Pa. boy qualifies for Academic Games Leagues of America tournament

January 1, 2011 at 4:03p.m.

ellwood city, pa.

Travis Court is a smart guy.

If you know what kind of a noun “smart guy” is without having to look it up, you could maybe take on Travis in the language game LinguiSHTIK — one of six academic games at which he’s quite proficient.

To put that in a basic subject-verb-object sentence pattern: Travis kicks butt. He’s played the games since 3rd grade with other students in the Ellwood City School District’s gifted program. Now in 9th grade at Lincoln High School, he’s so practiced at them that he’s qualified to go to a national Academic Games Leagues of America tournament this year.

“I like doing them,” Travis said. “But you have to work hard,” he added, because opponents get smarter and the rules get more complicated every year.

Read more in Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com