National champions: Beavercreek team tops 150 others in D.C.

The Beavercreek High School Academic Team took top honors at the National History Bee and Bowl in Washington D.C. Pictured are Hari Parameswaran, William Todd, Tegan Kapadia, Arunn Sankar and advisor Ellen Spence. CONTRIBUTED

The Beavercreek High School Academic Team took top honors at the National History Bee and Bowl in Washington D.C. Pictured are Hari Parameswaran, William Todd, Tegan Kapadia, Arunn Sankar and advisor Ellen Spence. CONTRIBUTED

The Beavercreek High School Academic Team and its coach took home several accolades last weekend at the National History Bee and Bowl in Washington, D.C.

Beavercreek’s team outsmarted 150 other teams from across the country to take first place and become national champions in the varsity History Bowl competition, according to the district.

Team Captain Hari Parameswaran won first place in the Varsity National History Bee, topping 146 other high school history buffs from around the country.

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Academic Team Adviser and French teacher Ellen Spence, who has grown the program and hosted local competitions, received the Coach of the Year award.

Spence said the team endured a long weekend of no fewer than 18 matches of increasing difficulty to secure the title.

“The Varsity National Champion title has never before been awarded to any school in the state of Ohio, and our school and our students should be very proud of their academic team and its accomplishments,” Spence said.

Parameswaran and team members William Todd, Tegan Kapadia and Arunn Sankar won previous competitions throughout the year, including first place at the Ohio State History Bowl in March.

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This is the second national title that the Beavercreek Academic Team has brought home. Two years ago, a team comprising sophomores and younger students took first in the junior varsity division.

The team will compete later this month at the High School National Championship Tournament in Atlanta. Spence said students Abby Cohen and Tiffany Zhou will join the team in their effort to beat last year’s fifth place result among the top 342 teams in the nation.

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