216 students from 11 area high schools recently gathered at Oakland City University on Friday, February 28, 2026, for the fifth annual OCU Scholastic Contest.
The day started with President Dr. Ron Dempsey welcoming the students and advisors before introducing contest coordinator Dr. Sarah Wilson, Director of the Honors Program and a Professor of Chemistry at Oakland City University.
Professor Wilson guided the high school honors program participants through the scheduled activities before introducing them to their university student guides.
During the contest, Oakland City University faculty, staff, and students helped administer the 12 subject exams and the awards ceremony. The exam subjects students participated in included:
- Algebra: Algebra skills, equations, and concepts.
- American Government: Formation, structure, and principles of American government.
- American History: American history from the colonial period to the present.
- Biology: Principles of biology.
- Chemistry: Principles of chemistry, physical science, and critical thinking skills.
- Computer Science: Principles of abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation,
resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. - Economics: Basic principles of macro and microeconomics.
- English Grammar: Fundamentals of English grammar.
- Literature: American and British Literature.
- Psychology: Principles of psychology.
- Western Civilization: Western Civilization from the Ancient Near East to the present.
- World Geography: Principles of geography and identification of major world regions.
The top three students from the participating schools were awarded gold, silver, or bronze medallions in each subject category. Those winners were:
- Algebra:
- Gold – Issac Ivy / (Gibson Southern High School)
- Silver – Johnson Dong / (Jasper High School)
- Bronze – Aiden Bradley / (Springs Valley High School)
- American Government:
- Gold – Dalton Strange / (Loogootee High School)
- Silver – Owen Tompkins / (Loogootee High School)
- Bronze – Adriel Short / (Edwards County High School)
- American History:
- Gold – Owen Tompkins / (Loogootee High School)
- Silver – Aiden Bradley / (Springs Valley High School)
- Bronze – Peyton Wright / (Princeton Community High School)
- Biology:
- Gold – Dax Lee / (Loogootee High School)
- Silver – Sarah Jones / (Loogootee High School)
- Bronze – Mia Sefton / (Gibson Southern High School)
- Chemistry:
- Gold – Victoria Gunselman / (Jasper High School)
- Silver – Mark Stunkel / (Gibson Southern High School)
- Bronze – Landon Begle / (Gibson Southern High School)
- Computer Science:
- Gold – Scotland Roney / (Springs Valley High School)
- Silver – Warren Davidson / (Princeton Community High School)
- Bronze – Readon Prow / (Springs Valley High School)
- Economics:
- Gold – Owen Tompkins / (Loogootee High School)
- Silver – Mark Stunkel / (Gibson Southern High School)
- Bronze – Shawna Fredrickson / (Jasper High School)
- English Grammar:
- Gold – Kendall Carey / (Princeton Community High School)
- Silver – Emma Griswald / (Gibson Southern High School)
- Bronze – Carlin St. Ledger / (Edwards County High School)
- Literature:
- Gold – Marisa Thacker / (Southridge High School)
- Silver – Camilla Sampson / (Jasper High School)
- Bronze – Audrey Schultz / (Wood Memorial High School)
- Psychology:
- Gold – Audrey Schultz / (Wood Memorial High School)
- Silver – Andrea Romero / (Southridge High School)
- Bronze – Elizabeth Mehringer / (Southridge High School)
- Western Civilization:
- Gold – Adriel Short / (Edwards County High School)
- Silver – Kayla Russler / (Gibson Southern High School)
- Bronze – Brock Lampert / (Jasper High School)
- World Geography:
- Gold – Cooper Vollmer / (Jasper High School)
- Silver – Adriel Short / (Edwards County High School)
- Bronze – Jaxson Lambert / (Gibson Southern High School)
Schools received three points for each first-place finish, two points for each second-place finish, and one point for each third-place finish. First-, second-, and third-place trophies were awarded to schools based on the most points received.
The Top Three Schools were:
- First Place – Loogootee High School / Advisor – Rachel Tedrow
- 4 gold medals | 2 silver medals – 16 Points
- Second Place – Gibson Southern High School / Advisors – Diane Nurrenbern & Pat Bengert
- 2 gold medals | 3 silver medals | 3 bronze medals – 15 Points
- Third Place – Jasper High School / Advisors – Abby Kennedy & Amy Rasche
- 2 gold medals | 2 silver medals | 2 bronze medals – 14 Points
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