Langley. Correct! That’s one phrase the Langley It’s Academic team heard a lot this year.
As an open club, anyone can join and be a member, no tryouts needed. “A lot of people don’t know that about us.” said team coach Leah Puhlick.
As a VHSL affiliated team, Langley’s team can qualify for district, regional, and state competitions. This year, the team was on a winning streak, finishing second and losing only to Thomas Jefferson High School. The team also qualified for regionals and finished 3rd. Last year, the team did even better, finishing 2nd in regionals and 4th in state.
Although anyone can join, the team takes its best members to matches and competitions to ensure their chances of winning are as high as they can be. In order to make sure no one feels left out, the team often organizes invitationals with other schools where anyone who wants to participate is welcome. This year, the team is run by President Evan Schwed and Captain Will Mannon.
The team has had two TV appearances so far this year. The first was a win against Bishop Ireton High School and Garfield High School, but the second was a loss against Montgomery Blair High School. You can see one of the episodes at 10:30 am on Mar. 26 on NBC.