Scholars Triumph as Mira Costa's Scholar Quiz Returns In Person
Mar 31, 2022 11:37AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Overall, 64 teams comprising of four students each (256 students in all) participated in the week-long tournament over six rounds, which took place in classrooms across campus during lunch.
For at least the second match in a row, Team Greenberg was trailing at the halfway point but made a strong second half surge to clinch the title.
Besides receiving the Sean Barnes Memorial Trophy, the winners received commemorative plaques and a small cash prize. The runners-up and the other two semi-finalists also received plaques and small cash prize, courtesy of the Mira Costa PTSA.
The other semi-finalist teams were Team Lee (#2 Seed): Captain Joah Lee, Xavier Dargan, Evan Lockwood, and Charlie Yamamoto; and Team Wyse (#5 Seed): Captain Colin Wyse, Alex Digilio, Owen Spencer and Dylan Warner.
Many of this year's players were experienced Scholar Quiz veterans. Three out of the four semi-finalist teams were also semi-finalists in the MBMS Scholar Quiz in 8th grade, and Team Stutz won that tournament.
At Mira Costa, the last time the final round took place was in 2019, when this year's seniors were freshmen. Mira Costa's 2020 tournament had reached the semi-final stages before being put on hold by the pandemic lock-down.
A Massive Volunteer Effort
For the final event, the reader was John Bowes, MBUSD superintendent, who helped kick off this year’s tournament on Day 1 and 2 as a reader (and is apparently a huge Jeopardy fan.) Mira Costa Principal Karina Gerger, who served Flag Judge, also volunteered for every day of this year’s tournament and also was Master of Ceremonies for this year’s final.
The three scorers were Sally Peel, MBUSD school board president, who also volunteered for every day of the tournament; Adam Geczi, a social studies teacher and long-time supporter of Scholar Quiz, and Nicole Wachell, English teacher and writer, who is an avid Scholar Quiz volunteer, and who participated in the Jeopardy TV game show broadcast just last Friday (March 25.)
Overall, more than 175 parent, teacher, staff, admin and community volunteers made the event possible, helping run the daily matches as readers, flag judges and score keepers.
Nearly 1,000 students, teachers, staff, volunteers and guests attended the final on Wednesday.
Long-Time Supporters Recognized
year.
- Study Hut, for its ongoing support;
- PTSA, for providing the cash awards for the winners and all the publicity and behind-the-scenes support for the event;
- Mira Costa teachers, for offering their classrooms and in many cases volunteering as readers for the competitions;
- Cary Jordahl and Michael Aldapa for supporting across many facilities/stages and operations throughout the tournament;
- Food Services for providing the daily teacher lunches;
- MBUSD security, maintenance and operations, for helping to coordinate and welcome
- hundreds of volunteers over the course of a week; and
- MBUSD board members, administration, and Mira Costa administration their time and support for the tournament.
