The Chardon High School Academic Decathlon team has earned an invitation to its first national competition since 2017...
ACADEC Advances to Nationals
The Chardon High School Academic Decathlon team has earned an invitation to its first national competition since 2017.
The invitation to the United States Academic Decathlon Online National Competition comes after the team’s successful showing at state competition at John Carroll University earlier this month. At that competition, the team came away with 16 medals, including a silver and three golds in Interview and two gold medals in speech, highlighting Chardon’s long tradition of strength in the interpersonal events.
In the speech event, where competitors perform timed, prepared and impromptu speeches in front of judges and a group of their peers, senior Connor Mosher was awarded a near perfect score of 995 out of 1,000. This was 25 points higher than anyone else in the competition and is the highest speech score ever posted by a Chardon student. Connor was asked to give his speech a second time during the awards ceremony in a packed auditorium as a “speech showcase,” where of course, he brought down the house.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to coach the diverse groups of students who have made up the CHS Academic Decathlon teams over these past 14 years and I look forward to following their continued success in the future,” Chardon ACADEC coach Al Herner said.
This year’s ACADEC team includes students Caroline Bates, Jack Bennett, Madeline Cresho, Holden Dewey, Brandon French, Danny Greene, Courtney Lawrence, Ivan Medved, Connor Mosher, Sydney Scheid, Gus Schneider and Kayla Schneider.
Herner said CHS has only been invited to national competition twice in recent memory, in 2013 and 2017.
The Hilltopper ACADEC team will be competing in the Online National Competition on April 16 and May 2.
Chardon BOE Honors Hewitt
The Chardon Board of Education recognized Mitch Hewitt for his significant contributions to district athletics and the Hilltopper community during its meeting on March 17.
Hewitt recently stepped down as head coach of the football program after 14 highly successful seasons, marked by 126 wins and state title victories in 2020 and 2021.
“His contributions have certainly been clear on the field of play for student athletes that have participated in football, but I think much more importantly has been the culture and the impact that he has had … with moving these student athletes out into our community,” Superintendent Michael Hanlon said.
A 1999 graduate of Chardon High School, Hewitt had a prestigious high school playing career. He helped lead his team to the Division II State Championship game against Lebanon in 1998 and was the recipient of numerous local awards. He was elected as a first team All-State defensive player in 1998, Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Division II and runner-up for Ohio’s Mr. Football award.
After high school, Hewitt continued his playing career at Bowling Green State University, where he served as a four-year starter under Urban Meyer and was elected captain during his senior season.
Hewitt returned to Chardon Football as head coach in 2011.
“I’m just grateful. I’ve been blessed with a lot of great people in the community, a lot of great support,” Hewitt said at the meeting. “I think Chardon is a special place and will continue to be that way.”
Going forward, the Hilltopper varsity football team will be led by head coach Brian Landies, who assumes the role after serving as Chardon’s defensive coordinator for 13 years. At the meeting, Hewitt called Landies a “great replacement.”
