The Academic Decathlon team is currently preparing for its Jan. 21 regional competition.

Emily Weerakkody, club president and junior, said everyone on the team appears to be excited for the competition and believes the team is ready for “anything the competition throws at them.”

“Carmel has no excuse to fail,” she said.

Weerakkody, an honors member for the team, said she has been following the schedule club sponsor Wendy Gerardot assembled at the beginning of the year and only has a little bit of studying left to do. She said she hopes everyone has been doing the same.

Gerardot concurred and said she hopes people caught up with their studying over winter break and are prepared for the upcoming competition.

According to Weerakkody, the team will leave CHS by bus on Jan. 21 at 5 a.m. to travel to Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, where the team will compete.

Gerardot said she believes the team has a good chance at the competition.

“Our strength is that we are Carmel and have a well balanced team that will pull it together in time for competition,” Gerardot said via email.

Weerakkody said, “I think we’re all just really excited. I know I am.”