Sixth-graders work academic wonders

Two Hawken sixth-grade academic challenge teams dubbed Team Stupendous and Team Prodigious lived up to their names recently winning top spots in the state in the winter installment of the Knowledge Master Open (KMO), a contest that puts teams to the test in math, geography, literature, science and trivia. The success comes on the heels of the triumphs of the seventh, eighth grade and Upper School KMO teams in the fall when competing teams placed first statewide and in the top 10 percent internationally. In the elementary school portion of the KMO, Team Stupendous scored 621 points and placed 13th out of 23 particpating schools in the state and placed 192nd out of 350 teams worldwide. Team Prodigious scored 726 points, earning the top spot in the state, placing 62nd worldwide and fifth among schools of similar size. Of all three KMO contests this year involving elementary school (sixth grade and under), middle school (seventh and eighth grade) and high school, Hawken has been number one in the state in each event. Members of Team Stupendous were Ben Bornstein, Sarah Doody, Justin Faulhaber, Grace Foster, Sarah Foster, Nils Gudbranson, Emily Heyd, Alec Kwait, Trent Taylor, Caroline Vexler and Mercedez Woods. The Prodigious were Maddie Bruner, Russell Cohen, Grant Fisher, Taylor Forsythe, Victoria Jones, Alex Kaufman, Joey Marbito, Cache McClay, Gabe Napoli, Sawyer Opalich and Rebecca Rosen.