On a Tuesday afternoon in late April, five students from St. Sebastian Catholic School sat across a buzzer table from the defending regional champions and did not blink. Forty-five minutes later, they walked out of the Archdiocese conference center carrying a trophy nearly as tall as the shortest member of their team and the entire school was waiting for them when they got home.
St. Sebastian’s Academic Bowl team fifth graders Marisol Reyes, Daniel Kowalski, and Amara Osei, alongside fourth graders Luke Petersen and Sofia Nguyen claimed the regional title at the 2026 Archdiocesan Elementary Academic Bowl, defeating nine other Catholic schools across three rounds of competition in science, mathematics, literature, Catholic faith knowledge, and current events. It is the first regional championship in the school’s 67-year history.
“I kept telling them all year preparation is a form of prayer. You show up ready, you give everything you have, and then you trust. These five kids did exactly that, and I could not be more proud.”— Mrs. Patricia Connelly, Principal
The team was coached by fifth grade teacher Mr. David Arroyo, who began the program three years ago with a borrowed buzzer set and a borrowed folding table in the back of his classroom. He has spent every Thursday afternoon since then drilling vocabulary, reviewing saint biographies, running practice rounds, and by all accounts making it genuinely fun. When asked about the championship, Mr. Arroyo redirected every compliment straight back to his students. “I just ask the questions,” he said. “They know the answers.”
The decisive moment of the final round came in the Catholic faith knowledge category, when fourth grader Luke Petersen the youngest competitor on the floor correctly identified the patron saint of students in under two seconds, swinging the match in St. Sebastian’s favor. His teammates erupted. The opposing coach started laughing. Luke, teammates say, remained completely calm and simply asked what the next question was.
The team will advance to the statewide Catholic Schools Academic Bowl in June, where they will represent not only St. Sebastian but the entire region. A school-wide pep rally is being planned for late May details to be announced soon. In the meantime, if you see Marisol, Daniel, Amara, Luke, Sofia, or Mr. Arroyo in the hallways, give them a cheer. They have more than earned it.
