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Champions of Knowledge: The CCES Academic Team's Journey to State Runner-up
At CCES, the Academic Team isn’t just a club. It’s a dedicated group of students who exemplify the spirit of teamwork, curiosity, and hard work. Led by Erick Bousman, US Latin Instructor, this group had a tremendous year competing in Quiz Bowl tournaments, culminating in being the State Runner-up at the NAQT State Championships, hosted at the University of South Carolina in Columbia last weekend. This team comprised four members: Nelson Adams-Riley ’24, Mac Spear ’24, Faith Vagnoni ’24, and Liam Weston ’25.
CCES also sent a second team to State and they placed 15th out of 24 teams. This group included Madelyn Brotherton ’25, Luke Brownlee ’25, Brooke Morgan ’25, Anna Bruner ’25, and Kayla Brezenski ’25.
The Academic Team is open to all, but being a member is no small commitment – the group typically meets 3-4 times a week during lunch for practice and attends tournaments in both the fall and spring. Quiz Bowl tests teams with trivia questions in a range of subjects – history, literature, science, math, and fine arts. Like any other competitive endeavor, it is a fine balance of students’ overall skills and the best fit for the team.
At the State Championships, the team beat an impressive slate of opponents, including St. Joseph’s, Southside Christian, Governor’s School for Science and Math, and Aiken to advance into the top ranked pool for the playoffs. In the playoffs, they defeated Dorman and Riverside before facing Wade Hampton in the final, falling just short.
The team unanimously agrees that this great run at State was based on teamwork rather than the performance of any one individual. This team has been together for roughly the past three years, working hard in practice and developing an unwavering confidence in one another.
Nelson Adams-Riley shares, “What went into this season was taking a general love for competing and learning, and turning that into a team of specialized competitors, each responsible for covering our respective areas and trusting our teammates to cover the rest.”
The last time CCES was ranked at State was in 2019, when most of our current team members were in middle school. Liam Weston says this 2nd place finish “means a lot” and being able to help out as the lone junior on a team of seniors was “an experience I will never forget.”
As Mac Spear reflects on the group’s journey over the past three years, he fondly recalls all the time spent preparing for tournaments and as a senior, the privilege of guiding underclassmen after walking in their shoes not that long ago. He says, “The Academic Team has been like a family for me and has given me memories and friends I will cherish forever.”
These three seniors – Nelson, Mac, and Faith – have certainly left their mark on the CCES Academic team, creating a solid foundation of hard work, dedication, and team cohesion. As they prepare to graduate, they will leave their younger classmates with a somewhat familiar adage: “Be swift to buzz. Make haste to be right.”
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