Schofield Middle School's Academic Team left last Friday to compete in a national championship with the determination to do the best they could.
The team returned home this week having achieved its goal.
The team, known as Team Awesome, finished tied for 70th place out of 192 teams from 29 states in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments' 2018 Middle School National Championship Tournament.
Lila Dawson, the team captain, finished 17th out of 1,000 students in the individual competition.
The team's other members are Abby Christensen, Haley Gunnels, Annie Matson, Ronnie Rahenkamp and Sid Shealy.
“We had an awesome experience,” said Aaron Knowles, the team's coach who teaches sixth- and eighth-grade social studies. “The questions and games moved very fast, but the team adjusted and played wonderfully.”
Schofield was one of two South Carolina teams at the national championship, according to a news release from the tournament.
Schofield finished the preliminary rounds with a 4-4 record with some tense moments, according to the release.
Schofield defeated Holt from Michigan by the narrow margin of 185-175 during round 11 and defeated Marshall from San Diego, California, 240-215 during round 12.
Schofield's shot at the playoffs ended when they lost to Wayzata Central A from Plymouth, Minnesota, in round 9.
Dawson was honored as an All-Star for correctly answering 57 tossup questions – 16 of them for "power," that is, so early as to earn extra points – in the preliminary rounds, according to the release.
The tournament champion was Pi-oneers of Cupertino, California.
Sunday, Team Awesome toured downtown Chicago, looking at “amazing displays of art, science and history,” Knowles said.
“And, of course, we enjoyed some Chicago deep dish pizza,” he said. “We are tired but would not change this experience for the world.”
A photo album of Team Awesome's trip to Chicago is available online at photos.app.goo.gl/DdaktOk7mnbZ6eUB2.
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