Archdiocesan schools take decathlon honors

Mount Michael Benedictine School took top honors in the Feb. 17-18 Nebraska Academic Decathlon in Omaha.

But that wasn’t the only "first" for the Elkhorn area school.

With the win, Mount Michael became the first small school state champion to win the overall championship, earning the team a trip to the national competition, sponsored by U.S. Academic Decathlon, April 20-22 in Madison, Wis.

Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School in Bellevue won the state competition in the medium school division, advancing to an online national competition – also sponsored by U.S. Academic Decathlon – April 6 and April 21.

Promoting academic growth, teamwork and communication skills, the competition this year was based on a World War II theme. Students wrote essays, gave speeches, took tests, conducted interviews and completed other academic exercises.

Creighton Preparatory High School, which took second in the large school category, V.J. and Angela Skutt Catholic High School and Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, all in Omaha, also were among 14 Nebraska high schools in the decathlon held at Creighton University in Omaha.