State-bound La Conner High Knowledge Bowl team a study in contrasts

A division of labor has added up to multiple successes for the La Conner High Knowledge Bowl team.

As in years past, the numbers continue to support the team’s strategy of bringing together students with diverse interests and varied skill sets.

The latest example was at recent regional trials where La Conner dominated its enrollment division and placed ahead of all schools other than Stanwood High, which draws academic talent from more than 1,400 students.

La Conner placed fourth at the State 1A level a year ago. They return to Yakima March 21 with a revamped roster but similar time-honored game plan.

Coaches Beth Clothier and Christi Malcomson have assembled a Knowledge Bowl group well versed in core subject areas and obscure factoids that separate championship teams from the rest of the field.

MacQuaid Hiller is the go-to La Conner Knowledge Bowler when it comes to social studies and literary criticism. Dom Wilbur’s expertise covers history and political science. Charlie Cram and Thomas Wilme are strong in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

Juna Swanson’s forte, beyond math, is general (and not so-well known) trivia.

Rachel Cram, Charlie’s sister, is the team manager and statistician.

The team practices during Tuesday and Thursday lunch periods and whenever else members can align their busy schedules. Using study sheets compiled by Malcomson, they devote about two hours per week to Knowledge Bowl prep, Clothier said.

That formula bore fruit at regionals.

“We did really well,” Clothier said. “We came in well ahead of the other teams in our division and scored second highest of all the teams at regionals in any division. Only Stanwood came in with more points, although since we don’t compete in the same room with the larger schools, it’s not really a fair comparison.”

The La Conner team must be ready to answer wide-ranging questions such as:

• What can be determined about a cone by multiplying pi times the radius times the slant height? Or:
• In 1906, what foreign-born lawyer in South Africa organized his first campaign of ‘satyagraha’, or civil disobedience?

It is, both literally and figuratively, a learning process.

“What we find,” Clothier explained, “is that as freshmen the students are introduced to the topics, and by the time they’re juniors and seniors they’re more confident answering the questions.”

Knowledge Bowl puts students to the test in terms of speed and accuracy. Its competitive nature is part of Knowledge Bowl’s appeal, said Swanson, a cross-country runner who plays point guard on the La Conner High girls’ basketball team.

“I’ve mainly done sports,” she told the Weekly News, “but I wanted to expand what I do. I was looking for academic competition just like we have in sports.”

Clothier said that’s part of the beauty of Knowledge Bowl in a small school.

“Our students have the opportunity to do both,” she said of juggling academic and athletic contests.

Hiller, for instance, has been involved in everything from sports to student leadership to theater arts.

Knowledge Bowl ranks at the top of his to-do list.

“This,” he insisted, “is one of my favorite groups.”