Jackson Prep Wins Academic Competition at Mississippi College

Moderator Tommy Leavelle joins MC Graduate Dean Debbie Norris and Judge Dean Parks to offer their congrats to Jackson Prep team winning the university's Academic Competition on February 9. MC has hosted the competition for 33 years. Prep students pictured: Andrew Lott, Alex Reichle, Robert Wasson and Wesley Roberson.

Questions ranged from the name of a famous Polish composer to one of America’s presidents. It was close, but in the end, Jackson Prep emerged the winner of the 2016 Mississippi Academic Competition.

Jackson Prep students Andrew Lott, Alex Reichle, Robert Wasson and Wesley Roberson edged a team from Presbyterian Christian Academy of Hattiesburg.

The 33^rd annual event at Mississippi College attracted 40 high school teams from across the Magnolia State. They traveled from Blue Mountain in north Mississippi to Bay St. Louis along the Gulf Coast.

An MC TV team videotaped the action live as moderator Tommy Leavelle tossed challenging questions to students Tuesday afternoon. Leavelle serves as a mathematics professor on the Clinton campus.

Area teams like Clinton High, Pearl High, defending champion Madison Central High, Brandon High and Madison-Ridgeland Academy were among the area teams competing in early February. St. Joseph Catholic High of Madison and Laurel Christian School advanced to the quarterfinals on February 9.

Students from the final four teams who later enroll at Mississippi College are eligible to receive scholarships from the Christian university’s admissions office.

Jackson Prep’s victory wasn’t the school’s first. Flowood-based Jackson Prep won the Mississippi competition about five years ago at MC’s Leland Speed Library. “It was a great group of kids,” said Jackson Prep team sponsor Nathan Devine, after MC Graduate Dean Debbie Norris awarded the trophy.

The Mississippi College Office of Continuing Education sponsored the program at the library’s Learning Resources Center. Next year’s academic quiz bowl will be a bit different. The 34^th annual event will feature live streaming on the MC website. But little else will change. MC chemistry professor Dean Parks of Clinton will be back again next February to serve as a judge.

For more information, contact Ken Gilliam or Judith Halbert at the Office of Continuing Education at 601-925-3265.