Little River Elementary Crowned 2026 Cherokee County Academic Bowl Champions

Little River Elementary School claimed the top trophy at the Cherokee County School District's 2026 Elementary School Academic Bowl, earning the title of overall district champion in the annual academic competition. The event brought together elementary teams from across Cherokee County, organized into four leagues, each of which crowned its own winner before Little River emerged as the school to beat them all.

Dressed in bright yellow T-shirts emblazoned with "The IQ Kids," Little River's nine-member squad made a statement before a single question was asked. The team, David Fanimokun, Mason Henninger, Alexis Lewis, Mustafa Mahroof, Logan Montano Flores, Tyler Paulo, Shreesh Patil, Isaac Pope, and Luke Schwartz, claimed the League 1 title along with the overall championship under the coaching of teacher Megan Mayfield. The trophy they posed with afterward was well-earned.

Carmel Elementary School took the League 2 crown with a seven-member squad: Korina Beavers, Sofia Campelo, Trevor Grieshaber, Enzo Inaudi, Hazel Larson, Olive Larson, and Sophia McCoy. Coaches Amy Mary and Ashley Roth guided the Carmel team, which celebrated with balloons and a trophy of their own, the festive scene visible in photos from the event.

Macedonia Elementary School captured the League 3 title behind the coaching of teachers Kristina Cribb and Sarah Weiss. Their eight competitors, Colby Bonham, Arthur Carlan, Forrest Dame, Arthur Djablou Ezin, Sarah Mak Fox, Laurel Raines, Sarah Robbins, and Sullivan Thompson, wore gray shirts reading "Think Fast, Buzz First," a motto that captures the heart of academic bowl competition as well as any.

Boston Elementary School rounded out the league champions, taking the League 4 title. Carter Halstead, Riley Jung, Mordi Karpeh, Olive Maniscalco, Jack Saroli, Crosby Stevens, Sabrina Wasdin, and Stephen Wirth made up the Boston squad, coached by teachers Tara Boden, Carolyn Halloran, and Samantha Wasdin. The team competed in matching blue "Boston Academic Bowl Team" shirts, bringing the same energy to the competition floor that showed up in their trophy photo.

The Academic Bowl is a long-standing tradition in the Cherokee County School District, challenging elementary students to demonstrate knowledge across math, science, language arts, and social studies in a rapid-fire team format. It rewards not just what students know, but how quickly and confidently they can apply it under pressure, a different kind of test than anything on a report card.

For Cherokee County families, that distinction matters. As one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia, Cherokee has seen its school system expand rapidly, and competitions like the Academic Bowl serve as a meaningful outlet for high-achieving students who might otherwise find few team-based academic challenges at the elementary level. Winning a league title, let alone the overall championship, represents months of preparation, strong coaching, and the kind of school pride that travels home with students and sticks.

Congratulations to all 32 student competitors and their coaches across the four winning teams.