Livingston Students Notch Big Win In Prestigious Academic Championship

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Livingston Public School District. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Livingston High School (LHS) recently achieved an unprecedented victory, with its "A" team clinching the inaugural HSNCT National Academic Championship title. The team, composed of senior captain Robert Wang, senior Kevin Zhang, and juniors Arav Kaushik and Benjamin Laskov, triumphed over 336 of the nation's top academic teams. In a decisive and dominant final match, LHS defeated Northview High School of John's Creek, Georgia, with a commanding score of 455-175 in front of nearly 1,000 spectators.

This historic win marks a triumphant end to a remarkable season for the team and for senior Robert Wang, who finished as the 11th highest individual scorer in the competition. The victory also represents the first time a New Jersey school has ever won this prestigious national competition.

Beyond the championship win, LHS made history by sending four teams to the HSNCT for the first time ever. All four teams made it to the playoffs, tying the record for the most teams from a single school to advance in a HSNCT tournament.

• LHS "B" Team – Comprised of junior captain Ethan Liu, senior Lelun Li, and freshmen Kenneth Wu and Shaunak Kulkarni, this team defied expectations by tying for 13th in the country. They secured the best finish for any "B" team in the nation, winning numerous close matches against formidable opponents.
• LHS "D" Team – An all-freshman squad consisting of Max Silversten, Luke Chang, Aiden Saju, and Andrew Zhou, the "D" team delivered a truly remarkable performance. They defeated several more senior and experienced teams, including two-time defending national champion Barrington High School, defending national runner-up St. Mark's High School, current Small School National Champion West Point High School, and Henderson High School (who finished 4th at HSNCT). Their incredible run led to an 8th-place finish in the country, marking the best performance in competition history for a "D" team and a full freshman team. Freshman Andrew Zhou was also recognized as one of the nation's top 10 "Rising Stars."
• LHS "C" Team – Seniors Harish Lola, Sophia Peng, Ben Silversten, and Adam Dacosta also made the playoffs, showcasing the depth of talent within the LHS program.

"It was an historic day for Livingston HS as there were murmurs and rumbles all day about the remarkable success of our school and an amazing finish to boot," said team advisor, Guy Rabner.

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