Scholars Bowl has shown great improvement throughout the year, which was evident in their performance at State.

“I knew we had a very solid team going in giving us a very good chance to advance to state,” Ted Dawdy, sponsor of Scholars Bowl, said. “I am proud of what we have accomplished.”

After five years of placing at State, getting third has made the team proud of themselves and they plan on continuing to stick with the same tactics that were used this year.

The tournament was held at Wichita West High on Feb. 9, and as a result, the team had to wake up early for the tournament starting at noon. Little did they know that their return home would involve a third-place plaque at State.

Eight teams participated in State this year: Manhattan, Blue Valley North, Junction City, Lawrence, Liberal, Wichita East, Washburn Rural and Olathe North, placing second.

“I’d say that our toughest was Olathe North, as we had a very tight round with them,” Nasser said. “We were pretty comfortable in the rest of the rounds.”

Scholars Bowl has improved greatly in their tournaments. In the very beginning, the team was facing the tragedy of placing third or fourth in a few of the tournaments. However, after reflecting on the bad ones the team got better and better, soon coming out in the top three in State.

“There has been a lot of improvement,” senior Greg Chikan said. “We were getting only third or fourth at our first few meets, while now we were consistently getting first.”

Since the season is over and the end of the school year is coming around the corner, it is almost time to say goodbye to the seniors in which State was the last tournament they participated in for their high school years.

“Since I have done Scholars Bowl in all four years of high school, I have grown quite fond of it and the people who do it,” Chikan said. “So I will be sad to leave it behind after I graduate.”

Not only are the seniors going to miss the weekly tournaments and pressure of buzzing in the correct answer, but their very own sponsor has the same feelings.

“I always hate to see seniors go,” Dawdy said. “But they are loaded with so much potential I am happy to see them spread their wings and move on past high school.”

Even though some of their very best seniors will be gone, it will be out with the old and in with the new students who might consider being in Scholars Bowl.

“There are several high functioning freshmen so we will continue to be strong,” Dawdy said.

In the end, Scholars Bowl will be ready next year for a new season of consistently placing what the team wishes for. While providing the same strategic tactics and the minds of new members, the team is ready to take on the competition for next year and hopefully place in State again.

“It takes quite a bit of practice to excel at Scholars Bowl,” Nasser said. “My advice would be to not let a wrong answer bother you but to keep on going and try to win for the team.”