The Saint Stephen’s Academic Team is Manatee County champion once again, completing its wire-to-wire season on Tuesday, Dec. 6 by hosting and dominating the finale held in the Upper School Commons. Not only did the school’s “A” team secure the 2022 title, but the Saint Stephen’s “B” team finished in the No. 2 spot for the season, also out-pointing all of the county’s public school teams. The Falcons grabbed the top position in their opener at Braden River High School on Sept. 20 and never relinquished the lead. Seniors Elaina Bayard and Jackson Nealis, as top individual scorers over the course of the season, qualified to represent Manatee County as members of the six-student team that will travel to state competition in the 2023 Commissioner’s Academic Challenge in March. Nealis returns to the team after helping Team Manatee to a second-place finish in the state in 2022.