Pius X Academic Decathlon Team Crowned State Champions
After months of intense studying, practicing, drills, and good old fashioned hard work, the Pius X Academic Decathlon team emerged victorious, taking home top honors at the 2014 Academic Decathlon State Tournament held at the University of Nebraska - Omaha on Saturday, February 22. The victory marked the first time in school history that Pius X has won first place, remarkably, after only 4 years of competing in this national academic competition. Pius X – who were runner-ups at the state tournament in 2013 – bested last year’s state champions Creighton Prep in the large school category, earning the “Thunderbolts” team a trip to the National Academic Decathlon Competition in Honolulu, Hawaii, to be held April 24-26.
Winning Academic Decathletes are: Daniel Beals, Robert Bryant, Philip Hanigan (second overall scorer), Claire Henrichsen, Henry Jaros, Lucy Kohmetscher, Stephen Kotopka (top overall scorer), Nathan Kramer, Catherine Krueger, Cory Liesch, Abigail Miller, and Matthew Sievert. The team is coached by Pius X teachers Margaret Kaiser-Woodward and Mary Jo Kopf, and parent volunteer Ann Kotopka.
Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students across the nation. Each high school enters a team of nine students: three “A” or Honor students, three “B” or Scholastic students, and three “C or below” or Varsity students. The theme for the 2013–2014 Academic Decathlon season is World War I. On Friday, February 21, teams performed in Speech, Interview and Essay. Then on Saturday February 22, decathletes tested in Art, Language/Literature, Music, Mathematics, Economics, Science, and Super Quiz (which is focused on Social Science). The Optimist Clubs and Creighton University sponsor the Nebraska Academic Decathlon.
"This was a true team effort, with support of Pius' faculty, the students' parents, and each student giving a significant amount of time over to studying, studying, studying, and then more studying,” Coach Ann Kotopka reflects. “They worked tremendously hard to earn this achievement and Pius X has much to be proud of with this group of young people." This year’s standings and where Pius X earned medals are:
Large School Team Awards
- Standings - 1st, Lincoln Pius X; 2nd, Omaha Creighton Prep; and 3rd, Omaha Central
- Super Quiz - 1st, Pius X (Robert Bryant, Philip Hanigan, Claire Henrichsen, Henry Jaros, Nathan Kramer, and Matthew Sievert); 2nd, Omaha Central; and 3rd, tie, Omaha Creighton Prep and Gretna
Individual Awards
- Stephen Kotopka, Overall Top Scorer
- Stephen Kotopka, Honors Division Overall 1st Place Scorer
- Philip Hanigan, Honors Division Overall 2nd Place Scorer
- Cory Liesch, Varsity Division Overall 2nd Place Scorer
Honors Division
[Art] 2nd-Stephen Kotopka; [Language/Literature] 1st-Philip Hanigan, 2nd-Stephen Kotopka; [Math] 3rd-Philip Hanigan; [Music] 2nd-Stephen Kotopka, 3rd-Philip Hanigan; [Economics] 1st-Philip Hanigan, 2nd-Stephen Kotopka; [Science] 2nd-Stephen Kotopka, 3rd-Philip Hanigan; [Speech] 1st-Stephen Kotopka; [Interview] 2nd-Claire Henrichsen; [Essay] 3rd-Stephen Kotopka
Scholastic Division
[Art] 1st-Nathan Kramer, 2nd-Henry Jaros; [Language/Literature] 3rd-Henry Jaros; [Music] 1st-Nathan Kramer, 2nd-Abigail Miller; [Economics] 3rd-Henry Jaros; [Science] 3rd-Tie-Nathan Kramer & Henry Jaros; [Speech] 1st-Abigail Miller; [Interview] 3rd-Abigail Miller
Varsity Division
[Art] 1st-Robert Bryant, 3rd-Cory Liesch; [Math] 2nd-Robert Bryant, 3rd-Cory Liesch; [Music] 2nd-Cory Liesch; [Economics] 2nd-Robert Bryant, 3rd-Cory Liesch; [Science] 3rd-Cory Liesch; [Essay] 3rd-Cory Liesch
Honors Alternate Division
[Humanities] 1st-Catherine Krueger; [Soft Sciences] 1st-Catherine Krueger; [Hard Sciences] 3rd-Catherine Krueger
Scholastic Alternate Division
[Humanities] 1st-Daniel Beals; [Soft Sciences] 2nd-Daniel Beals
As the central Catholic high school in Lincoln, Pius X’s mission is to enrich the mind, heart and soul of each student through a Christ-centered, Catholic environment that provides academic excellence and preparation to achieve a meaningful, faith-filled life. Now in its 58th year and serving more than 1,100 students in grades 9-12, Pius X is guided by Pope St. Pius X’s motto, “Restore all things in Christ”.
