Southern Nebraska Register
The academic decathlon team from Pius X High School in Lincoln won the state championship in the Feb. 17-18 Academic Decathlon, the team's sixth state title in 13 years.
Junior Julius Meduna of Pius X was the highest-scoring student in the entire competition.
An academic decathlon team is made up of students of all grade levels who spend the school year learning fundamentals in 10 subject areas. The students are also divided into academic levels based on GPA.
Each high school 
enters a team of nine students: three A or ‘Honor’ students (3.8 to 4.0 GPA), three B or ‘Scholastic’ students (3.2 to 3.79 GPA) and three C or below ‘Varsity’ students (0.00 to 3.19 GPA).
The competitors also are required to learn specifics about each category, plus social sciences, related to a central theme – this year, the theme was “The American Revolution.”
At the state finals, the students take exams on each subject and their scores are compared with students from around the state at their corresponding academic level. Students are also graded on essays, prepared and impromptu speeches, and interviews. The culminating event is a super quiz bowl competition.
The Feb. 17-18 match was close, with Pius X trailing Mount Michael and Creighton Prep before the final super quiz event. In the end, the Pius X team rallied and pulled off an upset victory. Pius X now advances to the national championship in Frisco, Texas in April.
The Pius X team is coached by Ann Kotopka and Mike Katalenich, assisted by Jean Timmerman and Judy Fulton. Team assistants are Alexis Montecuollo and Alvin Luu.
“This particular team has been an outstanding group of students,” Kotopka said. “At the conclusion of the competition, with most of the other participants having departed, our students noticed the director of the event working to take down tables and chairs, and the Pius kids laid down their trophies and medals and jumped into action to help. They are selfless, bright, dynamic students, and I feel so blessed to work with them.”
