PHOTO COURTESY OF UNION HIGH SCHOOL

WATERLOO – For the fourth straight year, the Union High School Academic Decathlon team took home a state title, thereby earning a trip to Nationals next month.

As in years past, Union was crowned Small School Champion during the Iowa Academic Decathlon State Competition held March 7-8 at Waterloo East High School. The team also earned Super Quiz Champion.

Union took the top Small School (Division II) spot with 34,006 points, coming out ahead of fellow Division II teams Denison, South Central Calhoun, Baxter, Des Moines Hoover, Saydel, Grundy Center, AGWSR, Adel DeSoto Minburn, Perry, South Hardin, and Denver.

Union’s Ella Grote earned the Highest Scoring Speech; she also notched the Highest Scoring Essay in Division II.

With the Small School Championship, Union will move on to the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) National Competition set for May 1-3 in Des Moines.

Honors Individual Awards

-Ella Grote: Gold, Speech and Essay; Bronze, Art, Literature, and Speech; Silver Overall

-Hayden Hemsath: Gold, Art; Bronze, Music and Economics; Bronze Overall

-Quinn Moine: Bronze, Economics

Scholastic Student Awards

-Claudia Craft: Bronze, Interview

-Hayden Toenges: Gold, Essay, Social Science, and Music; Silver, Economics and Interview; Gold Overall

-Stratton Wood: Gold, Art, Science, and Economics; Silver, Literature; Silver Overall

Varsity Student Awards

-Taryn Ambrose: Gold, Essay and Speech; Bronze, Art

-Ian Grimm: Gold, Art and Science; Silver, Essay and Social Science; Bronze, Speech; Silver Overall

-Dominic Huisman: Gold, Interview; Silver, Speech, Essay, and Social Science; Bronze, Music; Bronze Overall

Alternate Individual Awards

-Honors: Lane Wood, Gold Overall

-Scholastic: Jersey Siech, Gold Overall

-Varsity: Alexander Bunston, Gold Overall