May 3, 2013
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Shady Spring Middle School Team One of Raleigh County won the West Virginia Division of Culture and History’s fourth annual West Virginia State History Bowl held Tuesday, April 30, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston.
Fairview Middle School Team One of Marion County was the runner up in the competition that included 24 middle schools from across the state.
The all-tournament team, which includes students who demonstrated exceptional knowledge and teamwork during the day-long tournament, included Eden Toothman, Fairview Middle School Team Two, Fairview, Marion County; Brett Mays, Fairview Middle School Team One, Fairview, Marion County; Cole Aston, Cameron Middle School Team Two, Cameron, Marshall County; and Ryan Belmont, Summersville Middle School Team One, Summersville, Nicholas County.
Ryan Young, a member of Shady Spring Middle School Team One, was named the Most Valuable Player.
“We are proud to host the West Virginia State History Bowl and prouder still of the eighth-grade students who put so much time into preparing for these tournaments,” said Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. “It is also a tribute to the teachers, parents and advisers who take time to help the students study for the competition and who are committed to ensuring that the students are able to study together and attend the matches. They enjoy the event as much as the students.”
During the first year a single tournament was held at the Culture Center. Reid-Smith said interest was so strong that the Division introduced eight regional competitions the second year, allowing more schools to participate. The winner and runner-up teams from each region attend the statewide tournament. This year, the Division added a play-in tournament that accommodated schools that were unable to compete in their regional round because of inclement weather and school closings. It also was open to all schools throughout the state that wanted a second chance.
The double-elimination tournament includes lightning rounds and team rounds featuring questions about state and county history, culture, heritage and tourism prepared by the staff of the Division’s Archives and History section. Eighth graders in public, private and home-school education programs are eligible to compete on the four-person teams.
The Archives and History staff has developed more than 1,800 questions for its online Quick Quizzes. Teams preparing for the tournament were able to use the Archives and History Daily Trivia and Quick Quizzes as helpful tools from the Division’s website, www.wvculture.org/history.
Besides Young, championship team Shady Spring Middle School Team One includes Rachel Carrico, Kristen Miller and Peyton Michaels.
Runner-up team Fairview Middle School Team One includes Austin Composky, Becky Luketic, Breanna Lewis and Brett Mays.
Third place team Summersville Middle School Team One includes Ryan Belmont, Scottie Dorsey, Luke Frame and Morgan McHenry.
Fourth place team Fairview Middle School Team Two includes Lincoln Opyoke, Tayler Pope, Eden Toothman and Devony Workman.
Fifth place team Cameron Middle School Team Two includes Cole Aston, Ben Hart, Lander James and Ashley Ruza.
Sixth place team Sissonville Middle School Team One includes Zac Boggess, Tyler Burdette, Alex Monday and Olivia Montgomery.
Seventh place team Shady Spring Middle School Two includes Garrett Basham, Luke Keaton, Tristen Nesmith and Shade Varney.
Eighth place team Frankfort Middle School includes Allison Beverlin, Trey Clark, Garrett Grose and Kylie Malone.
Competitors included the following teams:
Moorefield Middle School (two teams) Moorefield, Hardy County
Taylor County Middle School Grafton, Taylor County
Ripley Middle School Ripley, Jackson County
Green Bank Middle School Green Bank, Pocahontas County
Logan Middle School Logan, Logan County
Mountaineer Middle School Morgantown, Monongalia County
Richwood Middle School Richwood, Nicholas County
Independence Middle School Sophia, Raleigh County
Frankfort Middle School Ridgeley, Mineral County
Fairview Middle School (two teams) Fairview, Marion County
Shady Spring Middle School (two teams) Shady Spring, Raleigh County
Cameron High School (two teams) Cameron, Marshall County
Jackson Middle School Vienna, Wood County
Edison Middle School Parkersburg, Wood County
Ansted Middle School Ansted, Fayette County
Summersville Middle School Summersville, Nicholas County
Andrew Jackson Middle School Cross Lanes, Kanawha County
Sissonville Middle School Sissonville, Kanawha County
Milton Middle School Milton, Cabell County
Wayne Middle School Wayne, Wayne County
Photographs of all teams competing in the West Virginia State History Bowl Tournament are available in a downloadable, high resolution format at www.wvculture.zenfolio/com/historybowl.
Videos of some matches are available to view at www.wvculture.org.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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