La Plata High School’s It’s Academic team earned the top spot in the annual Charles County Public Schools competition held Dec. 3 at the La Plata campus of the College of Southern Maryland (CSM).
The La Plata three-member team of Matthew Kamin (captain), T.C. Martin and Justin Cortez won in the championship round against Maurice J. McDonough and North Point high schools to earn first place. McDonough earned second place in the championship round, followed by North Point in third place.
Each year, the first-place team goes on to compete in a regional match. The La Plata team will compete in a regional match against Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson high schools that will air March 21 on NBC4. As the second-place winner in the championship round, the McDonough team earned a chance to compete in a regional match that will air next fall.
The Greater Waldorf Jaycees presented La Plata with a $500 scholarship for their first-place win. Other student members of the team include Angela Cortez, Rochelle Dickerson, Matthew Fan, Justin Fawls, Katie Holland, Mayah Jenkins, Kris Lukas (alternate), Bianca Lyons, Mohammed Rafique, Nick Shutters, Paige Upright and Preetaman Virk. The team’s coach is Michelle Schoenbauer, a science teacher at La Plata.
As second-place winners, McDonough received a $250 scholarship from the Jaycees. Students who competed in the event were Franklin Olmsted (captain), Angela Cruz and Faith Hawkins. The team alternate was Jordan Parker, and McDonough students Tatianna Griffin and Chadeya Miller are also members of the team. Courtney Abell, an English teacher at McDonough, is the team’s coach.
For their participation in the competition, all other high schools received a $250 scholarship from the Jaycees. The other high school three-member teams were: Lackey – Captain Terryll Montgomery, Caleb Bickerstaff and Christian Warren; North Point – Captain Joel Rogers, Luke Gibson and Dennis Whitley; St. Charles – Captain Jake Garcia, Eden Lakner and Shion Thompson; Thomas Stone – Captain Matthew Trusnovic, Colin Smallhorn and Brian Ward; and Westlake – Captain Ben Nordmann, Anna Hubbell and Teriencio Solano.
Other student members of the Lackey team include Zakaria Abderrahim, Maxim Bode, Kevin Chen, Nate Dudley, Alan Fusina, Amanda Hobgood, Kim Jacks, Japheth Newman, Mai-Lin Quinto, Tuba Tanveer, Kassidy Wallace and Tim Wilmot. Team coach is Don Browder, a social studies teacher at Lackey.
The North Point team also includes students James Adkins (alternate), Skye Corbin and James Wash. The team coach is Deen Stewart, a foreign language teacher at North Point.
Additional members of the St. Charles team include students Rory Burke, Noelani Ingles, Hunter Jackson (alternate), Kennedy Smith and Kayla Thompson. The coaches for St. Charles’ team are Charlotte Florea, an English teacher at St. Charles, and Matthew Howard, a social studies teacher at St. Charles.
The Stone team also includes students Tabitha Coburn, Devin Malloy, Lee Powell (alternate), Lizzie Pritchett, Troy Robinson, Amira Sago, Brandi Smith, Devin Thrutchley, Alex Trimble and Isaiah Williams. The coaches for the team are German teacher Nancy Jeffrey and English teacher Sara Thompson.
The Westlake team includes students Byron Cantillano, Oluwademilade Daniel-Akanle (alternate), Jon Land, Tanner Jenkins, Alex Patton and Christopher Solano. The team coach is James Ressler, an English teacher at Westlake.
The Dec. 3 competition will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, the school system’s educational television station, and Verizon FiOS Channel 12 later this month. Check the programming schedule at http://www.ccboe.com/ccboetv/ for dates and times.
Charles County Public Schools provides 26,500 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Pamela K. Murphy, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
