MCHS students compete in annual statewide Japanese Olympiad
RICHMOND, IN – 12 Michigan City High School students competed at the 2026 Japanese Olympiad of Indiana (JOI) Competition on Saturday, February 21, at Earlham College. Over 100 students from 10 schools, including Bloomington North High School, Jefferson High School, Chesterton High School, Carroll High School, Highland High School, Wabash High School, Columbus North High School, Muncie Central High School, and Penn High School, participated in the day-long academic tournament.
Competing students are grouped into levels based on their years of experience with the language, and are judged by a panel of local professors fluent in Japanese. All competitors were greeted at the beginning by Dr. Dabney, the Director of Earlham College’s Institution for Education on Japan.
Jimmy Biela, Torey Morris, and Captain Makenna Nowatzke represented City at Level 4, advancing to the finals where they placed third. This is especially exciting following last year’s results, where they missed the finals by a mere two questions.
At Level 2, the hardest level to break through due to its size, City was represented by the rookie team of sophomores Adrian Miersma, Alex Mallon, and Captain Ava Kmiecik. This was their first experience in the competition. They had to learn material way beyond their current curriculum; they studied hard and turned out solid results.
Two City teams competed at Level 3. Captain Angelia Black, Kaeli Lagrand, and Alvin Walker made up one team, with Ryan Fisher, Captain Makayla Sardon, and Cam Hernandez on the other. Last year, these teams posted the best results City has ever had at Level 2, with both teams placing 4th and 5th overall, missing the Top 3, and therefore the finals, by half a question. They wanted to prove themselves. This year, Fisher, Sardon, and Hernandez advanced to the finals, where they also took 3rd in the State.
During the competition, teams and spectators alike had the chance to learn about and enjoy various aspects of Japanese culture, this year notably origami, shodo (traditional calligraphy), and kendama. Visiting schools also had the chance to enjoy a performance of traditional Japanese folk dance called Yosakoi, and participate in a workshop to learn the dance.
Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to meet with other students of Japanese from around the state, gather information about Japanese studies at Earlham, meet with admissions counselors, and learn about other Indiana colleges and universities.
The Japanese Olympiad of Indiana is supported and sponsored by the Association of Indiana Teachers of Japanese (AITJ), the Consulate General of Japan of Chicago, the Japan-America Society of Indiana, and the East Asian Studies Center of IU Bloomington.
“I am so proud of all our competitors,” said Tsugawa Sensei, “and want to encourage all Wolves, regardless what their sport or skill, to take pride in what they do. When we work hard for our goals, we are as good as any students in the state!”
For more information about the Japanese Olympiad of Indiana or the Michigan City High School Japanese program, please contact Michael Tsugawa: mtsugawa@mcas.k12.in.us Michigan City Area Schools #wims