Adair County Elementary Academic Team Takes Top Honors at Region 9 Governor’s Cup Competition
By: Lisa Newell-Hare
Adair County Elementary School Academic Team participants competed Monday, February 27, and Monday, March 6, 2023, in Region 9 Governor’s Cup at Green County Intermediate School in Greensburg, Ky. The region was composed of four districts with a culmination of thirteen schools. The schools representing Region 9 included District 33 with Bonnieville Elementary, Cub Run Elementary, LeGrande Elementary, and Munfordville Elementary. Adair County Elementary, Green County Intermediate, and Memorial Elementary represented District 34 . District 35 was composed of Clinton County Middle, Cumberland County Elementary, and Metcalfe County Elementary. The schools in District 36 included Jamestown Elementary, Russell Springs Elementary, and Salem Elementary.
Adair County Elementary School (ACES) finished with top honors in regional play, claiming the title of first overall Region 9 champions. Other accomplishments included placing first place out of five teams in Future Problem Solving (FPS), coached by Mrs. Jeana Pike. ACES Quick Recall Team, coached by Mrs. Lisa Newell-Hare, earned runner-up of eight teams. This accomplished team had eight individual winners in the Written Assessment competitions.
“With the participants practicing since September, it has been exciting to see their hard work end in great success,” said Newell-Hare. “Our students have to be disciplined to put in countless hours practicing and studying for these competitions. Their parents deserve praise for their dedication in making sure studying takes place at home outside of practice sessions.”
The Regional ACES Academic Team was composed of twenty-four members: Hunter Ballou, Emily Burkhardt, Madison Burkhardt, Ricardo Cantoran-Antle, Addison Chapman, Jackson Corbin, Reese Corbin, Ava Froedge, Leo Garsee, Addison Giles, Chloe Grider, Catelynn Fugate, RyAnna Hale, Eli Iqbal, Alexander Klingberg, Bodie Lewis, Andrew Mendoza, Matthew Moss, Carter Nguyen, Ellie Staten, Mia Stephens, Cole Stockton, Raelee Turner, and Grayson Wood.
The winning FPS team featured Hunter Ballou, Madison Burkhardt, RyAnna Hale, & Mia Stephens as the official competing team. Their alternates included Ava Froedge, Leo Garsee, Chloe Grider, Bodie Lewis, Matthew Moss, and Carter Nguyen. Their topic for the competition was Robotic Workforce. “Participating in FPS requires students to use their creativity and problem-solving skills,” says Pike, who focuses her coaching duties on FPS. “They’ve worked hard to learn and apply the six-step creative problem-solving model to complex issues facing society today. I am happy for this group of students and their accomplishments this season.”
First place individual winners for ACES include Emily Burkhardt (Arts & Humanities), Ellie Staten (Language Arts), and Ricardo Cantoran-Antle (Mathematics). Other top-five finishers were Ellie Staten (3rd Written Composition & 2nd Social Studies), Mia Stephens (4th Arts & Humanities), and Cole Stockton (5th Arts & Humanities & 2nd Mathematics).
One of the most competitive portions of the competition was the Quick Recall event. ACES won four of six matches they competed in. “I was extremely proud of how well they persevered in a long day of competitions against other strong teams,” says Newell-Hare. “They went into the competition with a positive attitude, encouraging their own teammates, as well as their opponents.” Quick Recall team members were Emily Burkhardt, Madison Burkhardt, Jackson Corbin, Reese Corbin, Addison Giles, Catelynn Fugate, RyAnna Hale, Eli Iqbal, Andrew Mendoza, Matthew Moss, Carter Nguyen, Cole Stockton, and Grayson Wood. The matches were as follows:
Match 1: Adair (17) vs. Metcalfe (10)
Match 2: Adair (8) vs. Russell Springs (12)
Match 3: Adair (10) vs. Jamestown (2)
Match 4: Adair (13) vs. Munfordville (6)
Match 5: Adair (18) vs. Russell Springs (10)
Match 6: Adair (12) vs. Green (12)
The regional competition is the highest level for the Elementary Governor’s Cup, which brings the season to an end. Newell-Hare stated, “We are extremely proud of this year’s participants and celebrate their success with them. We will be ready for next season and look forward to working with our next team.”
ACES Academic Team Regional Champions at Green County Intermediate School in Greensburg, Kentucky
Back Row: (L-R) Coach Jeana Pike ,Alexander Klingberg, Madison Burkhardt, Mia Stephens, RyAnna Hale, Carter Nguyen, Hunter Ballou, Ricardo Cantoran-Antle, and Coach Lisa Newell-Hare
Middle Row: (L-R) Emily Burkhardt, Ellie Staten, Raelee Turner, Andrew Mendoza, Cole Stockton, and Reese Corbin
Front Row: (L-R) Jackson Corbin, Matthew Moss, Catelynn Fugate, Grayson Wood, Eli Iqbal, and Addison Giles
Not pictured: Ava Froedge, Leo Garsee, Chloe Grider, and Bodie Lewis