HUBBARD Reed prep team: Lucky or good?

Members figure a little luck can't hurt when it comes to academic competition.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- When the Reed Middle School prep team captured first place in Trumbull County competition, its members had an advantage: good luck.
The seven-member team of fifth- and sixth-graders took first against 26 other teams during three days of prep bowl competition late last month.
They weaved their way through the academic challenge at the Trumbull Career and Technical Center in Champion.
Members
Team captain Eddie Zitnik and member Megan Malara said the superstitions of other team members and their adviser, Tracy Hoover, helped them.
Other team members are Krystina Greene, Erin Luthern, Alex Sargent, Stephen Senediak and Jonathan Wlodarski.
Eddie said Krystina made sure she wore her lucky earrings and Erin made them all sniff cinnamon-flavored lip balm before competitions.
They wore their team T-shirts around the clock, although they were washed every day.
Before the last round, Hoover gave them four-leaf-clover charms to put in their pockets.
"I think it calmed us down so we weren't so nervous," Megan said.
"It made us feel more confident," Eddie added.
Eddie and Megan said neither of them is superstitious, but Erin and Krystina have a bad case of it.
Studying
Besides their lucky charms, their studies before the competition may have been more of a factor.
They each read five novels from which questions were based, and were asked questions by Hoover.
During the various rounds, they responded to questions about math, social studies, history and spelling.
Reed Middle School has a second prep bowl team of seventh- and eighth-graders, but it hasn't completed its competition.
The members of both teams belong to SOAR, an acronym for Students of Academic Richness, gifted students who qualify through a series of test scores, explained principal Jon Young.
Eddie said the SOAR members meet regularly. It's during these meetings when they practice for other competitions besides the prep bowl.
Eddie said he likes the academic competition because he reflects about all he has learned.
For Megan, she enjoys the challenges of competition.
Although team members received plaques for their victory, the school has not yet honored them.
"We'll celebrate, but we don't know how yet," Young said.
yovich@vindy.com