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Winning attitude prevails in painful loss
By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE © St. Petersburg Times, published May 17, 2001 The Citrus County Academic Team traveled to Orlando from April 26 to 28 for the Commissioner's Academic Challenge at Disney World. Team members Tom Soares, Mike Gordon, Ian Maidhof, Laura Ewan, Heather Murray and Brian Wilkerson practiced answering questions and solving problems for weeks and were a solid second place entering the second round. But by the end of the round, they were eliminated. "We're disappointed for them," said the team's coach William Hartley, speaking for himself and co-coach Mark Teter. But the students took the defeat well, Hartley said. Well enough to get up early the next morning to watch the final rounds "just to get a feel for it," he said. Although they didn't place, team members played very competitively and are anxious to go back next year and "get at that table," said Hartley, a history teacher at Lecanto High School. "It was valuable experience for a young team," Hartley said. Tom, 15, and Brian, 16, are sophomores and first time team members. Tom is a student at Lecanto High School. Brian attends Crystal River High School. Heather, 16, and Laura, 17, are juniors at Crystal River, where Teter is a language arts teacher. They were also first time competitors at the state level. Mike, who attends Lecanto High School, and Ian, who attends Citrus High School, are seniors who won't be competing next year. "Both Mark and I are very optimistic about the future of (the team)," Hartley said. The students are "just wonderful children," he said, "and the county can be very proud of the way they conducted themselves: with pride, honor and character."
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