Knowledge Bowl – Glencoe-Silver Lake takes first step toward returning to state meet

When high school Knowledge Bowl teams from across the state gather for the state tournament in the spring, Glencoe-Silver Lake hopes it will be among the competitors.
And why not. The Panthers are two-time defending state champions. GSL has won the state meet five times since 2007. Saturday, Dec. 1, in Ortonville, GSL started its planned trip back to state with solid performances at the season-opening competition.
“One of the benefits of playing Knowledge Bowl at GSL is that you are always playing against high quality competition,” said GSL co-coach Vicky Harris. She and Eric Anderson lead the team. “We are always working out with the best.”
With about 35 participants out for the team, seven seniors lead GSL. Brett Baumgarten and Jacob Reichow, both seniors, are back from the state championship team a year ago. The Panthers also have three juniors and 11 sophomores on this year’s team. Seven ninth-graders and seven junior high-schoolers round out the roster.
Knowledge Bowl meets allow teams to place four or five students on a team. The school can enter as many teams as it wants for varsity through junior-high level competitions. Six of GSL’s eight teams won medals at Saturday’s meet.
Harris expected the meet would provide teams with a good look at how strong teams in the region would be this fall. Teams have been practicing since mid-November to prepare for the first meet.
“We don’t have a very good way of scouting each other,” she said.
Unlike other schools, Harris said GSL limits the other activities the members of the Knowledge Bowl team could participate in to avoid scheduling conflicts. She described the students on the team as well rounded and eclectic.
“If all a kid knew is what they learned in school, they wouldn’t be the best at Knowledge Bowl. They’d be pretty darned good, but not the best,” Harris said.

(For the complete story, see the Dec. 5 print edition of The Chronicle.)