The MHS Academic Team placed 47th of a 72 team field featuring the best teams across the nation at the 2022 PACE National Scholastic Competition in Chicago, IL.
MHS ranks now in the top 50 Quiz Bowl teams IN THE NATION! This comes despite our young roster, as we fielded a 6 person team that featured 3 freshmen. This marks the first time Mexico has played in a national Quiz Bowl tournament.
Despite a wild and crazy night that featured a delayed train, broken down subway stations and a 1:30 AM arrival at the hotel, MHS went on little sleep in Game 1 and won Mexico’s first national competition game (in the first national game that MHS competed in!) by beating Chattahooche B (from Georgia).
Rounds 2 – 4 saw some tough losses, but Mexico held their own and had a lead in all 3 games. In Game 4, Mexico got to experience playing what ended up being the 3rd best team in the nation this year, Kinkaid from Texas. Mexico lost 520 – 80.
Mexico rebounded in Game 5 beating Canyon Crest from California by a score of 330 – 250.
In the afternoon rounds, the short night caught up to Mexico as they dropped Games 6 – 10. despite a strong effort. The 2 – 8 record was good enough that they guaranteed themselves a top 50 finish.
In the placement games on Sunday, Mexico stayed close in games 12 – 15. But the season ended with a high, as Mexico won the final game against Dunbar from Kentucky on the final tossup (answered by Jamison Jeffries). The final score was 220 – 210, ending MHS’s historic season with a win, and launching Mexico into 47th place.
Camden Williams, who is widely seen as a rising star in the Missouri Quiz Bowl scene, set a PACE freshman record by scoring 900 points.
Sydney Moeller, a rare 4-year varsity starter was second on the team with 260 points.
Jamison Jeffries had the game-winning tossup against Dunbar, and scored 120 points.
Also playing this weekend were Declan Gleeson (50 points), Carter Blackburn (30 points) and Lucy Gleeson.
In the end, the tournament served as a great barometer to the Mexico High School Academic Team’s success. Only 6 Missouri teams played in the tournament, Mexico was the 4th ranked Missouri team in the tournament, despite fielding a team with 3 freshmen.
Head coach Dale Schenewerk says “Many thanks are owed to the tremendous support from Mexico High School, the Mexico communit and a special thank you is owed to the Griffin Family Foundation for their generous $1500 grant that paid for the hotel rooms and travel for the weekend.”