Kingston academic team wins 5 state trophies

By Jon Dohrer
Kingston Public Schools

EL RENO — Kingston scholars brought home five trophies and seven other places from the state meet at Redlands Community College.
Sophomore Austin Stottlemyre became State Champion in trigonometry at the Oklahoma Association for Competitive Academics State Tournament of Champions. Others who earned trophies by placing third or better in the Tournament were classmate Nathan Cook (second in Biology), junior Logan Thomas (second in Accounting I), sophomore Jayce Allen (third in Accounting I) and senior Gabby Burks (third in Art Drawing).
Seven other Kingston students placed 11th or better.
Sponsor Tammy Russell said the students managed to eclipse last year's results despite stepping up in class this season.
"They did an outstanding job all year," Russell said. "We were in a higher classification in almost every meet we attended, and we were still successful. We have a lot of students who qualified for the Tournament of Champions for the second time, and we had a whole new bunch of students who came in achieving and contributing."
Others placing at El Reno were Cook (fifth in Business/Business Math), freshman Regan Stephenson (seventh in Geometry), senior Calli Rogers (seventh in Trigonometry), junior Tyler Tortorano (seventh in Computer Science I), freshman Jared Swilling (10th in Algebra I), junior Ben Whipkey (10th in Chemistry) and junior Spencer Peoples (11th in Music History and Theory).
Others who qualified for the state meet were Caitlyn French, Dalton Williams, Destiny Hughes, Joseph Lara, Mason Whipkey, Raylee Woodward, Robbie Bunger and Shannon Lane.
Students earned a berth in the Tournament of Champions by placing in the top three in one of several curriculum contests during the regular season.
It was a breakout year for Stottlemyre in competitive academics. The precocious sophomore continually improved his placing at the various meeting, culminating in the state title.
For Burks, it was her second consecutive third-place finish in art at the Tournament of Champions, and she was among several students who qualified for the state meet twice.
Whipkey, the 2012 Biology champion, was competing in his third consecutive Tournament, and Tortorano, Rogers, Hughes, Woodward and Bunger were making their second appearance.
Many of the students are in a competitive academics class taught by Russell, and all are prepared for competition by their regular instructor in their respective areas.