The scholastic team (names listed below) at John Champe competed over the weekend of Feb. 28 – Mar. 1 at the VHSL Scholastic Bowl State Championships in Williamsburg, placing second and returning with two hardly fought victories and one loss.
The competition was hosted in a round-robin format with three intense matches. They were put against Jamestown, Blacksburg, and Dinwiddie, but other participating high schools such as Freedom and Lightridge were also present during the weekend. All schools had to compete over answering questions in time related to english, mathematics, science, and social studies.
“Throughout the competition, we learned how crucial it is to stay composed under pressure, especially in tight moments like the Jamestown match,” junior Atharv Bapuram said.
Their first match against Jamestown was a bare victory after winning a tough tiebreaker, and their second match was a loss against last year’s champions: Blacksburg, but ended off strong by securing a second-place finish after their third match against Dinwiddie.
“Looking ahead, our goal is to win states next year, and we’re planning to step up our game by practicing on Protobowl (multiplayer quiz bowl application), reviewing past matches, and strengthening our teamwork,” Bapuram said. “With more preparation, we’re determined to finally take down Blacksburg and claim the championship title.”
Aside from the competition, they were able to ease off some tension by eating out in restaurants like Panera, exploring Colonial Williamsburg, and spending time enjoying their place of stay at SpringHill Suites in Richmond.
Student Names:
- Atharv Bapuram
- Arush Bodla
- Aarav Chhapgar
- Anishkumar Ganabady
- Abhi Sanku
- Vaibhavi Proddutur
- Saanvi Yarlagadda
- Shree Ragavendran
- Aneesh Gudipati
