The Scholastic Bowl team crushed the competition at the IHSSBCA Turnabout Tournament on Saturday, January 10th, earning 1,100 more points than the runnerup. They took first place and came out on top over 20 teams without losing a single match. Their 8-0 record earned them the championship title in what can only be described as a flawless performance.
Knowing the answers played an important part in their win, but knowing them fast set them apart. Senior varsity players Evelyne Hull and Nathan Bargmann racked up high points on the toss-up questions, buzzing in before moderators could even finish reading. The team earns 15 points per question with an early buzz in, which is 5 points more than the standard 10, and those extra points added up quickly.
“We’ve worked on speed a lot in the last couple of years,” Coach Meg Flanagan explained. “There have been teams who can power on nearly every question. It really sucks when you’re playing a team that can do that, and it’s kind of cool because now we’re that team.”
The team experienced a drastic growth in the last year, almost tripling their roster, but their dedication, practice, and genuine teamwork led them to success. Beyond just speed, they “have a really balanced team,” Flanagan went on to say. “There will be pats on the back and ‘hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry, get them up, get the next one.’ I love seeing that in them.”
The team practices weekly, drilling through potential questions and studying their mistakes. They even squeeze in online practice sessions during tournament downtime, leaving nothing to chance.
Bargmann has been competing in Scholastic Bowl since sixth grade. He excels in geography and history questions. Just because they won this tournament doesn’t mean it was easy. “We faced some good teams, Washington and East Peoria. They both had one really good person that we were definitely a little nervous to face,” he shared.
Another player with experience, Hull said her strong suit is literature, spending a large chunk of her time in books. “It’s nice to see that hard work pays off, because I’ve been reading a lot, so I was able to take that question”. She reflected on how nice it’s been to see how her team has become better since her freshman year. Nonetheless, the final round included tough competition. “I was kind of nervous because even though we played really well throughout the day, there was a guy and other team who had scored the most questions in the whole tournament, which definitely kind of scared me,” Hull said. “But we ended up doing really well.”
Hull, as well as freshman Roman Felix, were both recognized in the top 10 that day. The team is proof that commitment, practice, and teamwork lead to the needed growth for success. “I’ve become a better player ’cause I was, I was okay, freshman year, but I did definitely get a lot more questions now. So, dedication’s a big thing, just, like, staying with that [being dedicated].”
