From February 27 to March 2, the Alabama School for the Deaf (ASD) proudly came alive with energy and enthusiasm as it hosted the Gallaudet University South Regional Academic Bowl! This prestigious annual competition brings together exceptional students to celebrate academic excellence, spirited competition, and sportsmanship, all while building lasting friendships and connections.
"It is a tremendous honor for the Alabama School for the Deaf to host this event,” commented Kim Moon, Co-Chair of the ASD Academic Bowl Committee and Outreach Provider for Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. “We are very excited to have welcomed sixteen schools and programs for the Deaf to our beautiful campus. The ASD Academic Bowl Committee worked hard to prepare for this event and it was exciting to see everything come together seamlessly."
Sixteen schools from across the country competed in this year’s tournament including Alabama School for the Deaf, American School for the Deaf, Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, Birdville High School, Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, Jean Massieu School of the Deaf, Lexington School for the Deaf, Model Secondary School for the Deaf, Mountain Lakes High School, North Carolina School for the Deaf, Ohio School for the Deaf, Pinellas County School District, Plano Senior High School, South Carolina School for the Deaf, St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, and Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. Teams from each school competed in pool play matches to determine the tournament bracket matches. Each match consisted of three rounds played consecutively with two-minute breaks to allow coaches to advise, support and counsel their teams. Categories for questions included Arts and Entertainment; Current Events; Language and Literature; Mathematics; Popular Culture, Leisure, and Sports; Science and Technology; and Social Studies.
After the competition, the teams celebrated their hard work with an awards ceremony. A Sportsmanship Award was awarded to two teams exhibiting the best qualities of good sportsmanship, including teamwork, cooperation, friendliness, dedication, fairness, honesty, hard work, extra effort and a positive attitude. This year’s Sportsmanship Awards were awarded to Birdville High School and Mountain Lakes High School. Four-year players were also recognized including John Dietz from Jean Massieu School of the Deaf, Favor Ike from Plano Senior High School, Paula Mendez from Plano Senior High School, and Tusi Silas from Alabama School for the Deaf.
Two Rising Star Awards, six All-Star Awards, and a Most Outstanding Player Award were also awarded during the Awards Ceremony. The Rising Star Award honored up-and-coming players at the beginning of their Academic Bowl careers. This year’s recipients were Daniel Faust, North Carolina School for the Deaf and Jadiel Torres Rayon, American School for the Deaf. The players who received the All-Star Awards were selected based on their knowledge, positive attitude, leadership, fellowship, sportsmanship, and team spirit. This year’s recipients included Tusi Silas from Alabama School for the Deaf, Brady Herman from Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, John Dietz from Jean Massieu School for the Deaf, Abbie Barrett from Model Secondary School for the Deaf, Jackie Becker from Mountain Lakes High School, and Spy Alexandratos from Pinellas County School District. The Most Outstanding Player Award honors a player from the final four teams and is selected based on their statistics, positive attitude, leadership, fellowship, and other qualities during the competition. This year’s recipient was Pax Holcomb from Model Secondary School for the Deaf.
“The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind is honored to have hosted the South Regional Academic Bowl at the Alabama School for the Deaf. It is an incredible privilege and a reflection of our commitment to academic excellence and student achievement,” commented Dennis Gilliam, Ed.D., President, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. “The event not only showcased the intellectual talents of students who are Deaf or hard of hearing, but it also fostered a spirit of camaraderie, leadership and lifelong learning. We are proud to have welcomed these outstanding scholars to our campus and celebrate their hard work and dedication.”
Congratulations to all of the students and teams who participated in this year’s South Regional Academic Tournament! We wish the best of luck to Model Secondary School for the Deaf, Jean Massieu School for the Deaf, Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, and Pinellas County School District as they go on to compete at the Academic Bowl Nationals at Gallaudet University in April.
