Academic Team Takes Home 1st

BY EMILY BRACHER AND MAISIE SHAW

KONK LIFE STUDENT WRITERS

Key West High School’s Academic Challenge team took home first place at the county tournament on January 15. Answering rounds of questions that lead to their victory, they competed against around ten teams at Marathon High School.

Club sponsor, Elizabeth Ford, explains what led to their victory, “I think it went really well. They had a really commanding first round, the five point round. They were substantially ahead. Then there was a substitution on Marathon’s part, so in the ten and fifteen point round, it came back a little bit. But still, they felt really confident, and that’s a big factor.”

Later, as the Key West team was ahead by only one question, they maintained this lead by answering quickly and correctly. In the end, they won by 14 points. This win was a big deal for them because they beat Marathon, who had a really strong student when it came to math questions.

Winning this competition will take the team to the state competition in April, which takes place at the Disney Boardwalk Inn. Ford explains the setup of the competition, “It is the same thing: five, ten, fifteen point rounds. We are in division three, so we will be with the smaller school districts, but overall it is the same.”

For preparation, regular practices will continue. The plan is to cover harder topics the team may not have gotten correct. Ford notes that she and the team are going to brush up on chemistry and physics to improve their game, and adds, “I’m going to read or start to commit to memory American authors and titles.”

This will be the team’s third time going to state since Ford took over the program. However, before everything ends, the team has a lot of fundraising to do to cover the $7,000 cost of going to state, so anyone who would like to donate to their cause is welcomed to do so by contacting the school at 305-293-1549.

With most of the team consisting of departing seniors, there is always more room for students to join. Many of the past members have expressed their joy for the club, and they believe it’s a great thing to be a part of.

Caption: Above (left to right), team sponsor Elizabeth Ford, Nicole Frank, Melody Morales, Daniel Walsh, George Bellenger, Kingston Young, and Emerson Fariss with their certificates and the county trophy they earned on January 15. Their hard work and dedication led to their big win.

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