SHS 2025 Champion Academic Quiz Bowl Team Honored at Seward Rotary Club Meeting

February 27, 2025

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The 2025 SHS Academic Decathlon Team was recognized and honored at the February 26^th Seward Rotary Luncheon Meeting at the Jones Bank Auditorium.  They were honored for earning the Medium School State Championship Trophy at the recent Nebraska Academic Decathlon Team State Contest at Bellevue University. They were invited to have a  luncheon with the Rotary Club members and introduced by Rotary President Anita Foor and SHS Counselor and AD Coach and Sponsor Noelle Baker.

Mrs Baker shared what the Academic Decathlon is and how it operates.  The team first had to win the Regional Contest to qualify for state and then take all the tests again-new ones- at the state level, plus write an essay, give a speech, have an individual interview and participate in a Quiz Bowl competition.  The tests were online and included topics of Math, Economics, Social Science, Science, Music, Art, Literature and Language Arts. 

Individual medals were presented, and the team score was compiled to name the SHS AD Team the State Champions in the Medium Division-they placed fourth overall-losing to Mt Michael, Creighton Prep, Gretna and then Seward. Team captain, Jack Schulz was the top individual score generator both at the Regionals and the State Level.

Schulz shared the fun experiences at the two-day contest in Omaha and thanked the Seward Rotary Club for being the team’s sponsor and furnishing the team with Team Tee Shirts and many “treats” during the tests both at regionals and at the state level.  The official sponsors for the team are both the Seward Rotary Club and the School District of Seward High Ability Learner program (HAL). This was a new project for the Seward Rotary Club and considered one of our “official” youth projects for the Rotary Club’s Centennial year in 2025!

They also shared with the membership the full-page ad honoring the students in the Seward Independent and thanked the advertisers for promoting and recognizing these students.  The members were each presented with an individual, signed certificate of recognition by the Seward Rotary to the members of the team and the team shared their Championship Trophy at the meeting.  The team will again be recognized on the May SHS Honors Night and share their success at that event as well. 

Members of the AD team include Noelle Baker-SHS Coach and Spondor,  Nathan Shafer, Connor Sveeggen, Elizabeth Pracheil, Jack Schulz, Abigayil Wunderlich, Liam Krahulik, Dylan Hochstein, Lincoln Stockwell, and David Shiner.

Photo: L-R SHS AD Coach and Sponsor-Noelle Baker,  and AD Team Members Nathan Shafer, Connor Sveeggen, Elizabeth Pracheil, Jack Schulz, Abigayil Wunderlich, Liam Krahulik, Dylan Hochstein, Lincoln Stockwell, David Shiner, Seward Rotary President Anita Foor