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Northeast hosts annual Scholastic Contest & Quiz Bowl

Northeast hosts annual Scholastic Contest & Quiz Bowl

NORFOLK, Neb. – Approximately 1,100 students from across the region tested their knowledge during two competitions at Northeast Community College.

Cedar Catholic High School won the 2023 Class C High School Scholastic Contest hosted by Northeast recently. Pierce High School was second and third place went to Boone Central. In the Class D contest, Bancroft-Rosalie Schools took first place, Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools was second while Stuart Public Schools claimed third.  

During the Scholastic Contest, students were tested on subjects such as accounting, agri-science, Algebra I and II, American government, technical mathematics, biology, computer literacy, drafting, personal finance, public speaking, and workplace communication. Other tests included English Composition, foods and nutrition, geometry, parenting/child development, trigonometry, vocabulary, welding, and basic construction, among others. 

Individual student medals were awarded for first, second, and third place in each test, in each class. Team plaques were awarded to schools receiving the most points in Class C and D. 

Each first-place championship school from Class C and D was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Northeast Community College Foundation. Scholarship recipients must be students who participated in the scholastic contest, graduate high school this spring and then register as full-time student at Northeast for the 2023-24 academic year. In addition, Northeast will award tuition waivers of $1,000 each to seniors who earned first place on their exams. Waivers will be awarded to 12 seniors in both Class C and Class D with the highest percentage grade on the test that earned the student first place. 

Schools participating in the scholastic contest included: Ainsworth; Bancroft-Rosalie; Battle Creek; Bloomfield; Boone Central; Boyd County; Burwell; Cedar Catholic, Hartington; Chambers; Clarkson; Creighton; Crofton; Elkhorn Valley; Elgin; Emerson-Hubbard; Guardian Angels Central Catholic, West Point; Howells-Dodge Consolidated; Humphrey; Keya Paha County; Laurel-Concord-Coleridge; Leigh; Lindsay Holy Family; Lyons-Decatur Northeast; Madison; Neligh-Oakdale; Newman Grove; Niobrara; Norfolk Catholic; O’Neill; Pierce; Plainview; Pope John XXIII Central Catholic, Elgin; Rock County; St. Mary’s, O’Neill; Stuart; Summerland; Verdigre; Wakefield; Wausa; West Holt, Atkinson; West Point-Beemer; Wheeler Central; Winnebago; Winside; Wisner-Pilger; and Wynot.

The first Northeast Community College High School Scholastic Contest was held in 1984 with 13 Class C and D schools participating. 

A Quiz Bowl competition was held in person a week later on Northeast’s Norfolk campus. Quiz Bowl questions covered general high school academic areas and current events. The competition consisted of four-person teams plus an alternate equating to approximately 175 students among the 35-team event. Plaques and medals were presented to the champion, runner-up and consolation teams.

The team from Crofton (Jordyn Arens, Carter Guenther, Jack Schieffer, and Elizabeth Wortman) took first place. The team is coached by Frank Gade. Runner-up Battle Creek (Breanna Borchers, Marshall Hermann, Gavin Olson, and Brennen Weidner) is coached by Leigha Kern. 

The team of Howells-Dodge Consolidated (Isabel Belina, Landon Dobbins, Evan Howell, Dana Meyer, and Cooper Kreikemeier) defeated Boone Central (Tanner Bauld, Dylan Baumgartner, Jake Daniels, Harrison Kuta, and Troy Sandman) in the consolation championship round. Howells-Dodge is coached by Traci Sindelar while Jeff Hrabik is the coach of Boone Central. 

Schools sending teams to the Quiz Bowl competition, included: Ainsworth; Battle Creek; Boone Central; Clarkson; Creighton; Crofton; Elgin; Elkhorn Valley; Emerson Hubbard; Guardian Angels Central Catholic, West Point; Howells-Dodge Consolidated; Humphrey; Keya Paha County; Laurel-Concord-Coleridge; Leigh; Lutheran High Northeast; Madison; Norfolk Catholic; Oakland-Craig; O’Neill; Pender; Pierce; Pope John XXIII Central Catholic, Elgin; Spalding Academy; St. Mary’s, O'Neill; Stanton; Stuart; Summerland; Wakefield; Wausa; West Holt, Atkinson; Winnebago; Winside; Wisner-Pilger; and Wynot. 

Dr. Charlene Widener, vice president of educational services, congratulates the students for participating in this year’s scholastic contests and quiz bowl. 

“Northeast Community College is pleased to be able to provide area high school students with this an opportunity to participate in these challenging academic activities,” she said. “I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to all Northeast employees who had a part in making the events happen for our future Northeast students. I especially want to thank the exam proctors and the sponsors in the individual high schools.” 


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                                                                                       PHOTO CUTLINE 


Members of the Crofton High School Quiz Bowl converse to answer a question in the championship match of Northeast Community College’s annual Quiz Bowl competition recently in Norfolk. Crofton claimed the 2023 title in the 35-team event with Battle Creek taking runner-up honors.