MG scores big on last question to finish 2nd in Hi-Q

MARYSVILLE – After missing eight-straight questions, it didn’t look good for Marysville Getchell High School’s Hi-Q team.

But it scored points on its final five questions to place second in a home match Wednesday.

Nathan Weller topped it off buzzing in early on what was supposed to be a minute-long toss-up math question. His correct answer for four points put the Chargers in second place with 27 points, just edging Lynwood with 26 and right behind winner Meadowdale with 31.

What made the final answer even more impressive was during the match only one point was earned by Lynnwood out of the nine math questions.

A day later, after an appeal, MG was awarded 30 points, moving it into fourth place overall with 61 after two rounds.

MG took the early lead answering three of the first five questions correctly. Erika Krauce scored three points in Current Events, and Kevin Lockwood followed with a four pointer in American History. When Lockwood tallied two points in Literature on an Agathy Christie question MG had 9, Meadowdale 8 and Lynnwood 7.

But while the Chargers missed their next five answers before intermission, Meadowdale stole a point from MG on a Shakespeare question regarding Othello then scored four on their own question. Lynnwood pulled off the same feat in Geography to make it Meadowdale 17, Lynnwood 13 and MG 9 at the break.

While the other squads completely changed their four-member teams, only David Lockwood came in for MG.

MG stole a point in Chemistry, but after being blanked in Art and its team-choice question in Georgraphy the home team got on a roll.

In a Literature toss-up question, David came up with the correct answer of “pumice.” Kevin then got the Science question right, but so did the other two teams. The same happened in the following American Government question with the Chargers answering “electoral college.” In World History, Brad Taylor answered “Nigeria,” for two points as the African country that won its independence in 1960. That set up Weller’s final performance.

Also, the Marysville-Pilchuck’s Hi-Q team only scored 15 points in its first competition, but Monday, in a home match, the Tomahawks scored 27 in placing second to Stanwood, which had 33. Monroe scored 17. Snow delayed the matches, but after two rounds M-P is last out of nine teams with 42. Stanwood leads with 76.

Third-round matches take place next week with the finals in the middle of March.