By TOM DISTEFANO
Staff Writer
LANSDALE – Area schools went first, second and third among small schools at the Academic Sports League state championships March 4 at North Penn High School near Philadelphia.
The Clarion-Limestone placed first among small schools and fifth overall, with Moniteau coming in second and North Clarion a close third.
It was the second year in a row C-L won the small-school championship and placed fifth overall.
The C-L team brought home three dozen medals, including 11 golds, with Brenden Perry and Andrew Forrest wining gold for total individual score.
The Moniteau team won 17 medals and North Clarion brought back 15 medals.
Host school North Penn won the large school and overall championship, beating out Collegiate Academy of Erie by a just under 600 points, which in an Academic Decathlon can be called a squeaker. Last year, it was Collegiate Academy over North Penn by a hair.
Standouts for C-L included Brenden Perry, who won nine gold medals, a silver and a bronze; Tre Haines with one gold, four silver and four bronze.
Ian McNaughton won two medals, placed fourth in points in the tough honors division and led the C-L team in points. Andrew Forrest won four golds and two silvers in the scholastic division.
For North Clarion, Aubree Kerle won five medals, Lucas Agnew won three, and newcomer Mollie Cochran won gold in the honors division interview event.
Sydnee Buczkowski led Moniteau with two gold and three bronze medals in the honors division, including a bronze in total points.