Pekin Community High School (PCHS) Scholastic Bowl team kicked off their season in November and will wrap up on March 9. The scholastic bowl team answers trivia questions in competitions against other schools. 

The team has gained momentum this year, delivering a strong performance to the Princeton Tiger Cup. Out of 24 teams, they battled a 7–2 record and finished fourth overall. Atticus Wendling, a sophomore student at PCHS, ranked number two player in the entire tournament and earned his spot on the All-Tournament team.

Varsity player, Parker Winn, a junior, shared his favorite memories of the season: “One big highlight for us was the Princeton tournament, where we placed 4th place out of 24 teams and got our first ever plaque. My favorite memory was definitely the overnight trip. It was very fun and made lots of fun memories. I think we’re gonna do very well for the rest of the year.”

The team also had success at the Macomb Rotary tournament in February, the team placing sixth out of nine teams. The team always brings top-tier competition, showing that all of the study sessions they hold do pay off.

Senior Awais Malik has enjoyed his senior season. Malik states that the “competition has gotten harder, but our team has been adapting to it with our high performance on toss-up questions.”

Malik expanded on the success of his teammates. “Players like Atticus, Silas, and I have been doing great with adjusting to the challenging competition this year, which has been reflected in our significant success in the Peoria Area League this season. It couldn’t have been done without our amazing coaching and bonding.” 

One of the best parts of being on a team is building a community with your teammates. “My favorite memories are not within the matches. It’s being able to bond with everyone throughout our Varsity team, whether it is our dinners we have after our Tuesday meets, or being able to wander around a school we’ve never been to for 1 hour before a tournament starts,” Malik stated.

The PCHS scholastic bowl team is being successful while also making exciting high school memories. Good luck to the Dragons the rest of the season!