Spudders were invited to nationals due to their overall excellence
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
One tough round was not enough to keep the Ridgefield Spudders down in Knowledge Bowl.
Today, they are national champions.
(UPDATE: The Ridgefield Knowledge Bowl team has been invited to the Quiz Bowl tournament in Atlanta, and the Ridgefield Public Schools Foundation is having a matching fundraiser for the team. The fundraiser will last from April 29 through May 5, and the foundation will match up to $5,000 donated by the community. To donate, go to: https://www.ridgefieldpsf.org/donate)
“It was truly amazing that we, as a small public school, were able to compete with private prep schools from across the nation,” said Ridgefield senior Stuart Swingruber. “I think our victory truly shows that even the improbable is possible with the steadfast support of one’s teammates and community.”
“Nationals was easily the most exhilarating leg of our journey, as it was the apex of everything that we had worked to achieve all these years in Knowledge Bowl,” said Ridgefield senior Adam Ford. “We hung in there through the grueling hours of competition that was the marathon of knowledge.”
Clark County Today posted a profile on Ridgefield’s Knowledge Bowl team prior to the state competition.
Ridgefield, statistically, was the best team in the state again, but one tough round in the state semifinals left them out of a chance of repeating as state champs.
Based on the team’s overall excellence, though, the Spudders were invited to the national championships, which were held over several hours on Saturday over a Discord server.
“The level of competition in the top rooms at nationals is incredible,” said David Jacobson, Ridgefield’s coach. “There were many dozens of crazy mental feats all day that led to their victory.”
The Spudders are preparing for another competition. Instead of Knowledge Bowl, they have been invited to the National Quiz Bowl Tournament in Atlanta, which begins next week.
For more on the Ridgefield Knowledge Bowl team, see our story from last month here:
Also read:
- Local robotics team earns Inspire Award at Watt Interleague
The I.F. Robotics team from Vancouver earned the Inspire Award at the Watt Interleague competition, ranking No. 1 globally. - Grant from Bridgestone leads to new van for Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest WashingtonA new van, granted by Bridgestone’s “Driving Great Futures” initiative, will enhance transportation options for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington, fostering access to enrichment activities and college visits.
- Ridgefield School District honors December Employee and Students of the MonthThe Ridgefield School District honors exceptional students and staff as the December Employees and Students of the Month, celebrating their dedication and achievements.
- Battle Ground Police Department hosts 10th annual Shop with a Cop event
The Battle Ground Police Department hosted its 10th annual Shop with a Cop event, bringing holiday cheer to over 20 local children - Area law enforcement to host annual ‘Shop with a Cop’ event for Clark County YouthLaw enforcement and local youth team up for the annual “Shop with a Cop” event, offering support and holiday cheer in Clark County.
