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LVQBA Students Shine at IAC Nevada Competitions
The prowess of the LVQBA was on display in a big way at the International Academic Competitions Nevada Regional Finals. At both the HS and MS Divisions, several LVQBA students and teams took top podium spots and qualified for both National and International Finals in various subject areas.
High School Results
In the History Bowl, Clark A brought home 2nd place, qualifying for Nationals in Arlington, Virginia. Liberty A and Clark B advanced to the semifinals, also securing Nationals berths.
On the individual side, there were two Chargers who excelled in the individual-based History Bee. Vivian Lee took gold in the Varsity Division while Theo Perez repeated the feat in the Junior Varsity Division. Both Lee and Perez qualified for the National Finals as well as the International Finals (to be held in Rome, Italy). In addition, Liberty's Connor Floyd (V) and Kayleb Longoria (V) qualified for Nationals, while Thomas Noone (JV) and Emma Fears (JV) qualified for both Nationals and Internationals.
On the individual side, there were two Chargers who excelled in the individual-based History Bee. Vivian Lee took gold in the Varsity Division while Theo Perez repeated the feat in the Junior Varsity Division. Both Lee and Perez qualified for the National Finals as well as the International Finals (to be held in Rome, Italy). In addition, Liberty's Connor Floyd (V) and Kayleb Longoria (V) qualified for Nationals, while Thomas Noone (JV) and Emma Fears (JV) qualified for both Nationals and Internationals.
Middle School Results
The Middle School had an equally impressive showing, too. In the History Bee, Tryston Thomas of Somerset Lone Mountain completed a 3-peat of gold medals, winning the 7th grade division. He will try to make it a gaudy 4 in a row next year. In the 6th grade divisions, The Meadows swept the podium with Elliot Lefebvre taking gold, Winston Luh securing the silver, and Chase Park bringing home bronze.
For the Geography Bee, Thomas once again defended his title, making it ANOTHER three-peat after becoming champion of the 7th grade division. Without question, he is the one to beat when he returns next year. For 6th grade, there were two Mustangs who competed, and they took the top of the podium. This time, it was Luh winning gold and Lefebvre earning silver.
Finally, in the Science Bee, there was one student who pulled off a trifecta for the day. Fittingly, it was Thomas taking home gold in 7th grade, capping off a set of results that is one of the best ever in Lone Mountain quiz bowl history. In 6th grade, there were two Mustang entrants again. And just like before, they both found the top two pots. Lefebvre returned to the highest step of the podium with gold, and Park overcame a very tough, crowded field to notch the silver.
For Thomas, Lefebvre, Luh, and Park, they all qualified for both the National Finals and International Finals in all of their respective subjects. Nationals will be held in Arlington, History Internationals will take place in Rome, and Science Internationals will be staged in Quito, Ecudaor. Geography is currently TBD.
For the Geography Bee, Thomas once again defended his title, making it ANOTHER three-peat after becoming champion of the 7th grade division. Without question, he is the one to beat when he returns next year. For 6th grade, there were two Mustangs who competed, and they took the top of the podium. This time, it was Luh winning gold and Lefebvre earning silver.
Finally, in the Science Bee, there was one student who pulled off a trifecta for the day. Fittingly, it was Thomas taking home gold in 7th grade, capping off a set of results that is one of the best ever in Lone Mountain quiz bowl history. In 6th grade, there were two Mustang entrants again. And just like before, they both found the top two pots. Lefebvre returned to the highest step of the podium with gold, and Park overcame a very tough, crowded field to notch the silver.
For Thomas, Lefebvre, Luh, and Park, they all qualified for both the National Finals and International Finals in all of their respective subjects. Nationals will be held in Arlington, History Internationals will take place in Rome, and Science Internationals will be staged in Quito, Ecudaor. Geography is currently TBD.
HS And MS Finals Pushed To Brink: HS Crusaders Make History, MS Mustangs Complete Triple Crown
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In what's been only appropriate for how this entire season has gone, history was made yet again at the UNLV NAQT Nevada State Tournament as both division finals went the distance on the same day for the first time.
In the HS division, Faith Lutheran overcame their toughest test of the season to win their first-ever state title. Later, in the MS division, The Meadows completed the triple crown for only the second time in school history. No recap can do proper justice to the achievements of all of the student competitors, but we'll give it a try anyway. |
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High School Final: Crusaders Brilliantly Fight Off The Biggest Of Disadvantages
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When a team enters an advantaged final needing to win twice, that's a tall task. But let's make it even more difficult by making the opponent the defending state champion. Tough enough?
Okay, fine. Now tell that team to win without their coach who had to miss the entire tournament due to a family emergency. That team should have no chance, right? You might think so...and you would be completely proven wrong by the Faith Lutheran Crusaders. Game 1 was a back-and-forth affair through most of the first half, but Luke Strole and Luke Baker engineered a 3-power streak to give Faith a 135-115 lead at halftime. The second half continued the seesawing, drawing some comments from league staff that this matchup was now starting to resemble more of what happens when the middle school teams from these schools get after it. Every time the Mustangs came back, the Crusaders always had a response. Lawrence Zhang and Ben Vinocur tallied back-to-back powers on T15 and T16 to give Meadows a 190-160 lead. Immediately, Baker and Strole fired back with their own power duet to put Faith up 220-190. It was a lead they would keep all the way to the end. With the clock running down and time for only about 2 tossups, the Mustangs called timeout. A 10 on T21 followed by an insta-skip on the bonus set up one final tossup with under 30 seconds to go. This time, it was Akash Abraham who closed out Game 1 with a 10 on a buzzer race and a subsequent team-20 on the bonus. As the clock hit triple zeroes, the Crusaders had forced a decisive Game 2, 265-200. There have been plenty of advantaged finals at tournaments where the 1-loss team wins the first. However, winning the 2nd game is even tougher because the higher seed often regroups and takes care of business. And as stated before, Faith was fighting a whole slew of circumstances that were largely out of their control. And it looked like the trend might hold early on. Meadows scored back-to-back powers from Zhang and Vinocur on T1 and T2. What followed was something no team has pulled on the Mustangs all season. The Crusaders took 4 consecutive tossups from T3 to T6, 3 of them by Strole (which included 2 powers). Strole would end up playing arguably the best game of his career in Game 2, finishing with a 2-5-1 line for 75 points. In the 2nd half, with the Crusaders trailing only by 15 points, Strole and Baker put up consecutive 10s on T11 and T12. Superb bonus conversion on a difficult packet stretched the lead to 160-115. The teams traded tossups for the next four cycles. Then, on T18, it appeared the Mustangs might finally right the ship with a Vinocur power and a 20 bonus. On this day, though, the Crusaders would not be denied. Trailing 235-220, Strole took 2 of the next 3 to close the gap to 5 points, 275-270. With time running short, it became clear the next tossup would be the final one of the match. And just like last time, Akash "Mr. Clutch" Abraham did the thing again, winning the buzzer race and, this time, the championship. The Crusaders intentionally insta-skipped the bonus to close out the match and begin the celebration of the school's first HS quiz bowl state championship. For Faith Lutheran, the only way this first championship could probably have been better was if head coach Jason Crowder had been able to be there in person. However, as he no doubt knows by now, his kids play hard for him. On Nevada's biggest stage this weekend, that rang truer than ever. |
Faith Lutheran Crusaders
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Middle School Final: Mustangs Complete The Triple Crown In Decisive Final Game
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With the crowd still reeling from the HS Final, the middle school finalists took the stage. Most fans probably felt there was no way to top what they just saw. And while the result didn't come down to the final tossup this time around, the Middle School Finals still delivered plenty of drama.
As they had done so several times already this season, The Meadows and Faith Lutheran distanced themselves from the prelim field on Saturday, both going 5-0 in the morning rounds. When they met in the final playoff round of the afternoon, the Mustangs emerged with a 235-160 victory to claim the advantage in the final. At the time, it felt like insurance. As it turned out, it would be far more valuable than that. From the jump in Game 1, the Crusaders showed just how determined they were to make sure this final went the distance. Staying about 1-2 cycles ahead for most of the first half, they held a 125-70 lead at halftime thanks to balanced tossup scoring from Liam Davenport, Molly Hubbard, and Caroline McKee. With Violet Trujillo handling several bonus parts in the 2nd half, Faith Lutheran seized on the momentum and pretty much put an end to this one with 5 minutes still remaining. Meadows called timeout after T19, trailing 210-60. The 150-point deficit was the largest this version of the A-team had faced all season. A comeback at this point was pretty unlikely. However, the team mentally regrouped and thought about how to use the last 5 tossups as preparation for the inevitable Game 2. When the clock resumed, Hubbard powered for the Crusaders. What happened next, though, may have saved the Mustangs' season. With defeat now certain in Game 1, the Mustangs relaxed and swiftly took 3 of the final 4 tossups. They lost 230-120, but more importantly, they now felt they were finding their speed again and could bring it in Game 2. After all, that advantage in the final is called an advantage for a reason. The first 3 tossups were wheelhouse categories for Faith, which gave the Mustangs plenty of reason not to panic. In short time, Meadows A had taken a 60-45 lead after T5. Just as the Crusaders did in Game 1, The Meadows kept their opponent 1-2 cycles back for the rest of the first half, holding a 125-85 lead at halftime. During the halftime coaching, the Mustangs knew they were playing the game on their terms. The tension from Game 1 was gone. In its place was quiet confidence. With one half to go, The Meadows was ready to play its best half of the season because if they didn't, Faith Lutheran surely would. After a Davenport 10 to close the gap to 15 and a dead tossup on T15, the dam finally broke. Every wheelhouse category came up in succession, and the Mustangs nailed every single one of them in perfect balance. A Georgia Lowry 10 on T16, a Shawn Frost 10 on T17, and then two Elliot Lefebvre 10s on T18 and T19. Throw in the leadership of Gigi Gonya on the bonuses, and you can see why this team would eventually be dangerous once they jelled. Fittingly, the championship would be clinched when the part-French Canadian Lefebvre answered a tossup about a certain French historical figure in true Quebecois style. The packet ran dry, and the Mustangs began to celebrate the 260-115 victory. For The Meadows, the state title means they completed the coveted triple crown--something that has been extremely difficult in the middle school division (it's only happened once before). But now, the Crusaders and Mustangs become allies in representing Nevada on the national stage in May. Based on their epic battles this season, our state's in good hands with these kids. |
The Meadows Mustangs
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2022-23 League Information
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