Results of WYSE Academic Challenge Sectional at McKendree University
(LEBANON, Ill., March 21, 2018) — Students from 29 southwestern Illinois high schools
competed in the Illinois Sectional Tournament of the 2018 Worldwide Youth in Science
and Engineering (WYSE) Academic Challenge, held on March 12 at McKendree University.
The top school teams in each of four divisions, based on enrollment size, were West
Washington County High School, Wesclin High School, Triad High School and O’Fallon
Township High School.
Approximately 250 participants came from Althoff Catholic (Belleville), Belleville
West, Bond County (Greenville), Central Community (Breese), Centralia, Chester, Christ
Our Saviour Lutheran (Evansville), Collinsville, Columbia, Dupo, Edwardsville, Freeburg,
Gibault Catholic (Waterloo), Governor French Academy (Belleville), Marissa, Mascoutah,
Mater Dei Catholic (Breese), Nashville, O’Fallon, Patoka, Red Bud, Salem, South Central
(Farina), Sparta, Steeleville, Triad, Waterloo, Wesclin, and West Washington County
(Okawville). Team photos are posted at www.mckendree.edu/photos.
The Academic Challenge tests high school students in seven subjects. Competing individually
and on school teams, students are tested on biology, chemistry, computer science,
engineering graphics, English, math and physics. Test material is drawn from senior
high school and freshman-level college curricula and is written by college and university
faculty. Exams of increasing levels of difficulty are given at the regional, sectional
and state finals. The state final competition will be held in Champaign, Ill., April
16-19.
It is the 15th year that McKendree University has hosted the competition. Dr. C.J. Dulaney, assistance
professor of computing; Jordyn Lehr, admission counselor; and Valerie Morkisz, faculty
secretary, organized the event on campus.
WYSE’s purpose is to advance excellence in science and mathematics and to promote
careers in engineering and the sciences. McKendree-bound seniors who attend one of
the university’s scholarship events and place in the top three in their school’s division
at the WYSE Academic Challenge are eligible for academic scholarships.
-McK-
