According to adviser Ken McCall, it was a “party on the bus ride home” for eight National Honor Society of Sports Medicine (NHSSM) members who clinched third place at the annual AACI Sports Medicine Competition at California State University, Northridge on March 16.
The Wildcats received the award for earning the third highest average score of 23 schools in the Small Schools Division (schools with less than 15 competitors), which was determined by a 90-minute, 150-question multiple choice test and practical exam.
“I was worried when they announced fifth, then fourth, realizing our chances of placing were diminishing. But, that quickly changed to excitement when they announced Brea Olinda as third place,” McCall, NHSSM advisor and patient care pathway teacher, said. Seeing the students’ faces filled with joy and hearing their screams of happiness is something I will never forget.”
It was the best finish for BOHS since they first began participating in the competition in 2020, when they placed fifth. They placed fifth again in 2023.
This year’s competition topic was the shoulder. (Each year features a different body part.) The written portion of the exam included questions about anatomy, rehabilitation, and physiology of the upper extremity in addition to general medicine, emergency procedures, medical terminology, legal issues, and evaluation.
“My first thought after the test was ‘I should’ve studied more,’ but hearing everyone’s [positive] reactions [to the test] made me feel a little less worried about mine,” Nikolaus Yamamoto, junior, said.
The practical exam is a hands-on assessment of how accurately students can perform randomly selected skills like first aid, palpations of an anatomic structure, and taping skill.
Jolie Evans, senior, won third place in the medical terminology category for earning a top score on the written exam.
After a successful competition, McCall wrote a rendition to the lyrics of “Party in the USA” on the two-hour drive back to BOHS. “Pulling up to the school while the team was singing a parody that I made to the first song they played on the bus, was a perfect finish to the event,” McCall said.
