JHop has its own state champion.

Eighth-grader Dexter Tas earned first place in a middle school trivia competition held by the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative on April 18 in Sarasota.

He competed in a series of trivia rounds about American history in the “We the People” category against 19 other middle-schoolers from across the state.

Tas said that he prepared for the event by studying to fill gaps in his knowledge.

“I did some studying for some things I may have forgotten about or not studied in a while,” Tas said.

JHop history teacher Cameron Lemery said that the key to Tas’ victory was his memory and how fast he was to answer questions.

“It’s a combination of speed and a deep knowledge of the subject,” Lemery said.

Lemery had high praise for how well Tas did inside and outside the classroom this year.

“Dexter is an exceptional student and incredibly bright,” Lemery said. “He is motivated by what interests him. He’s an incredible joy to have in the classroom, a real treat this year.”