Cinco Ranch High School hosted the Bayou City Jamboree on September 21, where three of the Cinco Ranch Quiz Bowl teams competed against other state teams in the Texas Quiz Bowl Alliance (TQBA). After putting their academic knowledge to the test, all three of the Cinco Ranch teams placed in the Elite Eight in the tourney.

The Quiz Bowl Cougars went head to head with 360 other high schools in the area. Cinco Ranch Quiz Bowl Team B finished in 5th place, and Team C missed 7th place by just one question. Cinco Ranch Quiz Bowl Team A finished in 3rd place overall, and became a part of the top four finishing teams at the tourney that will advance to compete in the Quiz Bowl National Championships in Atlanta next May. Regarding the team’s performance at the Jamboree competition, Cinco Ranch Quiz Bowl sponsor Bob Diethrich expressed his thoughts and happiness with the tourney’s outcome.

“They have been working very hard, these guys don’t waste time. Of course, they do have fun一 we joke around a lot.” Diethrich said. “Aaryan and Charles are doing a great job running the club. We also had a lot of new guys this year, and I divided the three teams in this tournament so that they were pretty much even in talent. My A-Team cruised, my B-Team lost to a stronger team, and my C-Team lost on the last question. All three teams made it to the afternoon portion, and each came within one match from qualifying for [National Championships in] Atlanta.“ 

On the road to National Championships, the Quiz Bowl Cougars are gearing up by using a mix of practice and strategic planning.  Preparing for Quiz Bowl competition is no easy feat; before competitions, Cinco Ranch Quiz Bowl members pour over Wikipedia articles, scholastic databases, and study packets covering a variety of different subjects. Members also use Protobowl, an online multiplayer application where players can practice quiz bowl questions and chat with other players around the nation. The Quiz Bowl Cougars practice frequently, often making time during period 2.5 to study, or meeting for after school practice sessions. Prassan Singhal, senior and member of the Cinco Quiz Bowl A-Team, describes their strategy for success for their upcoming tournaments.

“Our goal is usually to try to answer as many questions before the other team as we can.” Singhal said. “Competitions between other teams are typically split into two parts: toss-up and bonus questions. While we try to focus on the toss-up questions, the set of bonus questions worth 30 points can really help push your team ahead in the tournament.” 

If you wish to become a part of the Quiz Bowl, all you have to do is have the desire to work hard and learn. Meetings take place every Wednesday afterschool and Tuesdays and Thursdays during 2.5 in computer lab 2613.

“You end up learning a lot  [in Quiz Bowl] that can help you a lot with school. If you’re taking WHAP [AP World History], APUSH [AP US History]– they all become considerably easier,” Aaryan Sagar, Cinco Ranch Quiz Bowl Captain, said. “Going to Nationals also gives you a chance to learn about Atlanta and its civil importance to the country while also being on vacation with friends.”

 To Cinco Ranch sophomore and Quiz Bowl co-captain Charles Chen, being a part of Quiz Bowl has profoundly changed the way he sees the world around him.

“Quiz Bowl gives you a new perspective of the world around you.” Chen said. “It allows you to look at things deeper and understand their meaning more.”