Wilmot snags repeat in national Academic Decathlon

Wilmot Union High School won its second straight National Academic Decathlon title, behind the strong performances of nine students in Anchorage. Bottom from left: Coach Kaitlyn Keleher, Angela Schumacher, Brenna Simmons, Ashley Dabbs, Alexa Lewis. Middle row: Isaac Bruley, Carl Simmons, Matt Strother, Coach Don Serkowski, Kyle Kostrova. Top row: Joey Burba and Carlie Banchi (Submitted Photo).
Wilmot Union High School won its second straight National Academic Decathlon title, behind the strong performances of nine students in Anchorage.
Bottom from left: Coach Kaitlyn Keleher, Angela Schumacher, Brenna Simmons, Ashley Dabbs, Alexa Lewis.
Middle row: Isaac Bruley, Carl Simmons, Matt Strother, Coach Don Serkowski, Kyle Kostrova.
Top row: Joey Burba and Carlie Banchi (Submitted Photo).


Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

Wilmot Union High School successfully defended its Division 2 National Academic Decathlon title in Anchorage, Alaska, April 30 – defeating a school from Rhode Island by more than 2,000 points.

Wilmot collected more than 40 total medals en route to 47,606 points of a possible 60,000, ahead of second-place Bishop Hendrickson of Rhode Island, which had 45,468.

Faculty coach Don Serkowski came away impressed with the school’s repeat performance at the national level, which started last year in Garden Grove, Calif.

“I’m just incredibly humbled to see young people sacrifice so much time and effort for each other and their school,” Serkowski said. “I’ve been teaching for 21 years and they inspire me to keep doing what I do.”

The nine decathletes advanced to the national stage after they secured a school record at the state competition in March where they garnered 42 medals.

Serkowski said this year’s team had a preliminary challenge, unlike last year, when facing Waukesha West in the state finals.

Waukesha West, who was ahead by 156 points entering the state competition, could not withstand the Wilmot team of nine decathletes.

“Before the year began we knew we had the best team our school has ever had, but it was also a strong possibility that they would go unnoticed because the team from Waukesha West wasn’t simply going to let us have a third straight state title,” Serkowski said.

However, the squad prevailed in the midst of difficult competition to move on to the national stage.

Of the nine decathletes, five are seniors, led by elder Carl Simmons and Carlie Banchi in the honors division.

The other three seniors are Angela Schumacher (varsity), Ashley Dabbs (varsity) and Joey Burba (scholastic).

Additionally, a group of underclassmen played a role, including sophomores Isaac Bruley (scholastic) and Brenna Simmons (honors) along with juniors Kyle Kostrova (varsity) and Alexa Lewis (scholastic).

Banchi earned bronze medals in music, social science and interview. The senior added silver in art.

Simmons collected three gold medals (overall individual, economics, music, science), two silver (social science, interview) and two bronze (art, literature).

Burba collected four gold medals in overall individual scholastic, economics, science and art. Burba also had silver in music and social science.

Bruley, meanwhile, garnered four bronze (economics, literature, science and art), two gold (music, social science) and silver in overall individual scholastic.

Schumacher contributed four silver in music, mathematics, literature, science and art along with two gold medals in overall individual and economics. Schumacher also had a bronze in music.

Additionally, Dabbs picked up two gold (mathematics, art), two silver (music, interview) and bronze in speech.

Rounding out the medalists were Lewis with a silver in literature and Kostrova with bronze in music and art.

This story appears in the May 13 edition of the Westosha Report


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