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Academic Excellence Teams selected for national tournament

February 4, 2016

Two teams from Johnson County Community College Academic Excellence Challenge teams will compete in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments Community College National Tournament Feb. 26-27 – a first for the organization. Previously, only one team from the college has qualified for the competition.

The teams qualified during the NAQT Sectional Competition, held Jan. 23 at Cloud Community College, where the A team placed second with an 8-2 record, and the B team placed fourth with a 6-3 record.

Also during the tournament, Brandon Hattesohl, Washington, Kansas, placed second in individual standings, while Dan Stilley, Overland Park, placed fifth; Trevor Crookston, Spring Hill, placed sixth; and Daniel Crist, Overland Park, placed ninth.

The members of the A team were Hattesohl; Stilley; team captain Rachel Hedrick, Spring Hill, Kansas; John Rives, Louisburg, Kansas, and Mark Ruskikh, Poltava, Ukraine. Team B was comprised of Crist; Crookston; team captain Frida Lara, Overland Park; Andrea Pineda Lugo, Valencia, Venezuela; and Alivia Dutcher, El Dorado, Kansas. The team is coached by Mindy Kinnaman of Independence, Missouri, manager of student life and leadership development, with the help of Leila Jacobs, Kansas City, Missouri, student life coordinator.

This season, the teams have tied each other for first at the Kansas Academic Excellence Challenge Fall Scrimmage hosted by Neosho Community College, and placed first and second at the Snow Bowl hosted by Cowley College.

Academic Excellence Challenge is a series of quiz bowl competitions in which students answer questions on topics ranging from science, math and literature to pop culture, current events and sports. Eight Kansas colleges participate in KAEC.

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