Most students don’t want to think about equations or authors or scientific notation after the last bell of the day rings, but for the high school and middle school academic teams that just isn’t the case.
It has been a busy year for the OCHS and MBMS academic teams, and with their seasons drawing to a close, the coaches are pleased with their students’ performances. Both the high school and middle school boast third place finishes at the end of district play.
Competing against Carroll County, Trimble County, Gallatin County, Henry County, Williamstown and Eminence, the teams faced competition in the form of written tests in different subject areas and Jeapardy-like Quick Recall competitions
Mark McMillen, coach of the high school squad, says his team did very well this season, going undefeated in written testing at all but one match and winning nine of thirteen competitions.
The high school team was led by a group of eight seniors who McMillen says will be sorely missed next year. Kayla Meadows, a senior, served as captain of the team, tested in Language Arts and proved unstoppable in Quick Recall. “She and Brice Hamilton were the pack horses in Quick Recall,” McMillen said.
Hamilton, a junior, also tested in mathematics — the team’s “strong suit” this year according to McMillen.
Although the team will lose a lot of talent with the graduation of eight seniors, there are plenty of students willing to step up and take responsibility. “We have some in the wings,” McMillen said, and he has already begun recruiting new members. For the time being, the high school’s academic team is preparing for district competition which will take place Feb. 4 in Gallatin County.
The middle school had an equally impressive run this year, finishing 7-5 for the season. Like the high school, Scott Johnson coached an experienced team and will use next year to build.
His eighth-graders “stepped up and took charge” this year, though, taking younger team members under their wings.
Johnson experimented with a new training system this year which he says worked very well. To introduce them to the rules and intricacies of competition, Johnson assigned each sixth-grader an eighth-grade member whom they shadowed. By focusing on logistics and rules their first year, Johnson says students can jump in as seventh-graders and begin competing.
This was a good year to learn, too. “Every single person getting an award or certificate is in the eighth grade,” Johnson said.
Along with practices and competitions, the middle school team adopted a child at Christmas. “A six-year-old’s Christmas was completed by my academic team,” Johnson bragged. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of kids.”
The middle school academic team will host and compete in the district tournament on Jan. 28 at Bowling Middle School.
Middle and high school Future Problem Solvers, unlike the academic team, begin their competition in February at District Governor’s Cup and have the chance to advance to state and national competitions from there.
Kathy Williams, coach of the high school team, says her students are “inexperienced, but hard-working.”
Their first competition as a team will be District Governor’s Cup Feb. 2 in Gallatin County.
The middle school team is also being led by WIlliams while the regular coach recovers from surgery. Consisting of two sixth-graders and two seventh-graders, the team has no previous experience with Future Problem Solving (FPS) competitions but is working hard to catch up.
Most recently, Williams invited veteran Problem Solvers back to help students better understand the complicated FPS process.
The middle school team will test its skills Thursday.

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