Nov. 25 marked the Nevada State Tournament for Academic Olympics. Beaver Dam High School, as a member of the Southern Zone in the NIAA, qualified for the tournament by winning the Southern Nevada Zone for the first time in the team’s brief four year history.
Academic Olympics is a contest that pits teams against each other in answering Math, English, Literature, Science, History and Political Science. Many of the questions cover material mastered in academic classes at school, but a portion are questions that only curious and well-versed people can answer.
As the rounds progressed at state, the questions got harder.
Beaver Dam HS took eight of its team members to this Tournament. Driving the six hours to Eureka the night before, the students were refreshed and ready for competition on Monday morning. Competing were seniors Sandra Beltran, Azzario Sepulevda, Caleb Mace, Vanessa Quevedo, Curtis Garlick, and team captain, Isaac Allen. The seniors were joined by junior Dana Gomez and Elizabeth Jensen.
There were four, 30 minute rounds, in the morning. Beaver Dam qualified to advance to the afternoon rounds. Semi-finals were two more rounds of more difficult material. At the end, Beaver Dam HS was in the top three, allowing them to compete in the finals round against Excel Christian Academy, from the Reno area, and Wells. Both of there teams were excellent and experienced, finishing 1st and 2nd, with Beaver Dam finishing 3rd.
Team advisor Greg Johnston took time to remind the team of how far they had come in four years. The first two years, they finished last in nearly every round at all their tournaments Last year, they were .5 points from qualifying, setting up a great year this time around.