Maine East Scholastic Bowl Qualifies for National Tournament
The Maine East Scholastic Bowl team is headed to the prestigious National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) National Championships for the first time in school history. In order to qualify for the national tournament, a team has to finish in the top 15% in a tournament that uses NAQT questions. Maine East did that twice during this school year.
Maine East has compiled a record of 35-16 and is led by senior co-captains Kelly Tsogtjargal and Stella Tsogtjargal. Other players include juniors Sarah Phan, Talia Lasky, Katie Ruhnke and Alex Henricksen as well as sophomores Evelyn Alsop, Aleks Bargoz and Henry Morrison.
The team is currently fundraising to cover the costs of traveling to the national championships. Anyone interested in donating can visit: https://gofund.me/b555822f or drop off/mail donation to the Maine East Bookstore re: Scholastic Bowl. Checks should be made payable Maine East High School with Scholastic Bowl in the memo line.
The first time Maine East qualified for the national tournament was when the team tied for 9th place out of 54 teams in the Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association (IHSSBCA) Kickoff Tournament in November at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. The second time the team qualified for nationals was in December when the team placed 3rd out of 36 teams in the Reinstein Varsity Tournament at Barrington High School.
The NAQT High School National Championship will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta, Georgia from May 27-29.
Maine East won the IHSA Class 2A Regional Championship for the first time since 2003. Maine East went 2-0 in the tournament with victories over Glenbard West and Hinsdale South.
The Maine East Scholastic Bowl Team tied for first place at the IHSA Sectional Tournament at Hinsdale Central High School on March 12. The team went 2-1 on the day with victories over Loyola Academy and Oak Park Fenwick.
Kelly Tsogtjargal was named to the IHSA Class 2A All-State team. This is the first time since 2007 that Maine East has had a member of its Scholastic Bowl Team honored by an All-State designation. Kelly Tsogtjargal and Stella Tsogtjargal were named to the IHSA Class 2A Hinsdale Central All-Sectional Team.
The team motto for the season is "Together We Rise" and is coached by social science teacher Owen Doak.