Quietly, a dynasty is emerging in Clarion County.
Last month in Carlisle, Clarion-Limestone’s Academic Decathlon team won the state small school championship for the fourth straight year. This year, the team finished fourth in the overall team standings, a combination of the large and small school division.
“That is a pretty impressive feat for them,” team adviser Lorna Ondrasik said.
“We have had this team at C-L for 12 years. We spent the first six years trying to figure it out,” Ondraski said. “I think we have it figured out.”
Team member Mitch Knepp pointed out that C-L beat the next small school by 6,000 points and was just 100 points behind the third-place team.
“Every year there is a different subject. This year it was the ’60s,” team member Samurah Curry said. “We test in seven subjects: match, science, literature, art, social science, econ, music; then you have your interview or an impromptu speech and prepared essay.”
The impromptu speech quickly became personal for Curry. She was asked to talk about someone who meant a lot to her. She chose her father, who passed away last year.
“I started to cry in the middle of my speech, and I was a mental wreck,” she said. “It all worked out in the end (960 points out of a possible 1,000).”
Each student has to compete in every category. Curry said the students receive packets of information on which they are tested. The team prepares by scrimmaging other schools.
The team competed at the regional level and then at states. C-L won the Western Regional Small Schools Championship at Edinboro University for the fourth year in a row. The team won 42 individual medals.
The finish at states qualified the team to compete in the online nationals in Minnesota.
“We were beat out by an Erie team this year (to qualify for travel to the national competition),” Ondrasik said. “Pennsylvania is a very competitive state. Our region, the Western Region, is the most competitive in the state. When you consider that we are one of the smallest schools to compete, these kids did fantastic. The only school smaller is North Clarion.”
Curry said C-L is known for sweeping the speech category.
“It is kind of a thing,” she said.
After the testing, a super quiz is held.
“It’s like a lightning round,” team member Katie Helder said.
After taking the test, team member Kent Carrier said, C-L celebrated by “sitting around and answering more questions.”
The celebrations, though, come after a lot of work.
“I just guide them through the process,” Ondrasik said. “They get together and teach each other the information. They do it in a fun way. We spent one entire Saturday in here preparing, but we had pancakes.
“A lot of them spend two or three periods in this classroom. They will even spend their study halls in here studying. This (classroom) is kind of where they live.”
The students, she said, come from all segments in the school. For example, one plays softball, another plays basketball and football, there’s also a cheerleader and a band member.
“People are always asking me what it is about this program that keeps people coming back,” Ondrasik said. “The 25 kids on this team would never seek each other out beyond this team.”
For each of the team members, the Academic Decathlon offers something they did not have in their lives.
“If you don’t work as a team here, you all fail. I think that is one of the main reasons why everyone keeps coming back.”
Curry said the environment is that of ” a real team,” and “we are really good about helping everyone.”
Hayden Haines was recruited for the team by Curvin Goheen.
“He just came up to me and said ‘You’re stupid but smart; so you are joining the team,’ said Haines, a C-L football player. “I told him that didn’t sound like any fun at all. I went to a competition and did quite well. So, I joined.”
Team member Michael Aaron said he enjoys “being a part of something because I have never been real good at sports, and I can be good in this program.”
For Helder, joining the Academic Decathlon team was a life-changing experience.
“I like winning,” she said. “I am not a sports person and I really didn’t get good grades, and this gave me something I can be proud of. After I got into the Academic Decathlon, I started doing really well.”
Ondrasik pointed out that Helder is the fifth-highest scoring student in the state at the varsity level.
Now, the team is already preparing for the 2020 national competition. The theme will be “In Sickness and in Health: An exploration of illness and wellness.” If the team is successful, it will travel to Anchorage, Alaska. The prospects look good for next year. Of the nine-team members only one is a senior.
“I have started working with the rest of the team for next year,” Ondrasik said. “They will work all summer long. They will come in here six times this summer for a day just to prepare.
“I think they have the ability to get there.”