Scholars Bowl team competes at nationals

PHIL CAMPBELL — Snow and ice kept the Northwest Shoals Community College Scholars Bowl team from attending a January qualifying tournament, but it still found its way to the national competition.

“Several teams couldn’t go because of the snow and ice, and a team in Kentucky organized an online tournament,” coach Bradley Pool said. “Our students competed from home on their laptops and won that tournament.”

The win qualified the team for the national tournament. They competed Feb.21–22intheCommunity College Championship Tournament in Rosemont, Illinois, near Chicago.

The event, organized by National Academic Quiz Tournaments, included 24 teams from across the country.

The tournament began with pool play, where teams are divided into groups with each team playing the others in its group. Winners of pool play advanced to additional rounds.

“We played some really tough teams,” Pool said. “It was a great honor just to get invited to the competition.”

Members of the NWSCC team are team captain Dalton Stults and Steven McCormick of Russellville, Aaden Marsh of Belgreen, Emerson Smith of Hamilton, and Madeline Wilson of Haleyville.

“They’ve learned their specialties,” Pool said. “Madeline and Emerson are really strong in literature and science, and the others tend to handle sports, history and geography.”

The team practices at least once a week and sometimes twice, often holding mock tournaments during practice sessions.

Pool said the national competition takes place before the state tournament. NWSCC plans to compete next in the Alabama state Scholars Bowl tournament in April at Bishop State Community College in Mobile.

He said the school expects to hold tryouts later this spring. Students selected for the Scholars Bowl team receive scholarships.