Mooney garners TV quiz honors

Cardinals top Niles in ‘Academic Challenge’

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

For the second time in three years, Cardinal Mooney High School’s “Academic Challenge” team won the WYTV/YSU- sponsored broadcast competition.

Forty high school teams from five counties competed in a “quiz bowl” format. After defeating Boardman 380-260 in the quarterfinals and Commodore Perry 430-390 in the semifinals, the Cardinals won the championship, beating Niles 350-280.

Mooney also is the only team to have reached the Elite 8 every year it has participated.

Eileen Bacha, one of the team’s three coaches, said that “12 to 15 students” are involved with the Academic Challenge team, but only four appear on the air at any given time.

Students start preparations shortly after school opens in the fall, drilling in the four formats that are used in the competition.

The coaches — Bacha, Karen Wright and Pete Smith — offer their academic expertise in the humanities, science, sports or math to prepare the squad for the October taping of the preliminary rounds and the spring taping of the championship rounds.

Broadcasts start in late fall and continue until the championship is decided in mid-June.

Appearing on air were seniors Alex Sieman, Lauren Tonti and Matt Krivanek and junior William Engler. Providing competition at many practice sessions were juniors Chuck Christopher, Dalton Smolinsky, Kyle Okular and Mike Rotar, who will form the nucleus of next year’s team.

Freshmen and sophomores also practice with an eye to the future.

The winning team receives four $1000 scholarships to Youngstown State University.