"It feels great to know that our students can compete with not only the best high schools in the state, but in the country," said Thomas Vasilos, coach of the NCASA Twelve Team.
In a very tough race, the Atkins NCASA Twelve team emerged as the state champion runner-up in the state finals of the competition held on Saturday, November 23 at Graystone Day HS. In addition, three Atkins students received All-State honors.
"The fact that we've managed to finish second in the state two years in a row, with different rosters each time, speaks to the quality of students at Atkins," said Vasilos.
The Atkins "Twelve" team is made up of twelve students as they attempt to answer twelve students in each of twelve rounds in topics that range anywhere from Grammar to Calculus to Social Sciences. The contest truly is a test of the strength of a school's academic program, as it pits the top students from each school around the state. The Atkins team was beaten only by the Early College of Guilford, and topped much larger schools such as Ardrey Kell HS of Charlotte.
This competition marks the first contest in a year-long Scholastic season and race to the Joe Childers Scholastic Cup, an honor that Atkins has now received for nine years in a row.
"Clearly, we have very high expectations at Atkins, and our students continue to go far beyond anything we could expect as teachers and coaches," Vasilos said. "I am incredibly proud of these kids, and feel lucky to have been able to coach them."
Atkins Twelve Team Roster
(all-state in bold)
Nicholas Stevenson
Johnathon Storrey
Sarp Ucer
Zayda Patterson
Despina Strates
John Silman
Taylor Lazenby
William Whittington
Morrison Winterhalder
Thomas Stevenson
Minha Shahid
Max Dresel