Middle School Team Wins Academic Competition

Sixteen members of the make up the seventh- and eighth-grade academic tournament team.  The team has competed throughout the school year in various local and state competitions including inter scholastic events, national computerized competitions and individualized paper-based formats.  

In early 2012, three smaller four and six-member teams participated in the Academic Tournament of Middle Schools, sponsored by Bridgewater Raritan Education Association where one team consisting of eighth-graders Kunwoo Park, Peter Isler, Jonathan He, and seventh-grader Will DiGrande, placed third in the six-week competition and brought home $200 in prize money for the school.  

On Saturday, this same four member team competed in the 16th Annual Seton Hall Prep Pirate Bowl sponsored by Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange. In a grueling seven-hour event consisting of eight rounds of 80 possible questions each, the Warren Middle School Academic Tournament Team took home the championship award, defeating 19 schools from throughout the state.  

This year's Seton Hall Prep quiz bowl format was changed after 15 years and included the use of buzzers and bonus points, which added a dimension of higher competition requiring the teams to answer more questions quickly and correctly to gain the advantage. Kunwoo, Peter, Jonathan and Will took to the new format easily and displayed exceptional knowledge of various topics including math, science, literature, social studies, politics and pop culture.  

Seton Hall Preparatory High School offers this competition annually to surrounding middle schools to promote its nationally recognized academic tournament team and to draw interest to the school. The Warren Middle School academic team coach, Susan Cooper, has participated in the Seton Hall Prep Pirate Bowl for 14 years bringing home the championship title nine times.  

"People are are often in disbelief when they learn our school has won this even so many times," Dr. Cooper said. "They ask if the questions are easy or the competition is too light—I assure them we meet up with challenging teams and that the majority of adults don't know the answers to the questions like these students do.

"Warren has amazing students who excel at high levels," she added.

The members of the WMS academic tournament team qualified for the National Academic Championship held annually in Washington, DC, and is considering participating next year.

Submitted by Susan Cooper