LHS Knowledge Bowl Team Eighth at State

Lynden High School’s top six-person Knowledge Bowl team proved itself one of the brightest in the state, recently capturing eighth in the final statewide competition, this coming off a first-place finish at the district finals. 

The Knowledge Bowl season offers teams of students—typically in groups of four to six students—the chance to compete against other schools in a Jeopardy-like event, where the host asks a question which would be known through rigorous high school study, and teams buzz in with the correct answer. 

Lynden junior and team captain Luke Hoffman says Lynden was able to field four teams throughout the season. At competitions, each Lynden team competed against other schools in a different room. “Each room holds three teams and a question reader,” he says. “As each question is read, teams buzz in to answer, so speed is crucial.” 

The top Lynden team, The Wild Kratts, comprised of Hoffman, Adrien Fassotte, Max Jones, Daniel Mrak, Jevan Nilsen and Jesse Stewart went on to win districts and place eighth out of 18 teams at the 2A state event in Wenatchee. The Knowledge Bowl advisor is Jordan VanderVeen. 

“One of the most awesome things about Knowledge Bowl is the cooperation in the team,” Hoffman says. “Coming together with our individual knowledge, we work together to answer the questions.” 

Hoffman says the state meet was nerve-racking. “At one point we were competing against a private school that had been doing very well throughout the competition,” he says. “They would continually buzz just milliseconds before us.” That team ended edging Lynden out in the competition and going on to win the entire event. 

“The battle between us and them, although not warranting a victory for us,” Hoffman says, “was a great opportunity to see a team that is at the top of their game.” He says the state event has propelled him to think about the ways Lynden can improve for next year to compete at that same level.