Two Southwest Washington knowledge bowl teams stood at the top of the podium Saturday, March 21, as CAM Academy and Ridgefield High School each claimed state championships in their respective divisions at Wenatchee High School.
The victory was CAM Academy's first, as it won the 2B division. Coach Eric Harpe and Assistant Coach Sarah Nielsen didn't learn the team had won gold until after they had finished judging another division.
“It was a shock, we thought coming in that we had a good chance of getting in the finals,” Harpe recalled. “We were not expecting to win the finals, so it was a shock.”
CAM’s knowledge bowl program started in the 2023–24 school year, but it has steadily climbed toward the top. The team placed eighth at state in its first appearance and ninth the following year, repeatedly finishing behind rival Seton Catholic in both regional and state competitions.
That changed in Wenatchee, where CAM edged Seton Catholic by two points in the 2B final.
“We were really excited, we've been trying for three years to beat them,” co-captain Ascha Nielsen said. “Every time we went up against them, that's our goal, we had the momentum.”
“I think we're more excited to beat Seaton Catholic than to get 1st place at state,” co-captain Megan Brinton added.
The victory carried added meaning for the team, which has competed in memory of former captain Tanner Lepchinski, who died last year. Team members wore flannel and cowboy hats during the competition to commemorate Lepchenske, who often moved between Washington and Texas.
At CAM, where traditional sports programs are limited, the win represents something larger for the school community. Coach Harpe and CAM Academy Principal Ryan Cowl observed that the team performed well due to their teamwork and mutual trust when answering challenging questions in a Jeopardy-style format.
“I think overall, the big thing is that it boosts that level of confidence that they have; they learn that they work well together as a team,” CAM Academy Principal Ryan Cowl said. “When they needed to perform at that level, they performed and they were able to overcome the obstacle of Seton Catholic and beat them at the state by a couple of points to win.”
Across the competition floor, another Southwest Washington program took gold in the 2A division.
In a twist of timing, Ridgefield coach David Jacobson happened to be reading questions during CAM’s final round, unable to watch his own team at that moment. Later, he saw Ridgefield secure yet another state title, this time in a final round against Pullman and Eatonville.
The program has now won four of the last five in-person state championships, along with an additional title during the COVID-era online season. It has also claimed two national knowledge bowl championships in the past five years and a third-place national finish.
This year’s team blended experience with new contributors. Sophomore Bobby Hull stepped into a key varsity role, helping fill a gap left by last year’s graduating captain, James Haddix. Senior Sadie Ford took over leadership duties for the first time at the varsity level.
“She's the glue that holds everything together,” Jacobson said. “Ultimately, the captain always (decides) the answer that you're gonna go with and she's knowledgeable. She's a lightning-quick thinker. She’s grown to trust her teammates and gets the best out of them. Couldn't ask for more in a leader.”
The team’s wide-spread knowledge on topics, ranging from mathematics to geography, supported Ridgefield’s victory. At more than one point, Ford’s unusually deep knowledge of Peru surfaced at just the right moment, helping them secure key points in a tight round. Once in a while, the team is thrown a softball question tied with a motion of arms moving up and down, antithetical to one another.
“Well, we had a question on slang terms in our semifinal round,” Hull recalled. “So, last question, which we normally don't have a lot of questions on slang terms, and the term was ‘six-seven.’ That was the answer.”
For the players, success came down to more than just knowledge. Confidence in one’s ability to answer questions before the answer is fully read is a crucial skill.
“I think the most challenging part is when you realize that everybody in the room knows most of the same things you do… It's something you can only learn through experience, you can't do it through studying,” Ford said.
Looking ahead, Ridgefield will shift its focus to national competitions. This year’s knowledge bowl national tournament will be held online in a new, faster-paced format that rewards early answers. At the same time, the team is preparing for Quiz Bowl nationals in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend, a separate competition with a different structure that emphasizes individual buzzing and deeper question pyramids.
