SN Scholar Bowl team invited to compete in Chicago

With its strong finish at the 275 Conference Scholar Bowl, the Scholar Bowl team from South Nodaway High School proved themselves worthy to play on a national stage.

On Friday, April 28, the team will represent their school in a 128-team national competition: National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ Small School National Championship Tournament (SSNCT) at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago, Rosemont, IL.

Quiz bowl is a competitive, academic, interscholastic activity for teams of four students. It is the national version of the game that is often locally called Scholar Bowl. Quiz bowl teams use buzzers to answer questions about science, math, history, literature, mythology, geography, social science, current events, sports and popular culture. The matches feature a blend of individual competition and team collaboration, since no individual player is likely to be an expert in all subject areas. Participation in quiz bowl both reinforces lessons from the classroom and encourages players to develop new intellectual interests.

South Nodaway has attended the Small School National Championship Tournament once before. In 2018, they finished 3-7.

The SSNCT is the only quiz bowl national championship pitting small schools against each other. It has one division containing non-selective public schools with 500 or fewer students in their top three grades, and another division for other schools with 350 or fewer students in their top three grades. Other Missouri schools registered are Southern Boone, Ashland; Polo; Pierce City; Orchard Farm, St. Charles; Hallsville; Fair Grove; Crocker; Centralia; Clever and Bayless, St. Louis.

The team, in the Traditional Public Schools Division, will be captained by Nicco LaBryer, who will be joined by Blair Allen, Aly Beggs, Sienna Billings, Aubre Degase, Noah Ferguson, Ellen Hayden, Joslynn Heath, Alaina Henggeler, Ryan Langford and Jette Pinckert. The team will be coached by Melinda Claycomb and Julie McConkey, who will be assisted by Seth Jenkins and Kortni McCreath.

Tournament results will be updated throughout the three days of competition at naqt.com/go/stats/13401 so everyone can follow along and see how the team does. Individuals can also follow #ssnct on Twitter.