Pictured (from left to right) is: David Jarvie, Chester County Academic Competition Judge; Jennifer Shealy, Chester County Intermediate Unit Special Events Coordinator; Competitor of the Year Meg Boeni of Unionville High School; and Pennsylvania State Senator Andy Dinniman (D-19).
DOWNINGTOWN – Unionville’s Meg Boeni was named co-competitor of the year in the Chester County Academic Competition, and was honored along with individual members of the All Chester County Academic Team at a special luncheon, earlier this month.
Starting in October 2011, 21 Chester County academic teams spent countless hours practicing for, and participating in, the Chester County Academic Competition. On May 17 an awards luncheon sponsored by Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union was held to honor the students for their intellectual prowess, good sportsmanship, and dedication during the 2011-12 season. The luncheon was created by the credit union four years ago to provide academic competitors with the same level of recognition as high school athletes.
Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union (FMFCU) presented $3,500 in scholarships to the top three finishing teams of the competition, including: a $2,000 scholarship to the county academic champion Devon Preparatory School; a $1,000 scholarship to second place West Chester East High School; and a $500 scholarship to Great Valley High School, who placed third. In addition to team recognition, individual competitors were also recognized for their contributions to the academic league.
During the luncheon, members of the 2011-12 FMFCU All Chester County Academic Team were announced, and the Coach of the Year and the Competitors of the Year awards were presented.
Meg Boeni from Unionville High School and Chris Panetta from Bayard Rustin High School were named Competitors of the Year. Both Boeni and Panetta are seniors and team captains of their respective teams. The competitor of the year is selected on the basis of his or her performance under pressure, good sportsmanship and overall leadership abilities as demonstrated throughout the academic competition season. Typically, only one competitor of the year is selected; however, the selection committee found it necessary to recognize both students for their achievements and growth throughout their years of participation.
The All Chester County team recognizes the top competitor from each high school. This year’s team includes: Anthony Constantini, Avon Grove High School; Matthew Lutz, Avon Grove Charter School; Zach Silverstein, B. Reed Henderson High School; Chris Panetta, Bayard Rustin High School; Shane O’Connor, Bishop Shanahan High School; Zach Miller, Coatesville Area Senior High School; Marisa Ohnjec, Collegium Charter School; Michael Bennett, Conestoga High School; Adam Swift, Devon Preparatory School; Dante D’Andrea, Downingtown East High School; Anuragh Gudur, Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy; Prasad Kanuparthi, Downingtown West High School; Dan Dore, Great Valley High School; Rebecca Rhodes, Kennett High School; Ian McLarney, Malvern Preparatory School; Victoria Whitney, Octorara Area High School; Jonathan Patterson, Owen J. Roberts High School; Christian Kelly, Oxford Area High School; Jake Wisser, Phoenixville Area High School; Meg Boeni, Unionville High School; and Alex Crits-Christoph, West Chester East High School.
Last, but not least, Conestoga High School’s Michael Cruz was named Coach of the Year in recognition for his leadership and displayed commitment to excellence and fair play throughout the year.
The Chester County Academic Competition, sponsored by Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union and coordinated by the Chester County Intermediate Unit, provides an opportunity for Chester County High School students to compete in a “college-bowl” format where they answer challenging questions from a variety of categories. The nine teams accumulating the highest number of points in a series of four preliminary matches compete in the semi-final matches, and the winner of each of the three semi-final matches compete in the championship match to determine who will represent Chester County at the state competition.
