Scholastic Bowl team sweeps CSL competition
March 17, 2017
Scholastic Bowl, a trivia competition where students answer questions regarding math, science and reading, has been recognized for their accomplishments as a team as well as individually.
Somewhat like Jeopardy!, Scholastic Bowl is a competition where students are teamed up into groups of five and asked a range of questions which they have to buzz in to answer. Questions can come from many different topics.
Coach Ryan McLaughlin, a former Jeopardy! contestant himself, says “This is one of the best teams i’ve ever coached. This is my seventh year coaching, and this is the first time we have been in the top eight in the sectional.”
This year the team has done incredibly well in competitions as well as in the regular season. The team went 11-0 in the regular season. getting the 4th seed overall in their section.
The team ended their season as CSL champs with an undefeated record. During the postseason, the team went 2-1 at regionals.
The varsity team was led by seniors Jakob Reinke and JJ Shankar and junior Alec Jacobson. Reinke and Shankar have both been submitted for all-sectional.
The team competes against schools in the area, as well as non-local tournaments in places like Palatine. Preparation before a competition starts in the classroom and paying attention to the different topics that you are learning with everyday assignments.
This helps because the questions asked at Scholastic Bowl are academic and are directly from what students have learned in the classroom, unlike Jeopardy!, where questions are more based on entertainment and humanities. In addition to school preparation, the team holds practices where they are asked questions and practice buzzing in and answering.
The team is always looking for new members, and if you would like to join you can talk to McLaughlin in the Hub. The next season starts in October, but practices are all year round. Students interested in participating have multiple opportunities to get involved without having to compete in competitions, or even answering questions if they don’t want to.
