IRONWOOD -- Gogebic Community College once again hosted the Spring Regional Quiz Bowl Championship. For those who enjoy cerebral competition this was your day. 

Twenty-two teams competed Thursday; sixteen varsity, five junior varsity and a hybrid team. In lieu of using a bye when there are an odd number of teams, an additional team is created by using alternates from the other schools. The method works great.  Schools from three separate Michigan ISDs as well as Wisconsin districts competed in the cerebral competition.

Gogebic Ontonagon Intermediate School District was well represented by seven teams. Neither Ontonagon County schools entered a team. However, their absence was made up by the fact that Bessemer, Ironwood, Wakefield-Marenisco all sent two teams each and Watersmeet also sent a team.

The Copper Country ISD also was well represented by: Houghton, Hancock, Baraga and two teams from L’Anse.

The Dickenson-Iron ISD was represented by two teams from the West Iron County School District.

Wisconsin teams entered in the tournament included, two teams from Hurley, two teams from Bayfield and two teams from Forrest Park and one team from Phillips.

This was the largest tournament field since we have been covering the event.

The Houghton Gremlins won the Varsity event, defeating Hurley 385-110. Houghton is one of the great Quiz Bowl Team in the U.P. The team is coached by Bill Martell and highly supported by its School Board. When entering Houghton from either direction, you come across a sign that says Houghton and under it the city’s Quiz Bowl Championships precede those of its sports championships. In fact when you go to the Houghton Webpage the quiz bowl team is prominently listed under academics.

The Ironwood Red Devils won the Junior Varsity competition. They won their final match against the Hurley JV team 175-65.

The Wiz Kids had a good time as usual and unlike some sporting contests where tempers sometimes hit a high note, the opposing teams joke with and praise their opponents as well as their team mates.

The Readers for the day were: Kim Zeckovich, Patty Jahn, Larrry Hopkins, Don Pelkola, Kit Malloy, Walt Lessun, Dan Obradovich, Doc Frank, John Sokal, Larry Gabka and Carl Vaara.

Carl Vaara produces these Wiz Kid Shoot Outs. He is always working to make them work better and also in keeping with the WMNU TV U.P. Wide championship series.

High School Bowl Champions

Guest article written by Lou Bonagura of IronwoodInfo.com 

For more pictures and video to go along with this story and for more news around the clock from the western U.P., visit IronwoodInfo.com.