said Dave Albertson, the athletics director at Buena Regional.

He spoke about his plans everyday in English class, friends said.

Now, the prospect of graduating without him is grim.

"It's going to be horrible," Smith said. "It's more like a funeral than a graduation. I'm not even looking forward to it."

Staff Writer Geoff Dodd contributed to this report.

Everyone knew what a great wrestler Ricky Wilcox was. A four-year starter on the Buena Regional High School squad, he left an impression none will soon forget.

But to the people who knew him best -- namely, the close-knit community of Buena -- Wilcox's most shining characteristics were noticed away from the mat, through the halls of the high school and in the presence of friends.

That's just one reason why the news of his untimely death early Monday morning hasn't gotten any easier to handle.

"He was one of those kids who always had a smile on his face," said Bobby Shea, a teammate for three years and a friend for six. "He was a kid everyone knew and looked up to. He was that good of a person to everyone."

Wilcox, a senior, died in a one-car accident early Monday morning, heading down Route 561 in Folsom after a night of hanging out with many of his friends at Shampoo, a night club in Philadelphia.

"It's devastating," said longtime friend Ken Pustizzi, a St. Augustine Prep senior. "Words can't express it. I don't know how to feel."

Wilcox, a finalist for the Mr. Buena title this year, was set to graduate tonight.

"It's a tragic, tragic story," Buena Athletics Director Dave Alberston said. "He was 10, 12, 15 minutes away from home. That's all he needed, another 15 minutes."

As early as Sunday afternoon, Wilcox was sharing his dreams with Shea. A junior, Shea wanted to know what Wilcox had planned for the future.

Wilcox told Shea he planned on matriculating at West Virginia University, the result of a long college-search process.

"He ... was going to try to walk onto the wrestling team. He was excited about it," Shea said. "The day before graduation. That's definitely sad."

Wilcox was to receive the Mickey Caprice Award at tonight's graduation ceremonies. The award, named after the founder of the Buena Braves youth wrestling program, is given to the team's outstanding wrestler.

It would have been a fitting end to a stellar career. Wilcox was a four-year starter on the wrestling team, amassing a 94-29 career record. He reached the state tournament three of his four years. In 2004, he rang up 27 wins and was runner-up at the District 32 and Region 8 championships.

Caprice died last Thursday. All the pallbearers are former wrestlers. They heard of Wilcox's tragic death Monday morning.

"It's not a good day. It's been a terrible, terrible day. ... It's just unbelievable," said Doug Castellari, Wilcox's high school coach. "We all are just so sad."

Wilcox had friends throughout the area, a testament to his charismatic personality and ability to get along with whatever group he was part of.

"His personality was attractive to everyone," said Steve Bond, a Vineland High School senior and a friend since sixth grade. "He accepted me like I was a brother.

"We had the same type of personality," Bond added. "When he came over to my house, he tried to schmooze my mom. When I went over to his house, I would do the same. He was an all-around nice kid. ... He was always willing to have a good time. I don't know what we're going to do without him."

Gary Cocking, Buena Regional's guidance counselor to seniors, has known Wilcox since he was 9 years old.

"He just wanted to be successful," Cocking said. "He wanted to be a student-athlete, not only an athlete. He wanted the challenge of going to a big school and a big-time program, and he knew he had the work ethic and desire to achieve his goals and contribute to a big-time program.

"He had a lot of attributes that people loved," Cocking added. "That people would want in their sons."

When the seniors at Buena arrived to school for graduation practice early Monday morning, few if any were aware of the situation. Principal Ken Sobolowski broke the news early.

First there was silence, senior Matt Duff said. Utter disbelief. Then a few sniffles, and finally, the realization of what had happened.

"We've had tragedies at Buena High School before," Sobolowski said. "But never something this close to graduation, never a senior, never this close. ... I didn't know what I was going to say. Nothing in life prepares you for that."

Staff writers Jason Carris and Matt Pesyna contributed to this report.

BUENA -- The Buena Regional School District is appealing a decision that would make a 20,000-square-foot portion of its new middle school ineligible for state funding.

The state Department of Education recently notified the district of its preliminary decision to approve funding for only 72,000 square feet of the new facility, although the district's design calls for 92,000 square feet to be funded.

Under that scenario, the state would cover roughly 65 percent of the cost for up to 72,000 square feet of the project -- but contribute nothing to the rest.

Because the district is appealing the decision, it's not known what financial bearing that will have on the district's taxpayers, who will vote Sept. 28 whether to pay for the project.

The N.J. School Construction Corp. will determine the final funding amount.

The DOE determined the square footage it will fund by using the new middle school's projected enrollment, as submitted by the school district, spokesman Ron Rice said.

The district is free to build the size it wants, but the state will only fund the approved amount -- in this case, 72,000 square feet.

"We believe that that would be too small of a facility for the current (middle school) population, let alone what we're predicting in the future," Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said.

In fact, a 72,000-square-foot structure would be smaller than the existing J.P. Cleary Middle School, which houses 574 students.

At 74,000 square feet, Cleary is considered inadequate for programs, and the building's core facilities -- such as the library -- are too small, DeGiacomo said.

Moreover, DeGiacomo reasons that three new housing developments forthcoming in Buena will boost the number of students by the time the middle school is built.

She estimates two middle school-aged children will come from each home.

To the school district's misfortune, that new housing isn't reflected in a demographics study submitted by the district and on which the DOE based its approval for funding. DeGiacomo said that hurt the district's bid for funding approval for the school building size it sought.

The school board is reluctant to build a new middle school that would be too small and later have to construct an addition, arguing the extra cost would be unfair to the district's taxpayers, DeGiacomo said.

Already, the school district has substantially scaled back an original middle school design that initially proposed a 106,000-square-foot structure. It was reduced so it would have a "better chance" of getting funded as school officials wished, DeGiacomo said.

At 92,000 square feet, the middle school will cost about $20 million, which includes some furnishings, Business Administrator Tom Kearney said.

School board members voted to set a Sept. 28 referendum date. The amount that will be asked of voters has yet to be determined, depending on the final state funding.

The school district will structure the bond so that it prolongs an existing tax levy currently paying off a 1998 $5 million bond. That bond would have ended in the next three years. Instead, the district will extend the life of that bond up to 20 years to keep the tax levy at its current level, depending ultimately on the financial help it gets from the state.

To keep the tax levy low enough to remain at its current level, the district may start out paying interest initially without reducing the principal, Kearney said. In the end, prolonging the life of the bond will cost more.

Mayor Chuck Chiarello questions the district's decision to press on with the middle school plan, arguing it would make more financial sense to wait for the district to obtain some additional funding or another status that would entitle them to more funding.

More time could allow the Pinelands and the Buena Municipal Utilities Authority to arrive at a resolution over the borough's sewerage limits. Should an agreement be reached, it would save the school district from purchasing its own wastewater treatment system for $700,000 to $1 million.

The Pinelands won't allow the new middle school to connect to municipal sewerage lines until the MUA halts the dumping of effluent treated at its sewerage plant into Deep Run Stream.

"I'm not against having a building," Chiarello said. "I'm against fast-tracking or rushing it."

"If people know they are rushed, know they will have to pay extra money for septic and know they have a chance for better funding, then my initial reaction is it will be a difficult bond issue to pass," he said.

But the district says now is the best time to build. Later, interest rates and construction costs could go up.

"If we can get low interest rates now, why should we wait?" Kearney asked.

BUENA VISTA -- For 32 years at J.P. Cleary Middle School, there were no diplomas.

There were no caps and gowns or the ceremonial turnings of the tassels.

There was no boisterous foot-stomping, no spirited hurrahs, no snapshots of sheepish children taken by proud parents, and no flexing of muscles on stage.

Eighth-grade graduation might have been "just another day," said parent Kathleen Santiago, 37, of Buena Vista.

All that changed Wednesday.

"Good evening, I'd like to welcome you to the first eighth-grade graduation of Dr. J.P. Cleary Middle School," school Principal Bob Paladino told the audience at the Buena Regional High School auditorium, speaking of the first graduation ceremony since 1972.

The crowd erupted in applause.

"It feels good because we're graduating the eighth grade; this is the first time we're graduating," said Vaughn Peterson, 14 of Newtonville.

"This is banging, dog!" Abraham Perez, 15, of Minotola excitedly interjected in modern teen-speak.

Trepidation, excitement and pride beset graduates as they waited to begin their procession to Pomp and Circumstance.

"I'm scared," exclaimed Darius Melton, 14 of Buena, "probably because all the parents are there."

Standing in her cap and gown, Marla Moratelli, 13, lamented, "It's hot."

As the ceremony got under way, it was clear the night was historic for another reason: the retirement of Principal Paladino after 31 years at Cleary.

His voice breaking, he referred to the school as "absolutely spectacular" and thanked students and faculty.

A permanent plaque was dedicated in his honor and academic excellence awards for the highest male and female averages were awarded in Paladino's name to Jessica Acilio and Ryan Grusemeyer.

Shane Bernhardt was awarded the Dr. J.P. Cleary citizenship recognition.

The Joseph A. Capizola service recognition went to Marco Carolla.

The top seven students in the class were also honored.

Mayor Joseph Baruffi, the guest speaker, underscored the importance of education as a cornerstone of freedom and democracy.

Parents agreed the ceremony was a fitting way to mark the milestone in their children's lives.

"They should have it. It's a stepping point, like a pinnacle for them," said Danielle Koger, 35, of Buena Vista, whose nephew Markus graduated. "They just completed a major transition in their life. High school is a completely different life."

Lisa Walker, 33, who graduated from Cleary but never participated in a formal commencement ceremony, admitted, "I'm a little jealous."

The ceremony was reinstated this year to recognize the accomplishments of all students, rather than a select few who had been honored in awards ceremonies each year since 1972, said Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo. It was her hope that it could continue.

The graduation now replaces those awards ceremonies, and the funds to pay for them were redirected to cover the cost of graduation.

Parents paid for students' caps and gowns and could purchase portraits.

The school district footed the bill for the school picture.

BUENA VISTA -- The Buena Regional school board on Tuesday formally recognized the attendance boundaries for exiting third grade Donini School students who live in Minotola.

Students residing east of Central Avenue will attend Milanesi School. Those west of the border will attend Edgarton Memorial Elementary School.

Donini houses students in grades K-3.

At this time of year, parents of third-grade Donini students call to find out where their children will be learning in the fall, Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo explained.

"We thought we'd clarify it so we don't get all the questions and requests," she said. "This is the way it is and this is where your child should go."

She emphasized this is simply a clarification of a long-standing unofficial policy that has been common knowledge.

The delineation will not change the status of any current students.

The official boundary already in place for Landisville is Harding Highway. Donini students entering the fourth grade who live north of the highway will attend Milanesi. Students who live south of the road will attend Edgarton.

These boundaries will be eliminated when a new middle school is built. Its construction will pave the way for J.P. Cleary Middle School's conversion to an elementary school. The converted elementary school will house Donini and Edgarton students until the fifth grade.