Malvern Prep and Downingtown West battled to a 115-115 tie in the first match of the season in the Chester County Academic Competition sponsored by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU). With 80 points, Coatesville finished third in the match held in Malvern’s Duffy Arts Center.

Now in its 25th year, the Chester County Academic Competition provides an opportunity for high school students to compete in a "college-bowl" format where students answer a wide variety of challenging questions from a variety of categories including literature, math, science, American and world history, geography, fine arts and current events.

The nine teams accumulating the highest number of points in a series of four preliminary matches during the 2008-09 season will compete in the semi-final matches on February 4. The winner of each of the three semi-final matches will then compete in the championship match on March 18. The Chester County champion will then represent the CCIU in the Pennsylvania Academic Competition that will take place on the floors of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Senate in Harrisburg, PA on April 24, 2009.

Members of the Malvern Prep Academic Competition team are: 12th Grade: Mike McCabe, Nick McGill, Lehman Garrison, Tyler Bury, Jamie Metkus and Corey Furlong; 11th Grade: David Torres and Phil Antonello; 10th Grade: Tom Ball, Brendan Bell, Stephen Michael, Greg Heisler, Tom Lawler and Austin Bury; and 9th Grade: Ian McLarney, Ryan Fulmer, Chris Smart, Akul Penugonda and Sam Schmucker.

More information concerning the competition can be found on the Intermediate Unit’s website at www.cciu.org.