The academic team from Unionville High School pose with their awards as the 2025 champions of the Chester County Academic Competition.
Unionville High School emerged victorious over 23 other Chester County schools in the Chester County Academic Competition, which is organized by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) and sponsored by the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union (FMFCU) and CCRES Educational and Behavioral Health Services. Unionville will represent Chester County at the Pennsylvania State Academic Competition in Harrisburg on Friday, May 2, alongside the reigning state champion team from West Chester East High School.
The competition was fierce throughout the evening, beginning with the top Junior Varsity (JV) teams vying for the JV championship. The audience cheered on the teams with every point scored, with the Great Valley High School JV team taking the win by a mere 10 points over the Downingtown STEM Academy and B. Reed Henderson High School JV teams.
During the varsity match, the excitement was tangible. In a tight race with Downingtown STEM Academy and West Chester East High School, Unionville bounced back from a 30-point deficit to win by five points, claiming the county championship by breaking a 125-point tie with Downingtown STEM Academy in the final moments of the competition.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster. Going in, I really wanted to do the best that I know I could do,” said Unionville student Katherine Connolly, who answered the winning question correctly. “We were down by quite a few points, but I was trying to focus on what I know and apply it in the moment.”
Unionville Academic Team Coach Kevin Long underscored the students’ achievement. “These students bring a vast amount of knowledge to the competition. They’re friendly; they stay calm; they work hard,” said Long. “We were down by a lot of points, and they didn’t let that rattle them. They dug in and put themselves in a position to come away with that last question.”
When asked how his school supported the team to victory, Unionville student Anand Shah answered, “I think our school does a fantastic job of exposing us to so many different subjects.” Shah, who was voted by his teammates as Unionville’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) this season, went on to explain that it’s the little details that make the difference. “So much of what I have learned are these seemingly small facts in textbooks, such as captions or a random vocabulary word… those are the things that come up in the academic competition.”
“The Chester County Academic Competition is more than a contest; it’s a celebration of knowledge, teamwork, and intellectual curiosity,” said Jay Della Ragione, special events coordinator for the CCIU. “These students demonstrate that learning extends far beyond traditional classroom walls and each year they show remarkable growth, critical thinking, and a genuine passion for learning that truly sets our county’s students apart.”
As county champions, the varsity team from Unionville High School won a $2,000 scholarship, which was underwritten by FMFCU. Downingtown STEM Academy was awarded a $1,000 scholarship and West Chester East High School won a $500 scholarship. To learn more about the Chester County Academic Competition, which has been proudly sponsored by FMFCU for over 16 years, please visit www.cciu.org/academic-competition.
