Amherst Steele team is 2024 Lorain County Scholastic Games champions

For the first time since 2015, Amherst Marion L. Steele High School has won the annual Lorain County Scholastic Games radio quiz show, defeating a team from Avon Lake High School on May 20. Amherst Steele got 360 points to Avon Lake's 230 in the finals. It is Steele's third championship victory in the program's 34-year history. It won the program's very first championship in 1991, but attempts to return to the victor's circle faced stiff competition over the years, according to producer and host Jim Mehrling. "Amherst appears to have been a second-place finisher more than any other school; it's nice to see them win!" he said. The show has been presented each week since January on WEOL-AM 930/FM 100.3 radio. Sixteen area schools took part in 2024. Amherst's winning three-member team consisted of Mort Wilson, Aiden Workman and team captain/senior Mark Vitelli, who won the program's Standout Scholar Award. The Standout Scholar is the student who contributed the most to his or her team as determined by scorekeepers and includes a $50 prize each time it is awarded. It was Vitelli's second such award this year. Workman also was a two-time Standout Scholar Award winner in earlier programs. The Avon Lake team boasted team captain Dylan Missal, a three-time Standout Scholar Award winner; Alex Chmiel, who won the Standout Scholar Award earlier this year; and team member Madeline Waggoner. Steele took control in the final two rounds of questions, which have the highest scoring potential. Vitelli tallied 90 points for round four alone. The broadcast is archived online, along with all of the previous programs of the current season, at weol.com and standoutscholars.com. Scholastic Games is the longest continuously running program of its type in the region and producers hope to return with a 35th season in January 2025. The program is supported by Nordson Corp., the Community Foundation of Lorain County and the Nord Family Foundation. Area colleges and universities participate by providing $1,000 tuition credit awards for allocation by participating high schools. Participating for all or most of the program's 30-year history were Lorain County Community College, Oberlin College, Ursuline College, Ashland University, Heidelberg University, John Carroll University, Lake Erie College and Tiffin University. Twelve different schools have won the championship. Amherst joins Avon Lake (2001, 2005, 2020) as a three-time winner. Avon High School has won four times (2009, 2016, 2017, 2019) and there are three five-time winners: Elyria High School (1992-1994, 1997, 2000), Lake Ridge Academy (2006, 2010, 2021-2023) and Olmsted Falls High School (2011-2014, 2018). Other schools that won the championship over the years include the former Admiral King High School in Lorain (1995, 1998), Oberlin High School (1996), North Ridgeville High School (1999, 2002), Midview High School (2003), Keystone High School (2004) and Vermilion High School (2007, 2008).