BLYTHEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL WINS ACADEMIC TOURNAMENT

2/20/2020

COLUMBIA - The winner of the 10^th annual Quiz Whiz Middle School Academic Tournament is Blythewood Middle School. Quiz Whiz is a Richland School District Two sponsored event that features sixth through eighth graders from all seven of the district’s middle schools. 

Photo: Blythewood Middle 2020 Quiz Whiz Middle School Academic Tournament Team with coaches, and tournament judges and moderator
Front row: Savannah Jones, Harry Weaver, Lane Broderick (holding the trophy), Katherine Connor, April Harbison, Anna Katherine Middleton, Janie Hamrick (coach), Kimberly English, (Math Judge - Blythewood High), Angie Hill (Science Judge - Westwood High).
Back Row: Stephanie Turiak (coach), Jaelen Baker, Tray Mazyck, Kade Polakowski, Bryce Crews, James Duckson, Nathan Waldrop, Drayden Young, Michelle Wyatt (Moderator - Spring Valley High), Cheryl Hunter (Social Studies Judge - Ridge View High).

Blythewood Middle School, coached by Janie Hamrick and Stephanie Turiak, won the competition finishing with seven match wins and no losses. Blythewood competed against E. L. Wright Middle School in the championship round. E. L. Wright, coached by Maria Carter, won five games and lost two. This was the first tournament win for Blythewood. 

Photo: E. L. Wright Middle School Team - Runner-up
First row: Shivani Patel, Jiya Anand, Erin Peters
Second row: Sophia Myrick, Alyssa Amaker, Evelyn Contreras Tovar
Third row: Coach Maria Carter, Hunter Shissias 
 
Quiz Whiz is similar to the National Academic Quiz Tournament with rigorous, pyramid-style questions focusing on history, literature, science, math, fine arts, current events, and sports. It’s not a game of trivia. 
 
Quiz Whiz was held Feb. 7-8, 2020 at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation (R2i2) located at 763 Fashion Drive, Columbia, SC. Matches will be aired on R2TV, Spectrum Cable channel 1303 in the Northeast Columbia area, with episodes of new rounds each week.  
 
Previous tournament winners are Dent Middle School (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), Summit Parkway Middle School (2013, 2015), E.L. Wright Middle School (2012, 2019) and Kelly Mill Middle School (2011).