CFHS wins state AcaDeca title

CLARK FORK - Until now, Clark Fork High School has surprisingly never placed first in any kind of team competition - athletic or academic.

This school year, however, CFHS is hitting all kinds of academic home runs.

The school's academic decathlon team took first place in the small school's division of the Idaho's state Academic Decathlon competition and all 13 of the school's academic competitors earned medals at the event.

“This is a pretty big deal for our school,” said academic decathlon coach Chandra Martz.

“It just says a lot about our school and what we're focused on,” she said.

Under Martz' tutelage, CFHS has participated in the competition three years in a row, placing each year. The first year, CFHS took third, followed by a second place finish the second year.

“The third time's a charm,” said Martz. She also is a language arts teacher at the school.

The Wampus Cats earned 31,972 team points and tied for first with 2,700 points in the Super Quiz competition against 12 other schools. This year's competition centered around the Civil War.

Schools with less than 400 students qualify for the small school division. Clark Fork's student body numbers less than 100.

The students' win also earns Clark Fork the right to compete in national competition, although the students will go no further than their own school to compete - participating in an online essay on April 17 and then taking tests on May 1 and 2.

“That's nice that we don't have to raise money,” Martz said, “but it's a bummer that they don't get to go anywhere.”

The competition covers six subjects and three communication events and includes three categories based on a student's grade point average. The honors category is for students with a gpa of between 4.0 and 3.75; scholastic covers students with a gpa of 3.0 to 3.749 and varsity is for students below 3.0.

Senior Tessa Wilder earned an overall gold medal in scholastic category; she received a $300 college scholarship for her work. Meanwhile, junior Hanna Hurt scored enough points in the overall varsity category for a gold medal and a $300 college scholarship.

Also receiving medals in overall categories include: junior Stetson McElhaney, bronze, varsity; and sophomore Bryce Bare, scholastic, bronze.

Megan Hess, a senior, was selected to present her speech for the Speech Showcase to be presented during the annual Idaho Academic Decathlon dinner. Her speech was chosen from 350 entries.

CFHS' swept the speech competition in all three categories with Hanna Hurt taking first, Stetson McElhaney earning second and junior Brittny Yates taking third in the varsity category. Junior Bailey Hewitt took gold and senior Steven Thibault took bronze in the honors category, while sophomore Jessica Cope took gold in the scholastic category.

The students also swept the music division in the scholastic category with sophomore Bryce Bare earning gold, Tessa Wilder receiving silver and senior Brian Baugh earning bronze.

Seniors Brenda Davisson and Megan Hess shared the gold medal for interview in the honors category. Wilder also earned a gold medal for interview and art in the scholastic category, while Hurt earned a gold for interview in the honors category.

When the students stepped off the bus after returning from Boise, they were treated to a parade with the siren blaring from the community fire truck, horns honking, balloons waving and hastily made signs.

To prepare for the event, the students participate in an honors course every other day. They also have studied during after-school study sessions and prepared for the event by working with Sandpoint High School students during some weekend sessions. SHS earned second in the state academic decathlon this year.

The event was held March 13-14 in Boise.

Principal Phil Kemink said he isn't sure what the school's students will do next to top the latest honors. “First place at state and we get to represent Idaho at nationals,” he said.

CFHS also was named one of the top 500 schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report.