Academic Challenge (ACES) is a test-based competition hosted by the Physics Department and Pre-Engineering Program at Eastern Illinois University. Offered to high school students, subjects tested are biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics, and physics. More than 40 community colleges and universities in Illinois and Missouri provide sites for the tests.
The tests are designed to present a challenge to the brightest high school students, and are presented in multiple-choice format. Students have 40 minutes to complete tests that range in length from 30 questions (computer science and math) to 80 questions (English). The goal of Academic Challenge is to acquaint high school students with the course content and the level of competition that they will experience upon entering a science or engineering curriculum at the college or university level.
The Academic Challenge regional event took at Nashville High School on February 1st. There was a total of 138 students from 8 different high schools in attendance. KC Professor Kerri Richards was the site coordinator along with KC Associate Professor Clint Stevens. A special thank you to the Nashville High School for allowing us to host it in their gym this year due to the construction on the main campus of KC.
There are two divisions that competed at Kaskaskia College’s regional. Division 300, schools with enrollment equal to or less than 300. Division 700, schools with enrollment from 301 through 700.
The following schools attended:
Breese Central
Christ Our Rock
Mulberry Grove
Nashville
Okawville/West Washington County
Salem
Wesclin
Woodlawn
KC Scholarship Winners (1st and 2nd – 12 credit hour scholarships. 3rd and 4th – 6 credit hour scholarships)
1st – Central Community High School, Olivia Clark
2nd – Salem Community High School, Alyssa Paul
3rd – Nashville Community High School, Paige Greten
4th – Woodlawn High School, Benton Garner
Division 300 Team (top two teams advance to sectionals)
1st – Okawville (West Washington)
2nd – Christ Our Rock
3rd – Mulberry Grove
4th – Woodlawn
Division 700 Team (top two teams advance to sectionals)
1st – Breese Central
2nd – Wesclin
3rd – Nashville
4th – Salem
Division 300 Individuals
Biology
1st – Samantha Friess, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
2nd – Sidney Charles, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
3rd – Amanda File, Mulberry Grove High School
3rd – Colton Oelze, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
Chemistry
1st – Nora Wood, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
2nd – Jared Juenger, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
3rd – Kylie Buehler, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
Computer Science
1st – Lily Bourgeois Mulberry, Grove High School
2nd – Sidney Charles, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
2nd – Parker Boehne, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
3rd – Bella Welch, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
3rd – Myles Pryor, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
Engineering Graphics
1st – Aidan Anderson, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
2nd – Ethan Peltes, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
3rd – Hannah Miller, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
3rd – Addison Hebenstreit, Mulberry Grove High School
English
1st – Nora Wood, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
2nd – Benton Garner, Woodlawn High School
3rd – Katy Crocker, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
3rd – Daylon Pollard, Woodlawn High School
Math
1st – Katy Crocker, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
1st – Benton Garner, Woodlawn High School
2nd – Colton Oelze, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
3rd – Addison Hebenstreit, Mulberry Grove High School
Physics
1st – Grant Schleifer, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
1st – Reagan Pingsterhaus, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
2nd – Rhett Runge, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
3rd – Joseph Jansen, West Washington County Jr/Sr High School
3rd – Kylie Leffler, Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School
Division 700 Individuals
Biology
1st – Alyssa Paul, Salem Community High School
2nd – Paige Greten, Nashville Community High School
2nd – Olivia Clark, Central Community High School
2nd – Xabin Zabaljauregui, Central Community High School
3rd – Finley Puricelli, Salem Community High School
3rd – Sophia Kennett, Central Community High School
3rd – Colby Buckles, Wesclin High School
Chemistry
1st – Joseph Cirrincione, Central Community High School
2nd – Christopher Richter, Central Community High School
3rd – Kendall Bernreuter, Wesclin High School
Computer Science
1st – Tommy Gravitt, Wesclin High School
2nd – Thomas Wojtowicz, Nashville Community High School
3rd – Nic Lowery, Salem Community High School
3rd – Lexi Welte, Nashville Community High School
Engineering Graphics
1st – Henry Toennies, Central Community High School
2nd – Brady Stein, Nashville Community High School
3rd – Emma Eberhart, Nashville Community High School
English
1st – Faith Smith, Salem Community High School
1st – Olivia Clark, Central Community High School
2nd – Alyssa Paul, Salem Community High School
2nd – John Koerkenmeier, Central Community High School
3rd – Paige Greten, Nashville Community High School
Math
1st – Tommy Gravitt, Wesclin High School
2nd – Sydney Klemish, Central Community High School
3rd – John Koerkenmeier, Central Community High School
Physics
1st – Evan Wessel, Wesclin High School
2nd – Cole Gruenke, Wesclin High School
3rd – Hayden Hoerchler, Wesclin High School
Christ Our Rock
Front Row (L to R): Samantha Zimmermann, Chloe Carter, Katy Crocker, Sarah McKowen, Audrey Lueking, Kylie Leffler, Reagan Pingsterhaus
Back Row (L to R): Colton Oelze, Rhett Runge, Ethan Peltes, Myles Pryor, Parker Boehne, Alexis Livesay
Wesclin
Front Row: Kollin Monical, Kade Radloff, Mei-Li Hunt, Aisley Toennies, Avery Huffman, Kendall Bernreuter
Second Row: Tommy Gravitt, Kaleb Monical, Cole Gruenke, Hayden Hoerchler, Colby Buckles, Evan Wessel, Mason Nordike
Mulberry Grove
From left to right in the photo are as follows: Coach Amanda Kuhlman, Elly Hall, Addison Hebenstreit, Shawnee Tedrick, Megan Schewe, Azel Erck, Lily Bourgeois, and Amanda File.
Okawville
Front row: Aubrey Krieger, Kate Borrenpohl, Claire Dulle, Caleigh Friedrich, Hannah Miller, Samantha Friess, Annie Culli, Kylie Buehler, Sidney Charles
Second row: Jenna Hackstadt, Bella Welch, Cameron Radford, Jared Juenger, Aidan Anderson, Joseph Jansen, Calvin Maynard, Grant Schleifer, Nora Wood, Lydia Luechtefeld
Salem
1st row: Reagan Troutt, Finley Puricelli, Alyssa Paul, Daniyal Islam, Ashlyn Carson, Faith Smith, Areesa Eisenhauer.
2nd row: Lauren Burge, Nic Lowery, Brady Crane, Alex Wilzbach, Jacob Ware, Isaac Williams, Chandler Sill
Nashville
Front Row: Claire Greten, Sarah Hentges, Ethan San Juan, Calvin Endres, Lexi Welte, Lauren Rapp, Jaylin Stofferahn, Chloe Maschhoff, Paityn Matecki
Middle row, from left: Keeley Hug, Brady Meyer, Kade Kasban, Emma Williamson, Hope Liszewski, Paige, Greten, Jill Kuhl, Valerie Combs, Daci Finke, Emma Eberhart, Collin Rolf, Noah Frederking,
Back Row, from left: Brady Stein, Reese Varel, Garrett Williamson, Harrison Zgonina, Carson Cook, Thomas Wojtowicz, Cameron Warnick
Breese Central
Front row (left to right): Christiana Durbin, Sydney Klemish, Haley Huelsmann, Lauren Jeffries, Jordan VanNess, Autumn Sigler, Romayne Tebbe
Middle row (left to right): Olivia Clark, Rainer Bretz, Christopher Richter, Eleanor Bowen, Dalila Bijarro, Jillian Krack, Piper Kujawa, Sophia Bretz, Xabin Zabaljauregui, Jensen Tebbe
Back row (left to right): Sophia Kennett, Andrew Jansen, Mason Shubert, John Koerkenmeier, Joe Cirrincione, Henry Toennies, Grant Creek
Woodlawn
Left to right in the photo are: Dayne Pollard, Daylon Pollard, Gracie Lowery, Amelia Neabuhr, Kodie VanEycke, Joey Metcalf, Heath Ellis, Carson Burkett, Briley Kirgan, and Benton Garner.
