Sierra Lutheran sets fast pace in Academic Olympics

The three-time defending state champion Falcons of Sierra Lutheran High School started the 2009 class 1A Academic Olympic season on a positive note at the first regional tournament of the year.

Competing against other small high schools in the northwestern region of the state, the Falcons won all four rounds of competition in the first of three regional events that serve as qualifiers for the state championships.

Seniors Andrew Deterding, Aaron Sever, Jesse Walser-Castro and Nick Winstead, along with juniors Haley Stokes and Sydney Campau provided a nucleus of veterans from last year's team.

Rounding out the current squad are sophomores Conner Love and Mikey Overton, along with freshmen Jacob Medlock, Colin Philips and Matt Tollefson.

"Since a number of our upperclassmen were on last year's state championship team, we're expecting a lot from each other this year," said coach Norm Brauer. "The students have been practicing faithfully and look forward to the challenge of defending the regional and state titles earned in recent years."

Scoring totals from the first tournament found Sierra Lutheran in first place with 24 points, followed by Virginia City with 17.5, Coleville with 16.5 and Smith Valley in fourth place with 14 points. Gerlach and Pyramid Lake rounded out the field of contestants. The point totals will be added to those earned at the upcoming tournaments at Virginia City on Monday and Gerlach on Nov. 16. The three schools with the highest number of total points from all three qualifying events will advance to the state tournament.

This year's state Academic Olympic championships will be hosted by Sierra Lutheran. The tournament will be at Hilltop Community Church in north Douglas County, immediately next door to construction of Sierra Lutheran's new permanent campus. The church and new campus site are located on the east side of Highway 395 at North Sunridge Drive. The state tournament will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude in mid-afternoon.

The public is welcome to attend, but asked to enter and exit the facility quietly. There is no admission charge.