Harding University’s Academic Quiz Team (“A” team) placed first in the Region 11 tournament in Stillwater, Okla., on Feb. 4 and will advance to the National Academic Quiz Tournament Intercollegiate Championship in Rosemont, Ill.
After winning nine out of 10 games at Stillwater, Harding’s A team found itself tied with Oklahoma State University. In a final playoff round, Harding defeated Oklahoma State with an overall score of 346.7 to 321.3, according to NAQT’s official website.
The team consists of four members: junior Josh Duggins, freshman Mary O’Briant, senior Caleb Robbins and freshman Jake Windley, with Dr. Mark Elrod, professor of political science, as their coach.
Robbins said he took pride in the team, especially in its “very talented” freshmen.
“They really made the team competitive and we work well as a team, rather than just being separate people throwing answers around for the benefit of one summation of points,” Robbins said. “We help each other to answers when they’re on the tips of our tongues, and it can be hard to find that in quiz bowl.”
The bowl was an intense one but a good experience overall, according to several of the teammates. Members said they enjoyed spending time with each other and with students from the opposing teams.
“Our opposition was at least somewhat familiar to us, so it was nice playing people we know,” Robbins said. “There’s really very little animosity between teams that we regularly play and it makes for very friendly, honest matches.”
Teammates said they agreed that a highlight of the bowl was Duggins’ answering a biblical question that proved to be the turning point in the playoff game.
Sophomore Esther Samuelson from Harding’s B team said she was especially impressed with Duggins’ performance.
“The first phrase [in the question] was, ‘After this man’s death, his son Ish-Bosheth …’ and Josh buzzes in and goes, ‘Saul,’ ” Samuelson said. “And that was the question that put us ahead.”
Duggins said that it is common for Harding students to perform especially well on the biblical questions in a quiz bowl.
The team said it remains ecstatic over its victory in Stillwater and looks forward to competing in Chicago.
“It was so exciting to hear the timer go off and and know that we were going to go to Chicago,” O’Briant said. “I’ve never been to Chicago before, and I think it’s going to be a really exciting trip.”
Both Robbins and Duggins said they have been members of the team since their freshman year at Harding. Both he and Duggins have noticed significant overall improvement in the team.
“In my freshman year, we were third at sectionals and there were only five or six [teams], and we were happy with that,” Duggins said. “So to win and to actually be going to nationals is just kind of blowing my mind.”
The team will compete in the NAQT championship bowl on March 31, 2012.
