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Tag: Academic Challenge

Group of high school students in school colors and casual clothes after academic challenge at ECC.

Scholars Put to the Test in Engineering & Science Challenge at ECC

February 12, 2025 | Campus News

More than 50 students from three high schools competed in the annual Academic Challenge for Engineering and Science on Feb. 5.

The competition is designed to challenge the best and brightest high school students. This year, varsity teams from Washington High School and Warrenton High School competed in the 1,500-school category. Washington High School secured first place, with Warrenton High taking second.

In the small (300) school category, the Houston High School varsity squad claimed the top spot.

All three varsity teams will advance to the sectional competition, which will be held online in March. In addition to the varsity teams, junior varsity—or at-large—teams from Washington and Warrenton also participated in the Academic Challenge. Several at-large students will advance independently of the varsity teams.

Warrenton students who participated in Academic Challenge lined up in Donald Shook Student Center

About the Challenge

The Academic Challenge is a series of in-person, high school competitions organized by The School of Extended Learning at Eastern Illinois University, with assistance from ECC and other institutions in Missouri and Illinois.

Students participated in a series of tests across seven subject areas: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics, and physics. The tests are designed to challenge top-performing high school students with material drawn from high school senior and college freshman curricula, helping bridge the gap between secondary and higher education.

Tests are taken individually, and prizes are awarded for the highest individual scores in each subject area, as well as for top team scores. Alison Tucker, STEM Recruitment & Success Coordinator, who organizes the ECC event, explained that the tests are written by college-level faculty and designed to provide a rigorous challenge for students.

The Academic Challenge is divided into large (1,500), intermediate (700), and small (300) school categories. This year, schools competed in the 1,500 and 300 divisions at ECC, with the top teams and individual winners advancing to sectionals.

Houston students who participated in Academic Challenge lined up in Donald Shook Student Center

300 Division

1st Place – Houston High School, 500 points
Team members: Ben Steelman, Gracyn McNiell, Hudson Volk, Kendal Johnson, Brody Adkison, Kristen Ely, Adyson Dailing, and Owen Wells.

1500 Division

1st Place – Washington High School, 493 points
Team members: Nathaniel Oreskovic, Grace Gargrave, Adam Kassebaum, Eleanor Raeker, McLaine Graham, Luke Mauchenheimer, Cooper Guss, Sarah Stewart, Colton Warnecke, Peter Bush, Phineas Schneider, Christain Rennick, and Thomas Enkvetchakul.

2nd Place – Warrenton High School, 444 points
Team members: Alice Briggs, Jeremiah Hunn, Malia Hopper, Jadyn Hopper, Bradyn Sanders, Rylan Arndt, Mykenzy Sebastian, Wade Petersmeyer, Becca Spencer, Shamad Henry, Joe Buechner, and Charlotte Sibert.

At-Large Competitors Advancing

  • Amelia Hux (Warrenton) – Chemistry
  • Brennan Sullivan (Washington) – Computational Science
  • Daniel Middleton (Warrenton) – Engineering Graphics
  • Brooklyn Wells (Warrenton) – Physics

Individual Results

300 Division (All from Houston High School)

Biology

  • 1st – Ben Steelman
  • 2nd – Owen Wells

Chemistry

  • 1st – Kristen Ely
  • 2nd – Hudson Volk
  • 3rd – Adyson Dailing

Computational Science

  • 1st – Brody Adkison

Engineering Graphics

  • 1st – Owen Wells

English

  • 1st – Gracyn McNiell
  • 2nd – Adyson Dailing
  • 3rd – Kendal Johnson

Mathematics

  • 1st – Kendal Johnson
  • 2nd – Gracyn McNiell
  • 2nd – Hudson Volk

Physics

  • 1st – Kristen Ely
  • 1st – Brody Adkison
  • 3rd – Ben Steelman

1500 Division

Biology

  • 1st – Jeremiah Hunn (Warrenton)
  • 2nd – Cooper Guss (Washington)
  • 3rd – Wade Petersmeyer (Warrenton)
  • 3rd – Amelia Hux (Warrenton)

Chemistry

  • 1st – Eleanor Raeker (Washington)
  • 1st – Nathaniel Oreskovic (Washington)
  • 2nd – Amelia Hux (Warrenton)
  • 2nd – Charlotte Sibert (Warrenton)

Computational Science

  • 1st – Adam Kassebaum (Washington)
  • 2nd – Phineas Schneider (Washington)
  • 2nd – Brennan Sullivan (Washington)
  • 2nd – Rylan Arndt (Warrenton)

Engineering Graphics

  • 1st – Malia Hopper (Warrenton)
  • 2nd – Peter Bush (Washington)
  • 2nd – Daniel Middleton (Warrenton)

English

  • 1st – Alice Briggs (Warrenton)
  • 2nd – Nathaniel Oreskovic (Washington)
  • 3rd – Cooper Guss (Washington)

Mathematics

  • 1st – McLaine Graham (Washington)
  • 2nd – Joel Eckelkamp (Washington)
  • 2nd – Alice Briggs (Warrenton)

Physics

  • 1st – Rylan Arndt (Warrenton)
  • 2nd – McLaine Graham (Washington)
  • 2nd – Brooklyn Wells (Washington)

College Hosts Successful Academic Challenge — Winner Announced

February 20, 2023 | Campus News ECC Rolla Images

There were 103 students from five high schools who competed in the annual Academic Challenge for Engineering and Science.

The competition was designed to challenge the best and brightest high school students. All five varsity teams will advance to the sectionals at Missouri S&T in Rolla. In addition to the five varsity teams, there were two junior varsity, or at-large teams, that also participated in the Academic Challenge.

Teams from Linn (Osage County R-II), Washington (varsity and junior varsity), Warrenton (varsity and junior varsity), Houston and St. Francis Borgia Regional high schools attended.

The students participated in a battery of tests in seven subject areas: math, biology, chemistry, physics, English, computational science and engineering graphics.

The tests are taken individually, and prizes are awarded for top individual scores in each subject area and for top team scores.

Alison Tucker, STEM recruitment & success coordinator, who coordinated this year’s event, said the tests are written by college-level faculty, and are designed to present a challenge to the brightest students.

The Challenge is divided into large (1,500), intermediate (700) and small (300) school categories, with the top team and individual winners from the competition at ECC advancing to the sectional competition.

Winners

The overall team winners for each school category, are:

300 Category

Linn High School, first place, 500 points.

700 Category

Saint Francis Borgia Regional High School, 484.3 points, first place; and Houston High School, 474.1 points, second place.

1,500 Category

Warrenton High School, 422.6, first place; and Washington High School, 418.4 points, second place.

Individual winners

Student winners from each category and in each subject, are:

300 Category (all from Osage R-II/Linn High School)

Biology — Annaliese Bowser and Vivian Baker, tied for first; Arlyn Martin, second; and Kiana Hostetler, third.

Chemistry — Marrisa Ghelert, first; Arlyn Martin and Lily Strope, tied for second; and Ramsie Tschappler, third.

Computational Science — Levi Crane, first; Gabe Branson, second; and Mia Jaegers, third.

Engineering Graphics — Levi Crane, first; Gabe Branson, second; and Kiana Hostetler, third.

English — Mia Jaegers, first; Annaliese Bowser, second; and Vivian Baker, third.

Mathematics — Trevor Murray, first; Lily Strope, first; and Marrisa Ghelert, Linn, third.

Physics — Elijah Baker, first; Ramsie Tschappler, second; and Trevor Murray, third.

700 Category

Biology — Kristen Ely, Houston, first; Miah Bressie, Houston, and Tyler Dill, Borgia, tied for second; and Ava Fischer, Borgia, third.

Chemistry — Owen Wells, Houston, first; Zach Posinski, Borgia, second; and Lily Johnson, Houston, third.

Computational Science — Brody Adkison, Houston, first; Jackson Comely               , Borgia, and Stone Jackson, Houston, tied for second.

Engineering Graphics — Drew Eckhoff, Borgia, first; Aiden Kelly, Houston, second; and Sam Dunard, Borgia, third.

English — Andy Durham, Houston, first; Jack Dunard, Borgia, second; and Brandon Jones, Borgia, third.

Mathematics — Lexie Meyer, Borgia, and Jack Dunard, Borgia, tied for first; Lily Johnson, Houston, second; and Brandon Jones, Borgia, and Sam Dunard, Borgia, tied for third.

Physics — Andy Durham, Houston, first; Ben Cook, Houston, second; and Addison Cook, Houston, third.

1500 Category

Biology — Leah Wheeler, Washington, first; Emma Wheeler, Washington, second; and Grant Beuchner, Warrenton, third.

Chemistry — Luke Rausch, Warrenton, first; Dominic Johnson, Warrenton, second; and Lilly Schmitt, Washington, third.

Computational Science — Roy Briggs, Warrenton, first; Micheal Hotra, Washington, second; and Isaac Lough, Washington, third.

Engineering Graphics — Tyler Eckelkamp, Washington, first; Nikolas Hellebusch, Washington, second; and Owen Thompson, Warrenton, third.

English — Alice Briggs, Warrenton, first; Roy Briggs, Warrenton, second; and Abby Palmer, Warrenton, third.

Mathematics — Tyler Eckelkamp, Washington, first; Isaac Lough, Washington, second; and Kellen Scheimeier, Washington, and Claire Hellebusch, Washington, tied for third.

Physics — Owen Thompson, Warrenton, first; Katie Shramek, Warrenton, Kellen Scheimeier, Washington, and Nick Holdmeyer, Washington, tied for second; and Nate Kutsch, Warrenton and Grant Beuchner, Warrenton, tied for third.

 

Academic Challenge graphic

ECC Hosts Academic Challenge; Winners Announced

March 2, 2022 | Campus News

There were Eight teams from six schools in the region that came to East Central College to compete in the annual Academic Challenge.

There were about 100 total competitors who came to the College to compete in the competition, which was designed to challenge the best and brightest high school students.

Teams from Linn, Washington (varsity and junior varsity), Sullivan, Warrenton (varsity and junior varsity), Houston and St. Francis Borgia Regional high schools attended.

The students participated in a battery of tests in seven subject areas: math, biology, chemistry, physics, English, computer science and engineering graphics.

The tests are taken individually, and prizes are awarded for top individual scores in each subject area and for top team scores.

Linda Arrington, academic advisor/instructional for engineering at ECC, noted that the tests are written by college-level faculty, and they are designed to present a challenge to the brightest students, calling it a “bridge between secondary and higher education.”

The Academic Challenge is in Missouri with about 40 to 50 high schools participating, but over 6,000 students from 400 high schools in Illinois participate in the annual event. This is the 22nd year ECC has hosted the regional challenge.

The Challenge is divided into large (1,500), intermediate (700) and small (300) school categories, with the top team and individual winners from the competition at ECC advancing to the sectional competition.

Winners

The overall team winners for each school category, are:

300 Category

Houston High School, first place, 500 points; and Linn High School, second place, 421 points.

700 Category

Saint Francis Borgia Regional High School, 499.2 points, first place; and Sullivan High School, 493.6 points, second place.

1,500 Category

Warrenton High School, 490.5 points, first place; and Washington High School, 482.2 points, second place.

Individual winners from each category and in each subject, are:

 

300 Category
Biology — Alex Swallow, Houston, first; Maggie Ribaudo, Linn, second; and Miah Bressie Houston, third.

Chemistry — Devon Sawyer, Houston, first place; Nick Washko, Houston, second; and Gibson Tschappler, Linn, third.

Computer Science — Levi Crane, Linn, first; Brody Adkison. Houston, second; and Austin Blankenship, Houston, third.

Engineering Graphics — Sierra Pollard, Linn, first; Nick Washko, Houston, second; and Marrisa Ghelert, Linn, third.

English — Andy Durham, Houston, first; Maggie Ribaudo, Linn, second; and Austin Blankenship, Houston, third.

Mathematics — Devon Sawyer, Houston, first; Marissa Gehlert, Linn, second; and Gibson Tschappler, Linn, third.

Physics — Andy Durham, Houston, first; Alex Swallow, Houston, second; and Emma Fennell, Linn, third.

 

 

700 Category

Biology — Jackson Hamblin, Sullivan, first; Drew Eckhoff, St. Francis Borgia, second; and Emily Lowe, Sullivan, third.

Chemistry — Adam Snider, St. Francis Borgia, first; Loren Halmick, Sullivan, second; and Elle Webers, Sullivan, third.

Computer Science — Joshua Gollaher, Sullivan, first; Jackson Comely, St. Francis Borgia, second; and

Connor Skornia, St. Francis Borgia, third.

Engineering Graphics — Hannah Menges, St. Francis Borgia, first; Mary Daily, Sullivan, second; and Sam Dunard, St. Francis Borgia, third.

English — Brandon Jones, St. Francis Borgia, first; Loren Halmick, Sullivan, second; and Adia Halmick, Sullivan, third.

Mathematics — Adam Snider, St. Francis Borgia, first; Walker Hardy, Sullivan, second; and Jackson Hamblin, Sullivan, third.

Physics — Lexie Meyer, St. Francis Borgia, first; Ben Lause, St. Francis Borgia, second; and Walker Hardy, Sullivan, third.

1500 Category

Biology — Samantha Pyatt, Washington, first; Abi Waters, Washington, second; and Grant Beuchner, Warrenton, third.

Chemistry — Vincent Hoang, Washington, first; Luke Rausch, Warrenton, second; and Lilly Schmitt, Washington, third.

Computer Science — Roy Briggs, Warrenton, first; Ben Oesterly, Washington, second; and Isaac Lough, Washington, third.

Engineering Graphics — Tyler Eckelkamp, Washington, first; Sam Stewart, Washington, second; and Ethan King, Warrenton, third.

English — Elena Roewe, Washington, first; Roy Briggs, Warrenton, second; and Leah Wheeler, Washington, third.

Mathematics — Ben Oesterly, Washington, first; Ian Vacek, Warrenton, second; and Tyler Eckelkamp, Washington, third.

Physics —Andrew Meyer, Washington, first; Micah Gargrave, Washington, second; and Ian Vacek, Warrenton, third.

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo

Academic Challenge students posing for group photo