Academic Challenge Nationals

Left to right are Case Mongold, Alexis McClain, Cole Jenkins, Sam Alonzo, and Sadie Howarth. Sadie is a Junior and the rest are Seniors at SHS.

The Shelby High School Academic Challenge team placed twenty-first out of seventy-seven teams across America in the NAQT National Tournament in Chicago. On the tournament's first day, Shelby earned a winning record (6-4) to move on to the playoff round on Sunday.

SHS survived four rounds of the playoffs before being eliminated. Competing for Shelby were Cole Jenkins, Case Mongold, Alexis McClain, Sam Alonzo, and Sadie Howarth.

Unlike many teams who qualified for nationals, Shelby High School had four participants who placed in the top 150 scoring individuals. Senior Sam Alonzo ranked the highest Shelby participant at 58th overall. 

“Many teams had one kid who’d carry the team,” Alonzo explained, “all of us contribute almost equally. I think that’s why we made it so far.”

This was the first time Shelby High School had competed in the NAQT tournament in school history. Their coach, Grayson Murray, noted that he was proud of the team placing in the top third of qualified teams from around the country. “It was a well-deserved moral victory for a great group of students.

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