Looking at state testing data, Gibson Southern has consistently been above nearby schools, having some of the most intelligent students in the southern part of the state. At the academic team competition on March 12, at the Huntingburg Memorial gymnasium, the Titan science team of seniors Mark Stunkel, Landon Begle, Glenn Mayer and juniors Isaac Ivy and Ashley Carr, and the math team of Stunkel, Begle, Ivy and junior Jackson Lambert won first place in both events. The teams, both led by Stunkel, took gold in the competition. According to Mayer, the math team correctly answered 24 out of 25 questions and the science team scored 18 out of 25.
According to Mayer, there were 11 schools at the competition in Huntingburg. Each team went up individually to answer its 25 questions, so the different tests took some time.
“You go up to the table with your team, and there is a screen there where questions will come up,” said science and math team captain Mark Stunkel.
In these competitions, there are two halves to each test. Each test is a series of 25 questions. For the first half of the event, the team captain and two other members answer the first 12 to 13 questions. Then, there is a small break where teams are allowed to substitute two testers in and out, but the team captain must stay in at all times, according to Begle.
In case there are teams with the same number of correct answers, there is a way to determine a winner.
“There are three tiebreakers,” Mayer said. “The first one is the last five questions, the second is the last three questions and the final tiebreaker is the longest streak of correct answers.”
There are extended breaks between competitions; their last one was on March 12, and the next competition is not until late April 21. During the off weeks, teams will review and study their material.
“For practice, we get questions from a competition we didn’t go to,” Begle said. “This allows us to get an idea of what competitions will be like.”
According to Stunkel, the teams meet in the morning with their respective teachers. There is not enough time to learn all the material in just the morning, so another aspect of the academic team is studying on their own. According to Mayer, the practice problems they use are also ways the team coach can decide who is the team captain.
“For math, our teacher is Mrs. Nurrenbern; last year, it was Mrs. Zimmer, who is now the principal at St. Joseph,” Begle said. “For science team, our teacher is Mr. Mraz.”
According to the coaches, they believe that both the science and math teams can make it to State in May.
