Saint Andrew’s Historians Shine at National Championships

Do you know what was found on a classified Navy expedition resting between two sunken submarines, the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion? Or who conquered most of Asia to form the largest contiguous land empire in history? Maybe you know about which ancient city’s populace has been eerily preserved by archaeologists in casts of ash. Or you might remember the role of a certain group of people recruited by the US Marines to send coded messages during World War II.

These are just a selection of the questions that Saint Andrew’s students could answer. Five Saint Andrew’s students, Zane Block ’32, Xavier Dicoi ’32, Elliott Friedman ’32, Victoria (Tori) Siero ’31, and Audra Bonnerot ’30, traveled to Columbus, OH, over Memorial Day weekend to compete in the National Championships of the Great History Challenge, a fast-paced, buzzer-beating academic competition for middle school students who love history. 

Over two days, these students competed in nine individual preliminary rounds against middle school students from across the country. The competition was intense, with history questions ranging from the Paleolithic period to the 1990s, including crossover questions from geography, civics, and economics. After the preliminary rounds, Xavier and Elliott advanced to the playoffs, making them Great History Challenge finalists!

In the end, it was a wonderful experience for all, proving both rewarding and educational. Earning a spot at the national championship was an incredible accomplishment in itself, but the way they faced the challenge mattered most. They beautifully illustrated the words of Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote that “a nation’s greatness lies in its possibility of achievement in the present, and nothing helps it more than the consciousness of achievement in the past.” By facing intense competition with courage, maintaining their determination, and supporting others' victories, these five students proved that they carry that very greatness within themselves — Honor Above All.