"'Utopia' was written by Sir Thomas More about an idyllic island. This was much different from the England in which More served as lord chancellor to what king?"

Ding!Jim Thorpe student Maggie Holloway pressed her buzzer."Henry the Eighth," she answered correctly.Holloway and other high school students from Weatherly, Palmerton, Jim Thorpe, Panther Valley, Lehighton and the Carbon County Technical Institute competed Wednesday in an Academic Challenge, hosted by Weatherly. It was the 10th year for the competition, won this year by Jim Thorpe.If you think the question about Sir Thomas More was difficult, here are a few more which students correctly answered:"S" waves can only travel through what phase of matter? Solid.Who hammered out the first simple steel plow blade in his blacksmith shop in 1837? John Deere.What color is the copper carbonate, malachite? Green.In tragic drama, the self-confidence and ambition that leads to the ruin of its possessor is called? Hubris.Katie Leach, who teaches the On-line Program and Gifted Support for Weatherly, is an academic advisor for the Weatherly team and organizes the competition.Rep. Doyle Heffley served as "quiz master" by reading the questions, and a panel of retired teachers from the various districts served as judges.The six teams are broken into two groups of three teams, with one team emerging victorious from each group of three.Then those two teams, which this year were Jim Thorpe and Palmerton, faced off in the championship round.During that round, students were given a total of 40 questions. The final score was Jim Thorpe 120, Palmerton 90.In past events, Jim Thorpe won eight years in a row; their teacher and advisor Jim Hauze then retired and the Academic Challenge trophy was awarded to him.Palmerton won last year.Alex Knoll, a math teacher for Palmerton and the team's academic advisor, said that the Academic Challenge is one of three similar competitions held throughout the year.The first held is the PBS Channel 39 Challenge, second is the Academic Challenge in Weatherly, and third is the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit Challenge, Schnecksville, held in April.