January 30, 2009
To Youth & Young Adults
Memorial team takes first place in Academic Decathlon regionals
The Academic Decathlon Team from Memorial High School in Evansville took first place in regionals Jan. 23.
The team scored overall firsts in their division in all 10 categories of the competition and outscored schools in both divisions in four categories: Essay, Math, Oral Superquiz, and Speech. The team will move on to defend their two year title as state champions at Purdue University Feb. 13 and 14.
The competition also recognizes Individual champions in each category and overall. Of the 99 available medals, 55 went to the Memorial Tigers; Senior John Hodge medaled in all 10 categories.
In Music, gold medals went to Logan Schmitt, Tom DeCastra and Jordan Longstaff; silver to John Hodge and Annie Baumer, and bronze to Zach Melloy.
In Social Science, Zach Melloy and John Hodge earned gold; Logan Schmitt and Rachel Jochem, silver; Steven Titus and Jordan Longstaff, bronze.
John Hodge, Tom DeCastra, Steve Collins and Jordan Longstaff all earned gold in Art; Zach Melloy and Annie Baumer took silver, and Steven Titus won bronze.
Logan Schmitt and Jordan Longstaff swept up the gold in Math; John Hodge and Rachel Jochem earned bronze.
In Economics, Logan Schmitt and Tom DeCastra took gold; John Hodge, silver; Steven Titus and Jordan Longstaff, bronze.
In Speech, John Hodge earned gold; Tom Decastra and Jordan Longstaff placed silver; Rachel Jochem, bronze.
Memorial swept the gold medals in Language and Literature through the success of John Hodge, Tom DeCastra, Jordan Longstaff and Annie Baumer. Logan Schmitt earned a silver; Rachel Jochem, bronze.
John Hodge and Zach Melloy both earned golds in Essay.
In Interview, Tom DeCastra won gold; John Hodge and Rachel Jochem, silver, and Jordan Longstaff, bronze.
And in the final subject category, Superquiz, John Hodge and Tom DeCastra won gold; Steven Titus and Jordan Longstaff, silver, and Zach Melloy, bronze.
The competition also recognizes outstanding performances across the ten categories; again Memorial swept the gold medals: John Hodge, Thomas DeCastra and Jordan Longstaff. Logan Schmitt earned silver, and Zach Melloy, bronze.
The team is coached by Bob Exline, Carol Exline, Laura Ackerman and Kristi Carroll.
Information provided by Kristi Carroll, English teacher, Memorial High School, Evansville.