A Remarkable Year: LA’s Lower Level Certamen Team Places 2nd at State Finals
Wrapping up what team member Jackson Humphrey called "a remarkable year," Loyola's lower level (2nd-year) Certamen team took second place — by a wide margin — at this year's IHSA State Finals Latin competition, held Monday, April 15, at Chicago's Whitney Young Magnet High School.
The team, which previously took the Northern regional title, included freshman Juan Carlos Chiwah and sophomores Michaela Burm, Will Doonan, Jackson Humphrey, Ben Olsen, and Margaret Wishdosh. Loyola finished closely behind Whitney Young, the City division winner, followed by Barrington and Lyons Township high schools, the Western and Southern Regional champions, respectively.
In a ceremony before the competition, Ben Olsen was name MVP for the Northern Region.
"We're proud of our performance," Olsen said. "None of us had competed in Certamen before this year, so getting to the state finals and finishing second is a pretty big deal. We're already getting ready to win next year."