NEBRASKA CITY-Congratulations to the 2020-2021 Lourdes Central Catholic School Academic Decathlon team for an outstanding showing at their online Regionals competition held on January 9. The team placed first in the Very Small Schools category and will be advancing to State, which is scheduled to be held online in February.

The 2020-2021 Academic Decathlon team members include seniors Olivia Weninger, Paul Shawhan, Kameron Monahan, Zach Whitten, Ashley Green, and Jazmin Rodriguez; juniors Anna Kincaid, Reed Greger, Emma Misner, Abby Koelzer, and Mackenzie Ludwig; and sophomore Makenzie Green. Students are tested across the standard curriculum under the umbrella of a theme that changes each year. The theme they are studying this year is The Cold War. In the curriculum of Science, the students learned basic astronomy and about the Space Race. In Literature, they read the Kurt Vonnegut novel, Cat’s Cradle, and other Cold War-era short stories, poems, and speeches, including ones by John F. Kennedy and Mikhail Gorbachev. For Music and Art, in addition to learning the basics of Music Theory and Art History, the students studied 14 musical scores and 18 art pieces that were created in response to the Cold War.

During the Regionals competition, each team member receives the same test; however, the scores are compared and divided based on if a student is a regular team member or an alternate, and if a team member is competing as an Honors Student (GPA of 3.8 to 4.0), a Scholastic Student (GPA of 3.2 to 3.79), or a Varsity Student (GPA of 0.0 to 3.19).

The Lourdes Academic Decathlon team earned 66 individual medals at Regionals (33 Gold, 21 Silver, 12 Bronze). Paul Shawhan was the Top Scorer for the team.

Earning medals for the main team HONORS Division were Olivia Weninger and Anna Kincaid. Weninger earned golds in Music, Math, and Science, a silver in Social Science, and a bronze in Literature. Kincaid took silver in Literature and bronze in Math and Economics. Weninger and Kincaid tied for gold in Art.

Main team SCHOLASTIC students were Kameron Monahan and Reed Greger. Monahan earned gold in Art and Math, silver in Literature, and bronze in Social Science. Greger took bronze in Art, Literature, Math, and Science.

Main team VARSITY students were Jazmin Rodriguez and Ashley Green. Rodriguez earned gold in Art, Music, and Social Science, and silver in Literature, Math, and Science. Green earned gold in Math, silver in Art and Social Science, and bronze in Music and Science.

Alternate team members also tested under the same subjects. Honors alternates were Paul Shawhan and Makenzie Green. Shawhan took gold in all seven categories: Art, Music, Literature, Math, Science (tying with Green), Economics, and Social Science. In addition to tying with Shawhan for gold in Science, Green also earned silver in Art, Music, and Literature. Scholastic alternates were Emma Misner and Zach Whitten.

Misner earned gold in Art and Literature, silver in Science, and bronze in Economics and Social Science. Whitten earned gold in Music, Math, Science, and Social Science, and silver in Art, Literature, and Economics. Varsity alternates were Mackenzie Ludwig and Abby Koelzer. Ludwig took home gold in Art, Literature, Math, Economics, and tied for gold with Koelzer in Social Science. Koelzer also earned gold in Music and Science, and silver in Art, Literature, Math, and Economics.

The Lourdes Academic Decathlon team is coached by Tammy Partsch and Tom Dinville.