Cascade Academic Teams Advance to State and National Competitions

FBLA competes at its fall conferences, preparing events for the upcoming state conferences in the spring. 

As the school year comes to an end, many clubs are preparing to showcase the skills they have developed throughout the year. Several of Cascade’s academic clubs will be traveling to state and national competitions in the coming months. The following clubs will represent Cascade at their respective events. 

Technology Student Association (TSA) 

The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national non-profit career and technical student organization (CTSO) for middle and high school students engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). More than 300,000 students nationwide participate in TSA’s competitions, intracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, and community service programs each year. 

The CHS chapter of the Technology Student Association (TSA) will travel to Spokane, Washington, in March to compete against other schools from across the state. Eleven members will attend the competition. “TSA provides a good opportunity to be involved in STEM and peer collaboration,” said Elliot Tiegel (11). 

TSA encourages students to strengthen their leadership and problem-solving skills through hands-on challenges. “I get to participate in hands-on events that are technologically challenging. I also enjoy meeting new people and working with peers at competitions,” said Pipper Copson (10). 

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) 

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will travel to Spokane, Washington, from April 22–24. FBLA is the largest business Career and Technical Student Organization in the world, helping more than 230,000 middle school, high school, and college students each year prepare for careers in business. The organization inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. 

In January, FBLA took 15 students to the regional competition at Eastmont High School, where 14 out of 15 students placed

In January, FBLA took 15 students to the regional competition at Eastmont High School, where 14 out of 15 students placed — earning the opportunity to attend the state competition April 21–24 in Spokane, WA. A majority of club members will attend the state event. “FBLA makes me feel smart and improves my confidence,” said Hannah Henson (12). 

FBLA focuses on developing future business leaders and preparing students for careers in entrepreneurship and management. “It prepares me for future business endeavors,” said Emma Radach (12).  

Many students join FBLA to grow their business skills and strengthen their résumés. “It looks good on my résumé and improves my confidence,” said Kaylee Lewis (12). 

At state, a team of seniors will compete in the Community Service Project event. The students collaborated with CAD and Materials Engineering classes to create a Free Little Library. They collected approximately 80 donated books for children ages 6–11. The Little Library will be placed at ALPS to provide students with access to books year-round. “I am incredibly proud of our students for their hard work and dedication, both in competition and in serving our community,” said Ms. Murphy. 

Sports Medicine 

CHS Sports Medicine is part of the larger Washington Career & Technical Sports Medicine Association (WCTSMA), a student-led organization dedicated to introducing students to a variety of sports medicine professions and preparing them for success. Each year, hundreds of high school students from across Washington state compete in academic and skills-based tests in sports medicine. 

As a student-led organization, WCTSMA’s mission is to introduce students to diverse careers in sports medicine while providing quality leadership and educational opportunities. Instructors within WCTSMA are committed to promoting the personal and professional growth of each student. While student achievement is a top priority, the organization also supports the development of strong, self-sustaining intra-curricular sports medicine programs. WCTSMA strives to create an environment of meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond secondary education and into the workforce. 

The Sports Medicine Club will travel to Tacoma, Washington, on April 16 to attend the statewide conference. Students interested in pursuing careers in the medical field are encouraged to participate. “I want to go because I plan to enter the medical field after high school,” said Tristan McLeod (12). 

The conference offers a variety of competitions and hands-on learning opportunities related to health care and sports medicine. “I really love anatomy, especially human anatomy. I’m also interested in the psychological aspects of sports medicine because I want to become a psychiatrist,” said Thayer Robison (11). 

Publications 

The Publications editorial team will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 16 to attend and compete at the Spring National High School Journalism Convention, held April 16–18, 2026, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Editors, along with other interested Publications members, will attend. 

Sponsored for more than 50 years by the Journalism Education Association (JEA) and the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the convention attracts more than 5,000 high school journalists, advisers and journalism teachers each year, making it the nation’s largest gathering of scholastic journalists. “I’m interested in Publications, because I want to pursue sports journalism or sports media management,” said Mylee Hobbs (12). 

At the national conference, the team will submit Cascade High School’s newspaper and yearbook for judging against other schools across the country. The convention features hundreds of instructional sessions, keynote speakers from national newsmakers, media critiques, JEA’s on-site media contests, and the announcement of NSPA national winners for Pacemaker Awards and Individual Awards.  “This opportunity helps elevate our program, especially as a small school. We learn from industry professionals and explore opportunities in the field,” said Ms. Robison. 

Publications is part of the Journalism Education Association, which supports free and responsible scholastic journalism by providing resources and educational opportunities, promoting professionalism, encouraging and rewarding student excellence and teacher achievement, and fostering an atmosphere that values diversity while building unity. 

Knowledge Bowl 

The Knowledge Bowl team will travel to Wenatchee High School to compete in a regional, trivia-based competition against other schools in the region. Knowledge Bowl is an academic team competition for high school students, often described as an “athletic event for the mind.” Similar to Jeopardy!, teams collaborate to answer fast-paced questions covering math, science, history, literature, geography and current events. Competitions typically include a written round — often 50 questions — followed by several oral, buzzer-based rounds. 

Matches require teams of four to six students to work together and respond within a short time limit, usually around 15 seconds. The season runs from late fall through early spring, culminating in regional and state tournaments. The primary goal is to test knowledge, foster critical thinking and encourage teamwork. “I advise Knowledge Bowl because it helps me get out of the office and gets me excited about engaging with students. Knowledge Bowl also has very high-achieving students from varying backgrounds,” said Ms. Grace. 

Earlier this season, Cascade hosted its annual home Knowledge Bowl meet on Monday, Feb. 23, welcoming teams from Wenatchee, Cashmere and Lake Roosevelt to compete in the quiz bowl–style event. Arlo Gibbs (12), Gavin Haiduc (12), Max Spiegel (12) and Elias Fortney (12) earned the top spot among Cascade’s teams. “We made sure to dress to impress for the event so that the other teams knew we were not messing around,” said Gibbs. 

If Cascade earns a top-two position at the regional competition, the team will return to Wenatchee High School with five members to compete at the state competition. 

American Sign Language (ASL) 

On March 14, the ASL class will travel to Emerald City High School in Puyallup to compete in the Washington State ASL Competition. This event helps students strengthen their understanding of ASL while also raising awareness about the language and Deaf culture. 

“I want to compete to help raise awareness for sign language,” said Ms. Wall. “I am interested in ASL because I have two Deaf children.” 

After returning from the competition, the ASL class will begin preparing for its concert on May 5. The concert will feature both the Concert Band and the ASL classes.