Editor’s note: This earlier press release was submitted by Scholastic Bowl Coach Brian Bartoz.
“Scholastic Bowl runs on Morrison Mustang intellectual horsepower,” Bartoz said. “The more brain power we can harness, the greater our chances of success.”
Morrison High School’s Scholastic Bowl team delivered one of its strongest performances in recent memory during the 2019-20 season. The team finished the year with a 29-18 overall record and a 10-2 record in Three Rivers Conference, Masonic Sectional.
This included the following accomplishments.
- A 3-0 record on Stateline Quiz Bowl, a television program broadcast on WTVO-TV in the Rockford, IL, area. Morrison defeated Guilford HS (180-130), Winnebago HS (280-200), and Stillman Valley HS (240-150) in its three appearances on the program.
- A 7-0 record in the Masonic Sectional Tournament at Prophetstown High School on February 15
- Competitive matches at the Masonic State Tournament in Bloomington, IL, on March 7
- An extraordinary, 11-match winning streak late in the season
- A 10-2 record in the Three Rivers Conference
- A second-place overall finish (out of 13 teams) in the Three Rivers Conference, which includes such Scholastic Bowl powerhouse teams as Riverdale, Sherrard, Newman, and St. Bede.
Winning all seven matches in the Masonic Sectional Tournament at Prophetstown High School in February 2020 allowed the team to qualify for the Masonic State Tournament in Bloomington, IL, on March 7. Although the team didn’t advance to the championship-level matches in the afternoon, the experience of playing against some of the best Scholastic Bowl teams in the State was a positive one for students.
In the Three Rivers Conference, Scholastic Bowl Team Captain Griffin Vos achieved a first-place individual finish and All-Conference (First Team) honors for correctly answering 57 tossup questions this season. As a MHS Senior, his record during the 2019-20 season places him first among all students from the 13 teams in the Three Rivers Conference. Vos also received All-Sectional Honors from the Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association (IHSSBCA), for exemplary performance in the Class A Riverdale (Port Byron, IL,) Sectional during the 2019-20 season. This recognition places him among the top Scholastic Bowl competitors in northwest Illinois.
In the Three Rivers Conference, Seniors Kara Saville and Hannah Stralow each correctly answered 20 tossup questions and received All-Conference (Second Team) honors. At far right is Aaron Freeman.
“I am very impressed with the work of our Seniors throughout the 2019-20 season,” said Coach Bartoz. “Griffin, Kara, and Hannah have been members of Scholastic Bowl since their freshman year, and they have competed on the Varsity team since their Sophomore season. Their teammates and I appreciate all of their hard work and dedication throughout the past four years.”
During the 2020-21 season, the team will rely on veteran players Chloe Austin-Roeder; Aaron Freeman; Lorilee Hutson; Hannah Lambdin; Adam Neumann. They will take on leadership roles to ensure that the team is well-positioned for success. Multiple Freshman and Sophomore students will be essential to the team’s performance as well.