EVERETT The Hi-Q semifinals saw Arlington High School reverse their fortunes from last year, while Lakewood High School watched their chances of competing in this years Hi-Q championship evaporate.
In last years semifinals, the Arlington High School Hi-Q team placed third out of the three teams in their round, but when they returned to the Everett Mall March 15 for this years semifinals, they walked away with a decisive victory over both the Lakewood and Henry M. Jackson high school Hi-Q teams.
The semifinals were the culmination of three months of academic competition, between 20 high school teams from Snohomish and Island counties. While Kamiak High School ranked as the regional leader, six other high school Hi-Q teams were divided into two rounds of three teams each, with the winner of each round moving on to compete against Kamiak in the March 21 championship.
Lakewoods Hi-Q team included first-time competitors Kelsey Gann and Cassie Czarnetzke, both juniors, and returning for their second year were junior Christina Ordonez and seniors Josh Campbell, Rob Christiansen and Sarah Dunn. Jeff Sowards and Mike Fellows served as faculty advisors.
Arlingtons Hi-Q team had faculty advisors Ben Mendro and Jane Joselow quizzing them on questions up until they joined the other teams on stage. It was the second time on the semifinals stage for Arlington sophomore Eric McElroy, junior Tyler Gjersee and seniors Rob Peiffle and Katie Nowlin. It was the first time for teammates, sophomore Amye Ellsworth and seniors Keith Bayer and Chris Godsbee.
Jacksons Hi-Q team took an early lead over both Arlington and Lakewood with perfect scores in the current events, American history and biology categories. They correctly identified Googles Internet security, New York City as the site of immigrant labor riots in the 19th century and microtubules as structures in the cytoskeleton. Arlington stayed competitive by recalling that Kosovo is a recently declared Baltic republic and Stephen Douglas was Abraham Lincolns opponent in the 1858 debates. Lakewood remembered that Fidel Castros brother is Raoul.
The sports toss-up questions left all three teams stumped, as did the math questions on algebra and geometry, but Arlington edged ahead of Jackson in the literature and Shakespeare categories, by correctly answering not only their own literature question, but also those of Jackson and Lakewood. In the geography category, only Lakewood scored any points, by naming Lassen Peak as a volcano in Northern California.
After a brief break to change the teams on-stage lineups, Arlington widened its lead in chemistry and art history, translating pico to mean one-trillionth and naming Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann as the French civil planner who rebuilt Paris. Arlington was also the only team to score any points in the team choice category, in which it had chosen literature, while the team toss-up category of geography, which no one had chosen, left all three teams stumped, as did a second series of math questions.
Lakewood trumped Arlington and Jackson in physics, scoring the only points won in that category by identifying tension as the force acting on the underside of a plank that bows from weight, but Arlingtons wins in government and world history solidified their unbeatable lead. The final score saw 38 points awarded to Arlington, 20 to Jackson and 12 to Lakewood.
We did well in getting to the semifinals, Fellows said of his Lakewood students. Were very grateful to Everett Community College for sponsoring this competition. It benefits not only the kids on the team, but also those in the audience.
While Lakewoods Campbell seemed slightly discouraged by his performance, he remained enthusiastic about participating in Hi-Q.
Its really fun, Campbell said. I was eager to do it, even though it meant studying four to five hours a night. Id love to do it again, but Im a senior. The best advice I can give to next years team is, if someone is interested in a topic, give them that to specialize in.
For Arlington senior Peiffle, this years semifinals made for a nice turnaround from his experiences last year.
We got destroyed in the semifinals last year, Peiffle said. Its nice to go to the finals this year. Weve been working hard all season. Our coaches have prepared us extremely well. They drilled us on infuriatingly minute details, but because of that we came in expecting to win.
Ive never heard of a person named a protectorate, laughed Arlingtons coach Mendro, recalling a Shakespeare question regarding Richard IIIs title. In math, if we dont got it, nobodys got it. We need to get down geography and sports, but theres so much on those sheets anyway. What these kids do is amazing and unbelievable. Were ready to bring our A-game to Kamiak.