Local ACE Teams Advance To Championship Round

PRAIRIE GROVE — Farmington and Prairie Grove high schools have advanced to the semi-finals for the 2016 Academic Competition in Education championship and will compete against each other and Lifeway Christian to determine which team makes it into the final match.

ACE is an academic competition involving northwest Arkansas schools. For the 2015-16 season, nine schools are competing in the games. The seven teams with the most points after three matches advance to the championship round.

Bentonville, in first place, automatically received a bye to compete in the 2016 finals match. The winner of two semi-final matches will advance to the finals to take on a strong Bentonville team.

Prairie Grove High School hosted the third and final match last week for all schools. The games were held Feb. 2 in Tiger Arena.

Farmington scored 52 points in its match against Lifeway Christian with 37 points and Siloam Springs with 18 points. Prairie Grove scored the most points in its match, earning 50 points against Shiloh Christian’s 36 points and Greenland’s three points.

Going into the championships on Feb. 16 at the Performing Arts Center in Farmington, Bentonville is seeded #1 with a total of 169 points for the season.

The first semi-final match will pit Fayetteville, the second seeded team, against Gravette and Shiloh Christian, seeded sixth and seventh respectively.

The second semi- final match could be a close one. Farmington is seeded third with a total of 149 points for the season. Lifeway Christian, the fourth seed, finished only one point behind Farmington with 148 points and Prairie Grove,

the fifth seed, finished with 144 points for the season.

Farmington ACE coach Clayton Williams said his team came back last week after scoring only 43 points during its second match.

“This was a good rebound from the second match,” said Williams.

Farmington consistently has been one of the top three teams each year, making it to the finals match. Last year, Farmington finished in second place behind Bentonville. Fayetteville finished third.

Dustin Seaton, Prairie Grove’s ACE coach, said his team has worked extra hours this year to be ready. Prairie Grove lost in the semi-finals last year.

“We’re very proud of all the hard work they’ve done,” Seaton said. “They’ve come before school for an hour and stayed after school. We even had some Shakespeare movie nights. Their dedication is very impressive.”

ACE team members study a variety of subjects in preparing for their matches. Questions for the matches come from geography, physics, biology, chemistry, world history, American history, American government, literature and Shakespeare.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Micah Duncan with Prairie Grove High School Academic Competition in Education team answers a question during an ACE match last week at Tiger Arena. Others on Prairie Grove’s team include Avery Roton, left, Roy McKenzie and Spencer Parnell. Prairie Grove won its match against Shiloh Christian and Greenland and has advanced to the championship round Feb. 16 in Farmington.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Members of Farmington High School’s Academic Competition in Education team, Brandon Conrad, left, Jeffrey Kutter and Chloe Lochridge, right, react to their teammate, Monica Witt. Monica correctly answered her question and had just pumped her arm in the air with excitement. It was her first correct answer for the season. Farmington won its match last week and will advance to the championship round Feb. 16.