Kamiak High School’s Knowledge Bowl team heading to state championship

Published 10:59 pm Sunday, March 15, 2009

MUKILTEO — A year ago, they drove to the state Knowledge Bowl championship in a van; this year, they’ll have to take a bus.

The bigger rig is the price of success for Kamiak High School’s Knowledge Bowl team.

In the five-county Northwest Washington region, dozens of 4A teams competed for a trip to the state finals at Camas High School on March 28, but only three could qualify.

In the end, all three 4A teams hail from Kamiak, the state’s defending champions.

“It was very exciting,” said Ross Shkurinskiy, a senior and one of two returnees from the six-­member team that won state last year. “It’s hard to get two teams, much less three.”

Hundreds of teams across the state compete during the year. The highest finishing 2A, 3A and 4A schools then match wits and quick recall in the state tournament.

Knowledge Bowl, which started in Colorado in 1978, is an academic contest similar to the old General Electric College Bowl. It includes a series of oral rounds and a written round.

Questions cover a variety of subjects, but there are no textbooks to scour beforehand. At practice the other day, students were tested on their knowledge of Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes before answering a series of math questions.

“It’s good to have general knowledge,” said Jennifer Cho, a sophomore. “It’s just more fun that way.”

“I like it a lot because I’m a big trivia buff,” said Dylan Pickus, a junior who was part of the final Kamiak team to qualify for state.

The match that propelled his team in the regional playoffs came down to a final overtime question: What Arnold Swarzenegger movie has a name similar to the line dividing the dark and light side of the moon?

The answer: Terminator.

Bill Costello, an English teacher and Knowledge Bowl coach, fondly remembers the van ride back to Mukilteo after this team won a state Knowledge Bowl championship a year ago.

“You would have thought we had just won a World Series or something,” he said.

For many Kamiak students, Knowledge Bowl is less about academic milestones than friendships.

“Mr. Costello is like our dad at school,” said Karen Olsoy, 18, a senior in her third year of Knowledge Bowl. “We are like a family. I know that sounds cliche, but we accept each other and our little quirks.”

“Or big quirks,” said a grinning Stephen Kirkpatrick, another returnee from last year’s state champion, which had two members enroll at Harvard this fall.

Like many of the school’s Knowledge Bowl competitors, Jordan Standlee was recruited by classmates.

“A lot of my friends said, ‘Jordan, you really need to do Knowledge Bowl,’ ” he said. “I thought it sounded like fun and I’m glad they asked.”

With 18 students to transport instead of the six most schools will send, coach Costello has to alter travel plans. He knows it’s an enviable task.

“All I have is one van and a couple of hotel rooms,” he said.

Other students expected to compete in the state competition are Danny Curtin, Fiona Kwok, Michelle Kim, Charles Bischel, Emily Anderberg, Mark Logue, David Swanson, Julianne Bell, Rebecca Chao, Connor ­Gagnon, Sylvia Zaretsky and Veronica Ahn.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.