By Jill Slinker
Director, Department of Student Programs
Indiana Association of School Principals
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. The Indiana Association of School Principals Department of Student Programs would like to congratulate the Academic Coaches who have been selected as finalists for the Academic Coach of the Year Award. Their dedication to their students is impressive, and they all deserve our hearty congratulations.
Columbia City Spell Bowl Coach Dennis Beckner is among the finalists. Beckner has been coaching since 2006 at Indian Springs Middle School and since 2015 at Columbia City High School. In the past 18 years, he has led the ISMS team to 13 conference
championships and has led the team to the state finals 5 times.
His coaching career at CCHS has been even more impressive. He is in his 10th year coaching the CCHS team. In that time he has led CCHS to 10 NE8 conference championship wins and a visit to the state finals every year. In 2016 and 2017, the CCHS team was named state champion among all class 2 schools.
Indiana Academic Coach of the Year award winners in each level will be announced in early December.
Senior Level Finalists:
Leah Morgan
Orleans High School
Orleans, Indiana
Spell Bowl, Academic Super Bowl, Quiz Bowl
Jay Price
Andrean High School
Merrillville, Indiana
Spell Bowl, Academic Super Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Academic Decathlon
Ellen Rispoli
Herron High School
Indianapolis, Indiana
Quiz Bowl
Junior Level Finalists
Donald Atwood
Washington Township
Valparaiso, Indiana
Academic Super Bowl
Dennis Beckner
Columbia City High School & Indian Springs Middle School
Columbia City, Indiana
Spell Bowl
Lindsey O’Brien
Helfrich Park STEM Academy
Evansville, Indiana
Spell Bowl
Elementary Level Finalists:
Stephanie Dunn
Creekside Elementary
Franklin, Indiana
Science Bowl, M.A.T.H. Bowl
Janet Ingle
Dillsboro School
Dillsboro, Indiana
M.A.T.H. Bowl
Jenny Sander
Ossian Elementary School
Ossian, Indiana
Spell Bowl
