Those last two years, we also got good. The 2000/2001 team had a close call in the Subregion Tournament, finishing just a couple points out of getting into the Regionals. The 2001/2002 team won almost every meet we entered and dominated the Subregion and Region Tournaments. That team of Rachel, Bob, Matt, and Evan finished 5th in the State Tournament!
It was during these last couple years that I also realized that the Cold Spring Record, the local newspaper, would pretty much print anything sent into them. Here are some of the "articles" I wrote for the Record on the Knowledge Bowl's behalf.
Knowledge Bowl Team Ends Regular Season
The ROCRORI High School Knowledge Bowl team ended its regular season March 17 with a 4th place finish at the Cambridge Invitational. ROCORI teams also chalked up a 4th place finish at the Buffalo Tournament, a 3rd place finish at North Branch, and 2nd place finishes at each of the Apollo, Foley, and Tech tournaments. They also earned invitations to two of the more prestigious tournaments in the state, Chaska (17th place) and Concordia (5th place).
Other than the Chaska meet, which invited 50 teams this year, most meets have about 30 to 35 teams vying for the coveted title of tournament champion. Teams start out the day with a grueling 60 question written round and based on their score are placed into rooms for a 45 question oral round. In the oral round, three teams compete Jeopardy style, buzzing in with a pressure sensitive green strip. After the smoke clears and the round is declared over, teams reenergize with donuts and juice while the scores are reticulated. Then they are again sent out to the trenches.
After a total of four oral rounds, winners are lauded, prizes are bestowed, and the mentally weary teams clamor to their respected buses. However, their fatigue is short lived, when scant seconds after boarding the "yellow carriage",the cries of, "Are we stopping somewhere to eat?" resounds up its, sacred aisle.
ROCORI High School Knowledge Bowl members this year include, Kayla Wenker, David Raw, Amanda Hemmesch, Josie Ziegler, Evan Creed, Matt Bonham, Rachel Rollins, Bob Willenbring, Eric Patton, Anna Grelson, Darren Schlangen, Briana Theis, Laura Januszewski, and a plethora of sophomores. They have dutifully given up the majority of their Saturdays since January, sometimes rising before the sun, to compete in the hallowed tradition that is Knowledge Bowl. Their season climaxes Thursday April 4, when they pit their wits against 23 other teams in, the Class AA Subregional Tournament.
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| ROCORI Knowledge Bowl (c.2001ish) |
I didn't write this one, but it did appear in the St. Cloud Times...
Knowledge Bowl teams from a number of local schools earned top spots at a meet Jan. 19 at Apollo High School.
Among 36 varsity teams, the following five teams earned top honors: Rocori High School's Team 1, 103 points; Apollo's Team 1, 100 points; Chisago Lake High School's Team 2, 96 points; Becker High School's Team 1, 92 points; and Holdingford High School's Team 1, 86 points.
In the junior varsity competition among 19 teams, the following five teams took top spots: North Branch Team A, 86 points; Monticello Team A, 76 points; St. John's Preparatory School; 72 points; Technical School, 71 points; Monticello Team B, 71 points.
Earlier this month Knowledge Bowl teams from five area high schools earned top spots in a field of 45 teams at a meet in Sartell. Apollo High School's Team 2 took the top spot with 114 points. ROCORI High School's Team 1 earned 108 points and second place. Becker High School's Team 1 followed with 101 points; Apollo Team 3 earned 99 points; and Eden Valley-Watkins High School Team 1 earned 96 points.
This article was the first mention of the Think Tank
ROCORI Knowledge Bowl Places 3rd
Driving in Cloquet without brakes was the least of the ROCORI Knowledge Bowl team's worries recently. Facing competition like St. Thomas Academy (last year's state runner-up), Hibbing (last year's state champion), Chaska (last year's 3rd place team), and 56 other perennial state powers was much more nerve-wracking than careening off the interstate. Their concerns, however, proved to be unfounded as ROCORI's top team opened the season with an unprecedented 3rd place finish.
Inspired by past Knowledge Bowl titans Matt Baker, Nicole Januszewski, Steve Eickhoff, and Craig Phillips, to name a few, ROCORl pulled off their best December finish in team history. Setting this historic mark were the team of Matt Bonham, Evan Creed, Rachel Rollins, and Bob Willenbring. Future stars Alex Cruze, Nicole Feldhege, Eric Patton, Brian Schloeder, and Dan Westerhaus showed promise by winning their room twice in this competitive field. Coach Zieffler attributes the weekend's success to intense practices and the strategical meeting held the night prior to the meet in the private banquet hall at Duluth's local Embers. Coach Brewer said, "This impressive finish should ensure that we will receive the multi-million dollar, high-tech training facility we so richly deserve."
The ROCORI Knowledge Bowl team would like to dedicate this win to "The Think Tank", their rowdy fan base of friends and parents. They would especially like to thank "Think Tank" members Jason Koets, Linda Liebl, and Jane Wahlin. Think Tank president Jeff Mergen remarked, "This has to be the top rated extracurricular activity at ROCORI High School this year!" If you would like to join this zany group of fans, all you need to do is buy a pair of shades because this team's future is looking bright!
ROCORI Knowledge Bowl Team Takes 1st Place!
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| From left to right: Evan Creed, Bob Willenbring, Matt Bonham (holding the trophy), and Rachel Rollins. |
It is said that good things come to those who wait. On Saturday, January 19, after 13 years of waiting, the ROCORI High School Knowledge Bowl team got a first place trophy to call its very own. Eclipsing 35 other teams at the Apollo Invitational, ROCORI looked fantastic throughout the day's competition.
"Always a bridesmaid, never a bride" seemed to be ROCORI's motto to this point. Heading into Saturday's contest, ROCORI had accumulated 3 second place and 4 third place trophies, but never the much sought after first place trophy. That all changed when the team of Matt Bonham, Evan Creed, Rachel Rollins, and Bob Willenbring combined their arcane knowledge and blazing fast buzzer speed to dominate at the Apollo meet. The team was in second place much of, the day and trailed by two points heading into the final oral round. Outscoring the leading team by five points, ROCORI emerged from the round victorious.
The other two ROCORI teams at the meet also had a good day. The second varsity team flirted with the top ten before a tough last round dropped them into 24th place. ROCORI also competed in the JV contest, placing 18th. Coach Zieffler remarked, "Overall, I'd say we had a great day, We met many of our goals, The top team stayed in double.digits in every round, something that they have not been able to do in the past, and the two other teams also did well despite missing key members on Saturday.
ROCORI Knowledge Bowl Fan Club president Jeff Mergen in response to the victory just smiled, put on his shades and gave the thumbs up.
This article was written to see if the Record would actually publish it. They did! I owe an apology to Nellie Mergen (Jeff's wife) for this one. She was so embarrassed by Jeff's picture. Jeff and I cracked up for weeks after this was published.
Think Tank President interviews for the Record
There are many people who work behind the scenes to contribute to a team's success. One of those people for the ROCORJ Knowledge Bowl team is Fan Club President Jeff Mergen. After numerous requests, The Think Tank President finally consented to an exclusive interview for the Cold Spring Record. Here are his pearls of wisdom on the current winning streak put up by the Knowledge BowI team.
Early in the season you made a prediction that the Knowledge Bowl team could be the best bet for postseason success at ROCORI this year. What are your current predictions for the remainder of the season?
I stand with that prediction. They are the top ranked extra-curricular team at ROCORI right now.
In the past 3 years the Knowledge Bowl's average score and standard deviation per meet were 83.8 and 14.37 respectively. This year the average meet score has risen to 98.25 and the standard deviation has fallen to 9.89. Could you comment on this?
That's a definite improvement! It could be due to the influence of Marty Robbins.
It is said that the road to a championship goes through the weight room. As the Knowledge Bowl team's "strength" trainer (Mergen teaches them all in AP Calculus) as well as fan club president, do you have any insight into the training they engage in?
They have something called a mental weight training program...something like mental isometrics.
Composer John Cage said, "Fame is of no importance." Having been quoted in two articles on the Knowledge Bowl team, how are you dealing with your new found fame?
He's a liar. He's just wrong. Fame is what you make it...I'm famous in my own mind.
How does a person become a member of the Knowledge Bowl Fan Club?
Come see me. I'll give you an application to membership and an "AP" History exam. Any score over 90% gets in.
If the Knowledge Bowl team were to take on a team composed of faculty members who would walk away victorious?
Faculty usually won in the past, but of course the Knowledge Bowl teams of the past had nowhere near the average and standard deviation they do now.
The "Calculus and Analytic Geometry" book by Thomas and Finney claims that, "with, Calculus we can do better." Having all 4 of the Knowledge Bowl team's top members in calculus, can you comment on that quotation?
Idealism increases in direct proportion to one's distance from the problem.
The same calculus book claimed that, "if you were stranded on a desert island and could take only one formula with you, the equation
might well be your choice." What formula would you take?
L'Hopital's Rule!!
One last question. A College of St. Benedict's student posted a comment on the St. Cloud Times' web site in response to their article on the Knowledge Bowl team that read, "I heard Gern Blanston is the coach of this team." Could you comment on that?
I quote Mark Twain when I say, "It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."
That concludes our foray with ROCORl Knowledge Bowl Fan Club President Jeff Mergen. As a side note, the ROCORI Knowledge Bowl team won both the Buffalo tournament and the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (BBE) tournament. Their second team aleo placed in the top 10 at BBE.
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