Joins Robotics team as 2018 state titlists
Members of the 2018 Medical Lake Knowledge Bowl state championship team are bottom row (L-R): Sarah Ransom, Alli Smith, Emilie Browning, Anthony Barnes. (middle row): Kaden Lee, Taylor Cannon, Megan Goertz, Justyce Cogswell and (top row): Lauren Saue-Fletcher, Evan Peterson, Faraz Abounorinejad and Tanner Henry.
Another Medical Lake team has taken home a state championship, not with sweat and muscle, but with brain power.
The high school Knowledge Bowl squad are now the owners of bragging rights after their 14-13 victory over La Center High School in competition staged in Arlington, Wash. earlier this month.
"It wound up being a pretty exciting ending because at the end La Center had 13 points and we had 14," Tara Feider, the team's co-coach said.
The drama came into play when a question had to be contested. "They had a chance at tying with us but it didn't work out," Feider said. Fellow Northeast A League school, Lakeside came in third.
Knowledge Bowl joins the school's Robotics team as winners of recent state titles away from the athletic field.
Medical Lake came in first in their 1A league for districts and seventh overall for regionals. In regionals, the Knowledge Bowl competition comes from schools of all sizes, including 4A, 3A, 2A, other 1A and B.
Knowledge Bowl is conducted with teams. Four people have the chance to buzz in, then 15 seconds to discuss it with one another and arrive at a final answer.
Each team actually consists of six people with two "on the bench" if needed. "They have a halftime where players can be swapped out," Feider said.
Feider is a co-coach in her third year and works with Virginia Luhn who has guided the program for several decades, Feider said. Luhn was unavailable to discuss the effort as she was traveling in Ireland.
What is involved in becoming part of the Knowledge Bowl team? "I would say they just have to like learning about new things," Feider said.
Other important tools are to have a good memory and be able to do math on the fly.
"We pretty much take anybody that wants to play," Feider said. This year's turnout was 24 students, split between varsity and junior varsity.
As with athletic teams, the top performers land on varsity with the remainder filling other spots on the depth chart.
There are certain students and team members who have a fondness for specific subjects, Feider said. "Usually they are pretty well-rounded."
Medical Lake last won a state competition in Knowledge Bowl in 2005.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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