INA (RLC NEWS) — More than 200 students, representing the brightest young minds from area high schools, went head-to-head Wednesday at Rend Lake College’s Academic Challenge.
Students from Benton, Christopher, Hamilton County, Mt. Vernon, Norris City-Omaha-Enfield, Pinckneyville, Sesser-Valier, Thompsonville, Waltonville, Wayne City, Webber, Woodlawn, and Zeigler-Royalton were tested in biology, chemistry, computer science, English, engineering graphics, mathematics and physics.
“Over 40 years ago, the University of Illinois launched this competition under the name WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering),” explained the event’s coordinator, RLC Dean of Arts & Sciences Greg Hollmann. “Later, Eastern Illinois University took the reins, rebranding it as ACES (Academic Challenge for Engineering and Science). When Eastern announced plans to discontinue the event, we at RLC, having served as a regional host for decades, wanted to ensure an academic contest like this was still an opportunity for our in-district schools.
“This competition pushes students, giving them just 40 minutes to tackle rigorous tests based on high school senior and college freshman curricula,” Hollmann added. “Hosting this event is an absolute joy for us. We get inspired meeting these young minds from our community. RLC is very proud to carry this tradition forward. I hope it thrives for another four decades.”
2026 Academic Challenge Winners
TEAM WINNERS
1st – Hamilton County Senior High School
2nd – Mt. Vernon Township High School
3rd – Benton Consolidated High School
INDIVIDUAL WINNERS
Biology
1st – Bryan Vogt (Hamilton County)
2nd – Adalynn Sandelbach (Mt. Vernon)
3rd – Lily Houle (Mt. Vernon), Keegan Neikes (Sesser-Valier)
Chemistry
1st – Greyson Goebel (NCOE)
2nd – Catelyn Allen (Mt. Vernon)
3rd – Wyatt McCormick (NCOE), Jace Cross (Hamilton County)
Computer Science
1st – Charles Romines (Mt. Vernon), Bryan Vogt (Hamilton County)
2nd – Tania Onate (Pinckneyville), Kale Laswell (Hamilton County)
3rd – Eowyn Smith (Wayne City), True Claytor (Hamilton County)
English
1st – Riley Parrish (Mt. Vernon)
2nd – Aiden Yenne (Waltonville)
3rd – Teiryn Andrews (Webber)
Engineering Graphics
1st – Cayden Thiele (Benton)
2nd – Kale Laswell (Hamilton County)
3rd – Willis Morris (Benton), Rayce Reynolds (Hamilton County)
Mathematics
1st – Cole Hamson (Hamilton County), Cohen White (Hamilton County), Jordan Sledge (Mt. Vernon)
2nd – Teiryn Andrews (Webber), Landon Sveda (Christopher), Riley Parrish (Mt. Vernon), Love Rojek (Pinckneyville)
3rd – Kaylee Bullard (Wayne City), Ava Minor (Wayne City), Addie Kellerman (Pinckneyville)
Physics
1st – Elija Schlag (Benton)
2nd – Ethan Muller (Mt. Vernon)
3rd – Braylon Phillips (NCOE), Keaton Page (Woodlawn)
Catapult Design Challenge Winners
Woodlawn High School