The Monmouth Academic Decathlon 2021 team, from left, includes Coach Scott Foyt, Evan Hasenfus, Rhayna Poulin, Ostin Hasenfus-Smith, Olivia Degen, June Foyt, Holly Hunt and Coach Cathy Foyt. Contributed photo
Monmouth Academy qualified earlier this year in the State of Maine Championship to compete in the National Championship in Des Moines, Iowa. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s national championship was all virtual.
Monmouth placed third in Division III.
The Monmouth Academy Academic Decathlon Team, coached by Cathy Foyt and Scott Foyt, competed in this year’s National Academic Decathlon Championship against the following Division III State Championship Teams: California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa, New Jersey, Alaska, Ohio, Massachusetts and Georgia.
Monmouth has competed in the following National Academic Decathlon Championships: 1999 California, 2002 Arizona, 2004 Idaho, 2013 Minnesota, 2016 Alaska, and 2018 Texas. Last year, Monmouth was supposed to have competed in the National competition again in Alaska, but it was canceled because of the pandemic.
Academic decathlon is comprised of A, B, and C students, who study together as a team for a year and then compete in 10 (decathlon), different categories: Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Language/Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Studies and Speech. The overall theme changes every year; last year’s was “In Sickness and in Health,” this year’s theme is “The Cold War,” and next year’s theme is to be “Sustainable Water.”
Monmouth team members include seniors Rhayna Poulin, Delaney Houston and Evan Hasenfus; sophomores Holly Hunt, Ostin Hasenfus-Smith and Olivia Degan; and freshman June Foyt.
Monmouth won a team record of individual national medals this year: Hunt (five gold and two bronze), Poulin (one gold, one silver and two bronze), Hasenfus-Smith (two silver and three bronze), and Degan (one silver).
Highest team Scorer — Poulin
Third-highest Honor Scorer in Division III in the Nation — Poulin
Third-highest Overall Scorer in Division III in the Nation — Poulin
First-highest Scholastic Scorer in Division III in the Nation — Hunt
Second-highest Varsity Scorer in Division III in the Nation — Hassenfus-Smith
Seventh-highest Varsity Scorer in Division III in the Nation — Foyt
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