ILLINOIS ALL-STAR TEAM CAPTURES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP –
MHS Teacher Coaches
AT 21st ANNUAL PANASONIC ACADEMIC CHALLENGE

Illinois High School Team Bests 27 Teams From
Across the U.S. To Capture $15,000 in Scholarships

From left to right: Mike Matt, Herff-Jones; Penny Joseph, Panasonic Corporation of North America; Coach Nick Pitz, Moline HS; Team Illinois: Mike Verity, Siva Sundarum,
Greg Gauthier, John Brown, Curt Peterson, Coach Dave Adkins, Springfield HS.

Moline High School teacher Nick Pitz coached a team of six high school students representing the State of Illinois to win the top honor in the nation. The group outlasted teams from 27 other U.S. states and territories to take home the first place in the 21st Annual Panasonic Academic Challenge – the premier high school academic competition in the nation -- at the Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Hotel and Resort.  Second place was awarded to the Florida All-Star team and third place was awarded to the Dorman High School team from South Carolina.  
 
The team of six students, Mike Verity of Norridge, Ill., Greg Gauthier of Wheaton Ill., Siva Sundaram of Rockford, Ill., Curt Peterson of Wheaton, Ill., and John Brown of Rockford, Ill., were coached by Head Coach Nick Pitz and Co-Coach Dave Adkins.  The Illinois All-Star team defeated the All-Star Florida team by one point in the National Championship.  
 
Mr. Pitz has coached academic teams at Moline High School and has taken other students from the state of Illinois to various competitions nationwide.
 
The Panasonic Academic Challenge is modeled after Florida’s state tournament. Unlike most quick-response contests, the Panasonic Academic Challenge uses a slower-paced format in which as many as six teams at a time answer questions created by a panel of high school and college educators from around the nation.  Subjects include mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, fine arts, foreign languages (French & Spanish) and technology.
 
The teams, which are comprised of six high school students and one or two coaches, are selected to represent their respective participating U.S. state and territory at the tournament where the teams compete for more than $31,500 in academic scholarships and the title of Panasonic Academic Challenge National Champion.  The method of team selection varies by state.  States with existing state competitions send their championship school or an All-Star team selected from participants at the state competition.  In some states, interested schools submit team profiles and the Panasonic Academic Challenge tournament committee selects a state representative.