LOUISVILLE — Russell High School’s academic team fell to Lexington’s Paul Laurence Dunbar in the final round of quick recall at the state Governor’s Cup competition Monday.

Russell also took second place overall at the state event, which pits the best and brightest students from across Kentucky in the state’s premier academic competition.

First would have been better, but the runner-up spot still makes for a satisfying weekend, Russell teammates said.

“I’m very pleased with the weekend,” said senior Ryan Thompson, leading scorer on the team. “We wish we had won first, but we worked hard all year.”

It was a year Thompson wondered whether his team would make the state competition at all, having lost three top competitors to graduation last year. But talented underclassmen stepped up to fill the gaps, he said.

“Michelle Punzal stepped up with math, which was our biggest weakness after Kipp Mayne graduated,” Thompson said.

Preparation and attitude both count, said Shelby Malone, captain of the quick recall team. Team members work hard all year, giving up parties, movies and hanging-out time in order to devote themselves to practice and frequent weekend competitions, she said.

However, they play for the love of the competition, which takes some of the pressure off. “It doesn’t matter what the score was at the end but how well we played, and today we played really well,” Malone said.

Competition was tough, to be sure. “We’re here in the state finals, the best teams and the smartest people from across the state,” she said.

That includes teams from large schools in urban areas, schools that have a larger talent pool to draw on, Thompson said.

“I’m very pleased,” said their coach, Matt Knupp. “At the beginning of the year I was hoping to be in the top four, so to go out in second place shows me the dedication on the kids’ part,” he said.

Other notable results from the state competition include:

‰Chelsea West, Louisa Middle, sixth place, composition.

‰Kalin Wilson, West Carter Middle, second place, language arts.

‰Lauren Ison, Russell High, 10th place, composition.

‰Kelsey Caudill, Lawrence County High, 13th place, composition.

‰Ryan Thompson, Russell High, first place social studies and seventh place, arts and humanities.

‰Abbey Braden, Russell High, fifth place language arts.

‰Russell High, future problem solving, third place.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.