The Garrett High School English Academic Team qualified for State Finals in the Indiana Academic Super Bowl. GHS will head to Purdue University on May 10 looking to win the State Title for the second time in three years.
Teams from around the state took part in different Area Meets on Tuesday that were also separated into class by size of school. At the Bishop Luers Area Meet, Garrett placed second in English and correctly answered 18 of 25 questions correctly to become one of six squads in Class 3 to advance to State Finals.
Garrett’s English team will be making its sixth trip to the State Finals and will be looking to win its third State Championship. GHS won the English Title in its last appearance (2023) and 2014. The group finished third in 2013 and made trips to State in 2010, 2009 and 1999. Garrett High School has also had State Finals appearances in 2023 (Fine Arts), 2018 (Math), 2010 (Interdisciplinary), 2002 (Social Studies), 1999 (Math), and 1994 (Science).
This year, Garrett High School had two English teams and the group headed to State is the same four that won the State Championship in 2023. Each member of the team has been successful in several aspects recently with senior Camdyn Woods also serving as one of the captains of the Railroader football team that won Conference, Sectional, and Regional titles this past fall. Classmate Macy Kashmer is the reigning Miss DeKalb County and Miss Garrett while fellow senior Cyann Lilly was a student founder of GHS’s Educators Rising and will be headed to the National Conference in Orlando, FL to present this summer, Junior Abby Thomas was the Drum Major of Garrett’s marching band, the Railroader Regiment.
The second English team that competed this season was made up of junior Ryan Kochendorfer with freshmen Kylie Bergman and Kendra Kelham. Garrett’s English team coach is Jonelle Furnish.
GHS nearly sent a second team to State Finals as the Social Studies team of Thomas and fellow juniors Sophia Boltz and Luke Hicks just missed qualification on a tiebreaker. The group that was coached by Bill Thomas had 15 correct answers to finish seventh in the State overall and third at the Bishop Luers Area Meet. Another Garrett Social Studies team also competed this year made up of sophomore Christian Fast as well as juniors Aiden Boltz and Alex Smith.
Both of the Fine Arts teams that competed this year performed well at the Area Meet this week under the direction of coach Jennifer Fast. One group was second with a score of 17 while the other was third with a 15. The competitors at the Area Meet were juniors Hailee Ash and Lana Perkins, sophomores Christian Fast and Samantha Wingate as well as freshmen Kylie Bergman and Owen Fast.
Also, competing at the Area Meet this week were the Math and Science teams from GHS. Math had 16 questions correct and was represented by seniors Connor Brown and Daniel Sanchez with junior Hayden Stevens and freshman Caylor Pontius along with coach David Stevens. Brown was also on the Science team along with senior Cami Rowe and juniors Aiden Boltz and Luke Hicks that scored a 12 while being coached by Dustin Sewelin.
Previous Garrett High School Academic Team State Finals Appearances
English - 2023 (State Champs), 2014 (State Champs), 2013 (3rd), 2010, 1999 (State Champs)
Fine Arts - 2023
Interdisciplinary - 2010 (3rd), 2000
Math - 2018, 1999, 1988 (State Champs)
Science - 2000, 1994 (2nd), 1992
Social Studies - 2002 (2nd)
Garrett English Team Photo (L-R): Coach Jonelle Furnish, Macy Kashmer, Camdyn Woods, Cyann Lilly, Abby Thomas