CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sherrard Middle School Team One from Wheeling, Marshall County, won the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History’s (WVDACH) 14th annual West Virginia State History Bowl Championship held Tuesday, April 25, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston.
South Middle School Team Two from Morgantown, Monongalia County, was the runner-up in the competition that included 24 teams of eighth graders from 20 middle schools in 13 counties across the state.
Allison McGraw of Sherrard Middle School Team One was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The all-tournament team, made up of students who demonstrated exceptional knowledge and teamwork during the day-long tournament, included Max Abildso, South Middle School Team Two; Nathan Jordan, Doddridge County Middle School Team One; Caitlyn Moody, Charles Town Middle School; Teagan Moulton, Shepherdstown Middle School Team One; and Ryan Reeves, Park Middle School Team One.
The double-elimination tournament includes lightning rounds and team rounds featuring questions about state and county history, culture, heritage, tourism, geography, government and sports prepared by the staff of the department’s Archives and History section. Eighth graders in public, private and home-school education programs are eligible to compete on the four-person teams.
The championship team, Sherrard Middle School Team One, included students Ella Finley, Allison McGraw, Sarah Naome and Zoe Zervos.
The runner-up team, South Middle School Team Two, included students Max Abildso, Ryan Graham, Moira McInelly and Macy Shahan.
The third-place team, Park Middle School Team One, included students Kofi Ackon-Annan, Avery Kneeland, Ryan Reeves and Trey Sides.
The fourth-place team, Charles Town Middle School, included students Ava Brenneke, Caitlin Moody, Ayden Purvis and Maggie Slover.
For more information, contact Royce Diehl, tournament director and education coordinator for Archives and History, at (304) 558-0230 or Adam.R.Diehl@wv.gov.
Competitors included the following teams:
Barboursville Middle School Team 1 (Barboursville, Cabell County) – Eighth Place
Charles Town Middle School (Charles Town, Jefferson County) – Fourth Place
Doddridge County Middle School Team 1 (West Union, Doddridge County) – Seventh Place
Edison Middle School (Parkersburg, Wood County)
Frankfort Middle School Team 2 (Ridgeley, Mineral County)
Huntington Middle School Team 2 (Huntington, Cabell County)
Hurricane Middle School (Hurricane, Putnam County)
Independence Middle School Team 1 (Sophia, Raleigh County)
Jackson Middle School Team 2 (Vienna, Wood County)
Keyser Middle School Team 2 (Keyser, Mineral County) – Sixth Place
Mountain View Christian (Hilltop, Fayette County)
Park Middle School Team 1 (Beckley, Raleigh County) – Third Place
Peterstown Middle School Team 1 (Peterstown, Monroe County)
Peterstown Middle School Team 2 (Peterstown, Monroe County)
Saint Joseph School Team 1 (Martinsburg, Berkeley County)
Shady Spring Middle School Team 1 (Shady Spring, Raleigh County)
Shepherdstown Middle School Team 1 (Shepherdstown, Jefferson County) – Fifth Place
Shepherdstown Middle School Team 2 (Shepherdstown, Jefferson County)
Sherrard Middle School Team 1 (Wheeling, Marshall County) – First Place
Sherrard Middle School Team 2 (Wheeling, Marshall County)
South Middle School Team 2 (Morgantown, Monongalia County) – Second Place
South Middle School Team 1 (Morgantown, Monongalia County)
Summersville Middle School (Summersville, Nicholas County)
Winfield Middle School (Winfield, Putnam County)