Cyndi Loza

“Name the three parts of the carpel, the female part of a flower.”

“‘Show Boat,’ ‘Ice Palace’ and ‘Grant’ are by what Pulitzer prizewinning author?”

Those were some of the questions students faced for the Washoe County School District Academic Olympics semifinals on Monday at Wooster High School.

In the contest, students from 11 high schools and Bishop Manogue Catholic High School challenged each other’s academic knowledge in areas such as math, physical science, English and economics.

“It’s good just to be faced with the pressure of it,” said Kayla Herrera, a junior at Bishop Manogue Catholic High School. “It gets exciting especially if you know the answer.”

Reed High School, Galena High School, Wooster High School and Bishop Manogue Catholic High School will enter the finals on April 23 as the top ranked schools. The finals will be held at the Grand Sierra Resort on 2500 E. Second St.

“It’s pretty nerve-racking,” Galena senior Paul Sanford said. “You’re not always in control.”

Sanford said he likes to participate in the festivities, but most academic achievements in his school go unnoticed.

“In recent years, any meager sports achievement (at Galena) seems to overshadow any academic achievement,” Sanford said.

The winning teams will get a total of $2,000 in scholarships