BIG BRAINED: Southern Boone’s Quiz Bowl Team Excels

Front: Josie Lambiotte, Emma Bolton, Houston Banks, Taylor Crandall. Back: Reid Imler, Kerington Condron, Max Rice, Kayden Gilstrap, Trenton John. Absent: Allison Stowe.

By: Ernie Wren
What do politician Pete Buttigieg, author Steven Levitt, and Jeopardy champion and host Ken Jennings have in common? All have competed in quiz bowls early in life.

Quiz Bowl teams sprang to life in early radio shows such as 1953’s “The College Quiz Bowl” show, which evolved to TV from 1959 to 1970. Today, 320 teams compete in the High School National Championship Tournament (HSNCT). There is estimated to be 3,500+ quiz bowl high school teams in the United States. Quiz bowls and trivia tournaments are very popular in our society, assessing our knowledge of useful, and not so useful, facts.

Teachers Justine Rogers and Noah Raines co-coach the high school team, and Ms. Rogers shared with what the high school quiz bowl team has accomplished this year, and what is on the horizon.
“This year’s Quiz Bowl team has been competing since October all around mid-Missouri. They sent two JV teams to the Jefferson City Invitational last fall. The Varsity team has competed in three Tri-County tournaments, facing tough opponents. The level of play in the Tri-County has increased dramatically in the last year.

The team has also played dual matches with South Callaway, Fr. Tolton, and Harrisburg this winter. Max Rice continues to be a scoring machine, leading the Tri-County in total points per game and taking home All-Conference First Team honors.

Josie Lambiotte has grown as a player by leaps and bounds and is becoming a powerhouse in the area of literature. Trenton John, Taylor Crandall, and Allison Stowe round out the Varsity squad and each contributed to the team’s success.

The Junior Varsity team is anchored by sophomore Kerington Condron, who continues to post high scores in every match she plays. Sophomore Reid Imler has become a science specialist in his first year of participation, and the team also relies on the talents of sophomore Emma Bolton and freshmen Kayden Gilstrap and Houston Banks.”