A relatively new club at Woodland has caught some attention following a very successful season last year and start of this new stretch with fresh talent.
The Quiz Bowl Team has had an exciting year in the 2015-2016 season, qualifying for Nationals in New Mexico. Although the team was unable to attend the competition due to financial obstacles, they still consider the qualification a honor.
The team now is faced with an upcoming season full of possibility for new members and the challenge to keep their title while coping with the loss of several valuable seniors. Chris Lauck, a senior on the team, notes one player who helped carry the team significantly last year.
“Zach Crowell was a very valuable player on our team and it’s definitely going to be difficult without him, but the addition of new teammates, including Alec Feducia and Nathan Palmiero, hopefully will help us maintain our position from last year,” said Lauck.
The addition of new players wasn’t the only change in the club this year. Advisor Nancy Manning was new to the club, leading the preparations by practicing different trivia and answering tactics. Manning is known at Woodland for her competitive and supportive persona and you can expect to see this reflected in her coaching of the team.
The club meets once every other week and will attend about two tournaments a week. Lauck shares that practices include trivia in literature, history and sports. The team is told to focus on patience to keep from losing points and answer to the best of their ability. Quizbowl attends tournaments in Yale, involving ten to twelve other schools with hundreds of competitors.
Kaylee Walsh, a junior on the team, explains the opportunities that Quizbowl can provide to excellent students at Woodland.
Walsh said,“Before it [Quizbowl], I didn’t understand that being one of the most ambitious students at Woodland doesn’t necessarily make someone one of the most ambitious students in the country.”
She also notes the development of students in Quizbowl.
“Members who join will walk out smarter. They will always have experienced personal growth as a part of progressing team,” said Walsh.
This year, Quizbowl will continue to grab attention as they evolve at Woodland and grow as a group of scholars who can work as a team to follow their interests. If you think Quizbowl sounds like a club for you, come join them every other Tuesday and expand your own knowledge.
