The Gravette 9th Grade Quiz Bowl team made history at the Junior High 5A Regional Tournament in Alma, Arkansas, becoming the first Gravette team to compete at the 5A level in any sport, team, or event. Undefeated in matches against Alma Middle School, Alma 9th, Farmington, Pea Ridge, and Harrison, the team secured a place at the state finals in Little Rock on Saturday, February 15.
Isaac Nichols was named tournament MVP, while both he and Jarett Fort earned spots on the all-tournament team as top individual scorers.
Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced academic competition that challenges students to answer questions on topics like history, science, literature, and current events using a buzzer system. Often called the "varsity sport of the mind," it requires quick thinking and broad knowledge. Gravette has a strong history in quiz bowl, with many high school teams qualifying for state and even reaching the state finals over the years.
In Gravette Schools, students are introduced to quiz bowl as early as 4th grade through the GATE program, where they participate in mock quiz bowls and both informal and formal meets with regional schools. At Gravette Middle School, quiz bowl is open to all students as a club. GATE Director Rachel Gibson emphasizes, “We introduce them to Quiz Bowl early so that we have kids who are excited and ready to plug into those programs.”
Longtime sponsors Mrs. Ali Schaffer and Mrs. Megan Bassing, who have supported Gravette quiz bowl teams for more than 15 years, expressed their pride in this year’s 9th grade team. "We are very proud of this group of kids. They are passionate about learning and all things trivia, and they challenge each other to be better while also having fun. They also don't get intimidated by bigger schools--we've seen them fall way behind in a match but still manage to come back and win because they don't quit! We can't wait to see what they do at the State Finals and the rest of their high school career!"
Congratulations to the Gravette 9th Grade Quiz Bowl team on this significant accomplishment. Best of luck at the state finals!