Leigh Places 4th Out of 31 Schools at NECC Scholastic Competition!
By: Emily Loseke, a senior at Leigh High School
In a battle of academic knowledge, 31 Leigh students competed in this year’s virtual Northeast Scholastic Day Contest on March 17, eight of whom placed among the top three in their specialized area.
As a whole, Leigh placed 4th out of 31 Class D schools! LHS was also only one point away from catching third place, Creighton High School. West Holt finished second, and O’Neill St. Mary’s was the Class D champion.
In order to participate, students must be nominated by their teachers. Students then take a test in a maximum of two areas. In the end, students see how they rank among others in northeast Nebraska, and those who place among the top three earn points for the final school rankings.
Sophomores Kyle Holmberg and Zoey Van Dyke placed first in their tests, Holmberg in Physics and Van Dyke in Library Usage.
Second place finalists were senior Emily Loseke in English Composition, junior Calvin Wemhoff in American History, and sophomore Albert Diaz in World History.
Senior Kayden Schumacher in Parenting/Child Development, junior Kevin Becerril in Spanish 2 Section B, and junior Audie Tejkl in Computer Literacy placed third in their tests.
Van Dyke said, “This was my first time participating in Scholastic Day, considering last year's event was canceled. It was really cool to be involved in a quiz that would compare me to students from so many different schools, and I was pleasantly surprised and proud to find out that I had gotten first in Library skills. Despite a few technical difficulties, I enjoyed doing the quizzes, and I was glad to be able to participate in the event."
Mrs. Karen Hillen, the sponsor, said, “The NECC scholastic contest is a great opportunity for our students to showcase their academic skills. Our students did an exceptional job, and as a school we ranked 4th out of 31 Class D schools. This is great a reflection on our student’s abilities but also on the outstanding work of our teachers who ensure that our students are gaining academic knowledge and skills.”
While the following students didn’t place among the top three, they earned a laudable fourth place finish: senior Cassidy Hoffman in Accounting II, junior Jacob Eisenmann in Technical Mathematics, and junior Justine Thompson in Medical Terminology.
The following are the other Leigh students nominated for their respective tests:
Seniors Cassidy Hoffman in Trigonometry, Alicia Holmberg in Literature, Alissa Kasik in Anatomy and Physiology, Layne Krutz in Drafting, Emily Loseke in American Government, Rylee Olson in Music and Business English, Kayden Schumacher in Personal Finance, and Trevor Zulkoski in Introduction to Wellness/Sports/Physical Education.
Juniors Natalie Brabec in Administrative Professional and Introduction to Psychology, Cortlynn Cadwallader in Accounting 1, Jacob Eisenmann in Welding, Kanyon Held in Algebra 2 and Geography, Makenna Held in Business Law and Spanish 2 Section A, Aiden Miller in General Science, Madison Noonan in Plant Science, and Justine Thompson in chemistry.
Sophomores Jessica Hoffman in Biology and Geometry, Zoey Van Dyke in Vocabulary, Korbee Wendt in Art History, and Dalton Zulkoski in Spanish 1 Section A.
Freshmen Macy Clausen in Public Speaking, Taya Hambleton in Agri-Science, Aubrie Hanna in Foods & Nutrition, Jordan Noonan in Algebra 1, and Roque Tejeda competed in Spanish 1 Section B.