Tami Hartshorn, a Shaker junior, won first place and will receive a scholarship to study and travel in Russia this summer.

Tami Hartshorn	Rotem Rusak

April 22, 2009 - North Colonie's Russian language students cleaned up at the annual New York State Russian Olympiad earlier this spring, winning the top two individual awards and numerous other medals.

Twenty North Colonie students competed (16 from Shaker Senior High and four from Shaker Junior High) against more than 150 students from throughout the state, and all 20 won a medal. Five North Colonie students won gold medals, 12 won silver medals and three won bronze medals.

Tami Hartshorn, a Shaker High junior, was the Olympiad's winner and will receive a scholarship to study and travel in Russia this summer. Senior Rotem Rusak was runner up in the competition for the trip to Russia.

North Colonie's Russian teachers are Anna Shkaf, Katie Sheridan, and Sara Detmer.

The Russian Olympiad is an annual event designed to recognize Russian language students who demonstrate mastery of the subject and who speak the language with great facility.

The Olympiad was sponsored by the University at Albany's Department of Languages, Literature, and Cultures, which offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in Russian. Most of the competition's judges were professors and staff members in Albany's Russian program, and many were native to Russia.

During the full-day Olympiad, students competed for scholarships, awards and general recognition. Students were required to speak Russian exclusively throughout the competition and were judged on their responses in three categories: literature; government and culture; and their own school and life style.

Galina Kats, the district's foreign language supervisor, said she and the Russian teachers were pleased with the students' overall results in the prestigious competition.

"We are proud of our students who competed against the best in New York State and walked away with five gold medals and a winner and runner-up for a trip to Russia."