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In a battle of wits ... and a little trivia ... Summerland - Clearwater and St. Mary's quiz bowl teams fought through two finals to determine a winner of the Niobrara Valley Conference quiz bowl.

The local quizmasters brought home the runner-up award from the March 24 event, held in Niobrara.

Summerland students defeated SMH, 35-25, to set the final round, which would require the Cardinals to push Summerland-Clearwater to two finals to earn the championship.

St. Mary's capitalized on bonus questions in the first match to earn a 50-15 victory, establishing a winner-take-all scenario.

Summerland-Clearwater was quick on the buzzer and answered the first question correctly but missed the bonus. SMH answered two in a row correctly and added one bonus question.

By question 10, the score was knotted at 40 apiece. St. Mary's nailed question 11 and picked up bonus points, to take a 65-40 advantage.

Both teams missed questions and then, time expired, landing Summerland in second place.

Coach Connie Cronin has led the activity since the 2013-14 school year. She said students from the site have found success in the event.

In 2018, the team placed fourth and in 2019, they were crowned conference winners.

"Since there was no tournament in 2020, because of COVID, I have taken students six times to this event. Therefore, we are batting .500. I'd say that's pretty good," she said.

quiz bowl gives students a chance to "celebrate academics," according to Cronin.

"It is an opportunity to be part of something where ideas can be sparked and minds can be opened up to discussions about anything and everything," she said.

Cassidy Bearinger joined quiz bowl after former members mentioned it was fun and a good experience.

"It is a team effort, you need people in different areas of knowledge to be able to broaden what you all know to be able to compete to the best ability," she said.

Jacob Behnk said quiz bowl requires quick thinking.

"It is very much a lively competition."

Students prepare for competition by answering practice questions and playing trivia games.

Pre-COVID, team members met during lunch to review questions. They also meet weekly at 7 a.m., to practice.

Nothing beats an early morning like eating breakfast pizza while buzzing in on Eggspert.

The only thing missing: a contest-level buzzer system.

Cronin said the NVC has a traveling system for use at the conference system. Team members have tried to use Eggspert, but it doesn't simulate competition.

"Many matches and championships have been won and lost because of having the opportunity to practice on the buzzer. There is a definite technique to being good on the buzzer. Most younger players know the answers to questions, but are afraid to hit the buzzer. As the adage goes, 'Practice makes perfect,'" Cronin said.

Jesse Thiele said he competed while in junior high and wanted to continue to be a part of the high school squad.

He said, "We all get along and joke around together, but everyone seems to play their own part on the team, and it works out great when it comes to competition."

Thiele said math is his strong suit. Bearinger focuses on English and literature. Behnk's areas of expertise include history, geography and science.

What's special about the quizlets?

Behnk said his team "has a very diverse range of knowledge, a fierce determination to win and passion for teasing our coach."

Each quiz bowl follows different rules. According to Cronin, the KTCH compeition is a single elimination format aired on the radio.

"Only three students are allowed to participate, with one alternate."

ESU 8 and NECC competitions draw teams from different class schools and, typically, feature a double-elimination format.

Does she have a favorite meet?

"Not really," she said. "The more kids compete the better they get. I love seeing the excitement in their faces when they get the answers correct and win the match. I love seeing their confidence build when they realize they really are pretty smart," she said.

Looking smart also plays into the psychological aspect of competition.

The team uniform includes a blue and gray argyle sweater vest and black slacks.

Thiele said the vests make the Summerland-Clearwater team seem more formal than others.

Bearinger added it brings a semblance of unity to the team.

For Behnk, the sweater vest says it all.

"I believe that the sweater vest sets a "we mean business" tone for the competition. It shows that our team is here to win and is on the same Page when it comes to competing," he said.

All three students would like to see quiz bowl competitions expand when all three sites move to the new building.

Bearinger said increased competition will allow students to get better, especially on the buzzer.

Behnk said Summerland-Clearwater students are willing and capable to compete in an increased schedule.

"Summerland, as a unified team, will surely be able to compete with larger schools and more competitions will give us the chance to show them what we've got," he said.

Cronin encourages students to participate in the event for multiple reasons.

"Whether it's getting kids to be aware of their world, get over their fear of speaking out in public, or just being a quick thinking, quiz bowl is fun," she said.

Thiele said while some individuals consider the event as "boring and nerdy," it is always fun.

"I enjoy it, especially with my team," he said.

Bearinger said it takes a team effort and builds camaraderie.

"We all contribute and cheer each other on to help each other do our best," she said.

It isn't "just a smart person thing," according to Behnk.

"A lot of the questions are some of the most random facts out there," he said.

An example was a question asked during the ESU 8 meet this year.

"We literally had a question about the street names of heroin," he said.

It's an exercise of mind.

"A chance to fine tune their senses of humor," Cronin said.

Behnk agreed.

"People think of it as a "prestigious gathering of intellectuals," when in reality, it's actually fairly laid back," he said.