Lourdes Academic Decathlon receives 47 medals
Nebraska City Lourdes Central Catholic High School recently sent nine students to state competition for the Nebraska Academic Decathlon. Those students came home with 47 medals and the runner-up trophy in the Small Schools Division.
State competition was held February 21-22 at the University of Nebraska-Omaha campus. Lourdes qualified by winning their regional competition held in January.
Students spent Friday and Saturday writing an essay, giving an interview and prepared as well as impromptu speeches, and taking quizzes on the subjects of Math, Science, Language/Literature, Economics, Art, Music, and Social Sciences. Most questions centered on the theme of World War I.
Top scoring students in each section (Honors Students, Scholastic Students, and Varsity Students) received gold, silver, or bronze medals. Senior Matt Martin earned the most points for the Lourdes team and was recognized as the high Honors Student scorer for all Small Schools. Martin also earned seven individual medals. Other members of the Lourdes Academic Decathlon team include Madeline DuBois, Katie O’Neil, Nick Shawhan, Macayla Mucha, Courteney Juranek, Gabby Ragland, Bailey Giles, and Charlie Vasa. In total, Lourdes was awarded nine gold medals, twenty silver medals, and eighteen bronze medals. Each student brought home at least one medal.
The Lourdes Academic Decathlon team was coached by Diana Harris and Mary Ann Liesemeyer and assisted by Tom Dinville and Jacob Staroscik. Harris, who has coached Academic Decathlon for 17 years, and Liesemeyer, who has coached for 13 years, both announced earlier this year that they would be retiring from coaching at the end of this season. The Nebraska Academic Decathlon program recognized both Harris and Liesemeyer with plaques and medals at the Saturday awards ceremony.
Under Harris and Liesemeyer’s tutelage, the Lourdes Academic Decathlon teams have earned nine state championships and placed as runners-up four times. This year, the Lourdes team was defeated by Elkhorn Mount Michael for the Small School Championship. Brownell-Talbot came in third.
Nebraska has participated in the nationally-sanctioned Academic Decathlon since 1983. Approximately 65 schools throughout the state compete, ranging from very small schools to large metropolitan schools and including both public and private schools. Teams are formed based on grade point averages; each team must have an equal number of ‘A’ students, ‘B’ students, and ‘C’ students participate.
