On April 12, Manual won the National Journalism Quiz Bowl Competition at the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Convention in San Diego. The team was comprised of J&C students Kinsey Ball (12), Joshua Svoboda (11), Jack Grossman (10) and Shea Dobson (10).

The team had prepared much in advance for the competition. “Josh actually made a study guide in preparation,” Ball said. “It had AP style, [Presidential] cabinet positions, and other topics that had been in questions in years past.”

The competition started with two relatively easy victories, 35-15 in the first round, followed by a 40-20 win in the second round. The third and final round was a much closer game however. The score was tied at 25-25, when Ball answered the tie-breaking question that propelled the team to a 30-25 victory and the national championship.

The National Journalism Quiz Bowl is sponsored by the JEA and NSPA as part of their bi-annual conferences. Teams must first take a written examination and teams with the best scores will qualify for the live, buzzer rounds. Manual has placed as high as second in years past and this is their first championship.