La Conner high places fourth at state Knowledge Bowl

La Conner High students answered the challenge of competing against larger enrollment schools March 23.

And they did so in a big way – by quickly and correctly answering a slew of critical thinking questions posed during state 1A Knowledge Bowl competition in Yakima.

The La Conner team represented its 2B campus well, advancing to the semifinals before finishing fourth out of 18 entries at the state trials.

“It was a complete team effort,” La Conner Knowledge Bowl head coach Beth Clothier said afterward. “Over the course of the season our students have been learning how to work as a team and have continually wanted to improve. I think that’s awesome.”

La Conner earned its trip to Yakima after having captured the Regional 1A Knowledge Bowl crown as the lone 2B school in that field.

La Conner enjoys a strong Knowledge Bowl tradition, winning a state title as recently as three years ago.

Senior Jack Tronsdal, a four-year Knowledge Bowl participant, says it’s vital for teammates to share trust and recognize each other’s respective skill areas.

“It’s important,” Tronsdal says, “to listen to your teammates.”

Knowledge Bowl, truly a sport for the mind, is set up like the game show Jeopardy – but with teams, rather than individual contestants – and involves fast-paced thinking through several rounds.

Clothier and assistant coach Christi Malcomson have been prepping La Conner Knowledge Bowl team members twice weekly for much of the school year, tossing difficult questions their way from a broad range of subject areas.

“Part of being a successful team,” says Malcomson, “is knowing how to balance the strengths of its members. You need to have a blend of those who are good at history, math, literature and science.”

Fortunately, the La Conner lineup of Tronsdal, Spencer Tripp, Max Drews, Dom Wilbur, McQuaid Hiller, Noah Lee and Charlie Cram has that kind of balance, allowing Clothier and Malcomson to make both situational and strategic substitutions.

The La Conner team’s consistent, accurate responses allowed it to climb the leaderboard throughout the day at Yakima. It missed out on being in the final tier of top three teams by just two points. And that was after a couple judgment calls went against La Conner.

Still, there were no complaints from Clothier, Malcomson and the La Conner students.

They had a great experience, starting with a Friday send-off prior to their departure from campus, akin to those held earlier in the school year for the State-bound La Conner volleyball and girls’ basketball teams.

The Knowledge Bowlers were also supported by a nice contingent of fans who made the four-hour drive.

“It was the first time in six years that they’ve had state in eastern Washington,” Malcomson says. “So it’s great that we had people from the community who went over there.”

More such trips likely loom ahead. The team loses Tronsdal and Tripp, who graduate this spring, but will return the remainder of its core group. All have indicated they want to continue practicing the rest of the school year.

“When we come back in the fall,” says Clothier, “we’ll start up again and do some recruiting.”

Clothier and Malcomson say adding to the ranks shouldn’t prove difficult, thanks to the success of this year’s team.

“That,” says Malcomson, “is the best advertisement we can have.”