Results of WYSE Academic Challenge Sectional at McKendree University
Lebanon, Ill. — Students from 29 southwestern Illinois high schools competed in the
Illinois Sectional tournament of the 2014 Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering
(WYSE) Academic Challenge, held on March 10 at McKendree University. The top schools
in each of four divisions, based on enrollment size, were Governor French Academy,
Nashville, Waterloo and Edwardsville.
Participants came from Belleville West, Bond County (Greenville), Central Community
(Breese), Centralia, Chester, Christ Our Rock Lutheran (Centralia), Collinsville,
Dupo, Edwardsville, Freeburg, Gibault (Waterloo), Governor French Academy (Belleville),
Highland, Lebanon, Marissa, Mascoutah, Mater Dei (Breese), Mulberry Grove, Nashville,
O’Fallon, Okawville, Red Bud, Salem, Sandoval, South Central (Farina), Sparta, Steeleville,
Waterloo and Wesclin.
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 written by college and university
faculty. Exams of increasing levels of difficulty are given at the regional, sectional
and state finals.
Eight school teams (Governor French, Okawville, Nashville, Freeburg, Waterloo, Mascoutah,
Edwardsville and O’Fallon) and over 40 students advance to the state finals in Champaign
next month. Team photos are posted.
It is the 11th year that the university has hosted the competition. Dr. Jim Feher, professor of
computer science and computer information systems at McKendree, chairs the WYSE advisory
board. “It’s fantastic to give recognition to so many outstanding young students for
their achievement in the STEM areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,"
he said.
McKendree-bound seniors who attend one of the university’s scholarship events and
also place in the top three in their school’s division at the WYSE Academic Challenge
are eligible for academic scholarships.
WYSE’s purpose is to advance excellence in science and mathematics and to promote
careers in engineering and the sciences.
-McK-
