WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The team from Mtn. Home High School in Mtn. Home, Ark., took top honors in the 29th annual Interscholastic Contest hosted by Missouri State University-West Plains on Friday, April 4, on the Missouri State-West Plains campus.

An estimated 500 students from 18 area high schools in Missouri and Arkansas participated in the academic event.  The competition tested students’ knowledge in a variety of subject areas ranging from agriculture, science and math, to speech, history and English.  Competition was held in three divisions based on school size, with first, second and third place winners announced in each division.  First, second and third place winners overall also were named.

The Mtn. Home team placed first in the overall competition, which gave them ownership of the “traveling trophy” that is awarded to the overall first place winner every year.  Second place overall went to West Plains High School, and third place went to Houston High School.

Alex Pinnon, director of the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program at Missouri State-West Plains and coordinator of the contest, said the overall competition winner is determined by a point system based on student scores irrespective of division.

“Mtn. Home had more students who placed first, second or third overall than the other schools,” he explained.  “West Plains, however, won the division trophy because they had more students total take first, second or third place among the division and fewer who placed in the top three overall.”

West Plains High School took first place in Division I and was followed by Mtn. Home High School in second.

In Division II, first place went to Houston High School, second to Mtn. View-Birch Tree Liberty High School and third to Thayer High School.  The top three winners in Division III were Mammoth Spring (Ark.) High School, first; Oregon-Howell R-3 High School in Koshkonong, second; and Winona High School, third.

In all, two teams competed in Division I, eight in Division II and eight in Division III.

“The Interscholastic Contest is always a highlight of the academic year for us, as we get to host some of the best students around on our campus, and these great students get to challenge their scholastic endeavors,” Pinnon said.

For more information about the Interscholastic Contest and how to participate in next year’s event, contact Pinnon at 417-255-7965 or at apinnon@missouristate.edu.