Nearly 60 seventh-grade students from Blanchester and East Clinton Middle Schools recently competed in an Academic Quiz Bowl competition at Southern State Community College’s campus in Wilmington.
This popular enrichment experience allows for students to interact with their peers from a neighboring school in the county. Students showcase their talents and academic strengths, and the competition encourages students to consider participating on their respective academic teams once in high school.
A team from Blanchester Middle School earned the top prize, finished the tournament as champions, and received the traveling trophy to display at their school.
Finishing a close second as reserve champions was a team from East Clinton Middle School.
First-place team members from Blanchester Middle School include Xander Culberson, Collin Elston, Blake Medley and Quentin Rice. The reserve champion team from East Clinton Middle School consisted of Natilee Anderson, Trenton Boggs, Kaylyn Deaton, Isaiah Rowe and Molly Seabaugh.
Members of the Blanchester Middle School teams include Serena Adkins, Taylor Baker, Devon Barr, Caleb Brown, Kaylee Coyle, Lainey Dameron, Anna Davis, David Figart, Nathan Foster, Katie Haas, Savanna Haggerty, Michaela Holcomb, Kimberly Hurst, Matthew Kayata, Carolyn Koch, Michael Merit, Gracyn Phillips, Aubrey Stevens, Nick Taylor and Layla Winemiller.
Additional members of the East Clinton Middle School teams included Dylan Arnold, Kaleb Bauman, Gage Beam, Hayden Beiting, Kale Boeckmann, Mike Callahan-Dunn, Raven Clouse, Jordan Collom, Maddix Crowe, Chase Curtis, Daniel Elzey, Luke Fooce, Madison Frazer, Brooklynn Hamilton, Kaden Hiles, Austin Hodson, Gavin Jenkins, McKayla Long, Georgia Looper, Dakota Pierson, Aaron Rolfe, Seth Rowley, Lucas Runk, Zeke Schneider, Payton Spurlock, Aiden Walker, Spencer Wiget and Nicholas Wilmoth.
Moderators posed questions that challenged students in the areas of art, literature, history, mathematics, social studies, science, sports, geography, computer science, and music.
The double-elimination tournament, sponsored by the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center’s (ESC) Gifted Services Department, challenged students with a range of academic questions in a quick recall format.
Twelve teams participated in the tournament that consisted of a series of 23, 16-minute rounds, moderated in three competition rooms by Coordinator of Gifted Services Curt Bradshaw and Gifted Intervention Specialists Regina Gerber and Shelly Wellman.
Karen Carter, Andrea Davis and Joyce Kelly served as scorekeepers and timekeepers for the competition.
Another seventh-grade tournament and two eighth-grade tournaments are scheduled to take place between Blanchester and East Clinton students later this school year.
The Southern Ohio ESC and participating school districts appreciate the support of the Robert E. Lucas Memorial Fund grant program through the Clinton County Foundation to help support the purchase of tournament equipment.
Information for this article was provided by Curt Bradshaw, who coordinates gifted programs and services for Blanchester and East Clinton Local Schools through the Southern Ohio ESC.
