By Connor Hawthorne, Co-Editor-In-Chief
For the first time in School History, the River Hill Quiz Bowl team is headed to nationals! After placing 4th out of 44 teams in their most recent competition, the River Hill Quiz Bowl team qualified for the High School National Quiz Bowl Championship in Atlanta, Georgia on May 23rd. Only one other team in River Hill history qualified but unfortunately was unable to attend. This means that our Quiz Bowl Team will represent the school for the first time ever at the national championship.
The River Hill Quiz Bowl team has had a spectacular season so far. Team Captain Gannon Smith describes how “this is the most successful year we’ve had as a school which is very exciting” noting that for the “first time, we’re going to get to go to the national tournament.” Of course, this success doesn’t come from nowhere. Every Thursday, the Quiz Bowl team meets to practice, memorize trivia, and hone their strategy.
The Quiz Bowl team participates in competitions of trivia, with teams of 4 members going up against another team in a head-to-head of trivia knowledge. Questions range from pop culture to classic literature and science. This is where teamwork is essential. Many members of the team focus on one discipline, honing their skills in one of the many subjects that they may have to ask questions for. Alex Michos, a senior on the team explains how “we really try to specialize for different categories.” Alex prepares to take on Science questions, while Gannon focuses mostly on literature. This specialization helps make the team more effective, allowing them to focus on a certain topic.
Outside of their weekly meetings, many on the Quiz Bowl team practice on their own time, working to master their specific discipline. Gannon explains that he practices “almost every day” practicing questions and studying literature. Alex describes how the team is “good in our individual areas and has great team synergy.” This cooperation and teamwork is what makes the QuizBowl team really effective.
During their weekly practices, the team also focuses on skills other than rote memorization. Although obviously you need to know the information to be successful as Quizbowl, strategy is just as important. During these practices, Alex explains how they practice skills such as “knowing when to buzz.” He notes that there “are a lot of sub-skills other than just knowing the knowledge.”
The Quiz Bowl team looks forward to heading to nationals, with Gannon noting that “it’ll be very exciting going up against such great competition.” Their team will have to prove their skills, going head to head with the very brightest and best Quiz Bowl teams from across the country. The team has proven that preparation and collaboration are key to success. As the team heads to Atlanta for the High School National Quiz Bowl Championship, River Hill will be proud to have its Quiz Bowl team represent the school on a national stage for the first time ever.