--- title: Rend Lake College hosts 2026 Academic Challenge description: The brightest young minds from area high schools went head-to-head Wednesday, February 4, at Rend Lake College for the annual Academic Challenge. --- [Rend Lake College News ](https://rlc.edu/news) # [Rend Lake College hosts 2026 Academic Challenge](https://rlc.edu/news/2026-rlc-academic-challenge) Written by [Kendra Gregory](https://rlc.edu/news/author/kendra-gregory) | Feb 11, 2026 3:00:00 PM INA, Ill. (February 11, 2026) — 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 ### Meet the Teams ###### Benton Consolidated High School *Pictured: Carter Norton, Cayden Thiele, Elijah Schlag, Riley Spencer, Jennie Ren, Hunter Morris, Jaycee Webb, Landon Grimm, Logan Smith,  Madalyn Roundcount, Shayne Barry, Willis Morris, Hunter Irvin* ###### Christopher High School *Pictured**: Rowan Young, Hope Boker, Marissa Jennings, CJ Shurtz, Hanna Morse, Rex Vessels, Chelsea Douglas, Ryleigh Hecht, Landon Sveda, Jaden Mendez, Tripp Fletcher, Marissa Glidewell, Tiara Sprague, Kyler Nikolich * ###### Hamilton County Senior High School *Pictured**: Jace Cross,  Cohen White, Cameron Milligan, Ethan Kessler, Aydan Hood, Shiloh Willis, Bryan Vogt, True Claytor, Kale Laswell, Brylee Varner, Cole Hamson, Sarah Ragan, Dylan Cockrum, Rayce Reynolds* ###### Mt. Vernon Township High School *Pictured**: Catelyn Allen, Logan Armstrong, Xander Ashby, Alister Clodi, Kiro Edwards, Lily Houle, Pierce Keyser, Ryan Lingas, Ethan Muller, Riley Parrish, Jiya Patel, Charles Romines, Adalynn Sendelbach, Jordan Sledge, Asher Snow, Jakiya Sosa, Leah Stuehlmeyer, Clover Tinsley, Lexyss Weiss* ###### NCOE High School *Pictured**: Braylon Phillips, Caden Sexton, Shaun Edwards, Conner Graves, Landon Garrison, Greyson Goebel, Finlee Hite, Wyatt McCormick, Lacy Sanders, Lathan Erwin, Breyton Sauls, Olivia Sutton, Ella Hoskins, Rhett Wehlermann* ###### Pinckneyville Community High School *Pictured**: Lia Farlow, Thomas Fisher, Eliza Heisner, Addie Kellerman, Jonathan Kuhnert, Titus Loos, Reed Marlow, Tania Onate, Arryn Overturf, Mandy Partin, Love Rojek, Drew Schneider, Evelyn Zheng, Iris Zheng * ###### Sesser-Valier High School *Pictured**: Will Watson, Katie Keith, Rowen McCubbins, Tony Kistner, Zevon Zimbro, Keegan Neikes, Shaelyn Taylor, Dion Alili, Liam McMurray, Kensington Stagner, Maggie Watson, Caylee Goeke, Elyssa Schoenbaechler, Alex Goeke, Megann Zettler* ###### Thompsonville High School *Pictured**: Liam Reagan, Melanie Henson, Lucas Smith, Kailyn Kahl, Lanie Willaims, Amilya Williford, Jamesyn Samples, Cully Broy, Braxton Mohring, Mikayla McFarland, Isabellah Williford, Gavin Peebels, Savannah Haremski* ###### Waltonville High School *Pictured**: Kinley Myers, Elaina Yenne, Joel Shaw, Kaylee Kretz, Addie Trader, Reese Klingler, Layla Hanus, Peyton Hayes, Aidan Yenne,  Lilly Winka, Brighym Bequette, Jake Kash, Kadon Brelje, Addi Standley, Piper Wynn* ###### Wayne City High School *Pictured**: Kallee Bullard, Iris Carpenter, Katelyn Catron, Dutch Peyton, Kenzie Seidel, Eowyn Smith, Alayna White, Dawson Wood, Sam Braddock, Kylie Coy, Clara Manning, Ava Minor, Caylan Piper* ###### Webber Township High School *Pictured: Gavin Hardy, Jamisen Fitzpatrick, Kevin Anderson, Audrey Frey, Teiryn Andrews, Levi Ganieany* ###### Woodlawn High School *Pictured: Anna Bousman, Eddy Braddy, JW Morgan, Hayden Mellott, Hayden Barton, Marc Lawrence, Kyle Cooper, Alexa Severs, Keaton Page, Olive Hutton, Baylor Rollie, Jori Russo, Luke McKay, Allie Decker, Tyson Morgan* ###### Zeigler-Royalton High School [**](https://rlc.edu/hubfs/press%20releases/2023/2%20-%20February/ACES/2026/Teams/ziegler-royalton-high-school-Academic-Challenge.jpg) *Pictured**: Stella Krelo, Logan Bowen, Brennan Pasquino, Declan Potmas, Jackson Gaddis, Peter Jones, Hayden Cagle, Carsen Longwell, Jack Rapach, Lukas Moyers, Brody Schram, Emma Capogreco, Brett Bowles, Logan Russell, Charlie Battaglia* [View full post](https://rlc.edu/news/2026-rlc-academic-challenge) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Kendra Gregory" }, "dateModified" : "2026-02-11T15:00:00.749Z", "datePublished" : "2026-02-11T15:00:00Z", "headline" : "Rend Lake College hosts 2026 Academic Challenge", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 4259, "url" : "https://19965840.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19965840/press%20releases/2023/2%20-%20February/ACES/2026/Award%20Winners/Hamco-team-first-Academic-Challenge.jpg", "width" : 6388 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://rlc.edu/news/2026-rlc-academic-challenge", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60.0, "url" : "https://19965840.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19965840/rlc%20logos/2009-11-30_RLC_LOGO_FINAL_BLACK.png", "width" : 82.06687 }, "name" : "Rend Lake College News" } } ```