Central High academic team preparing for state tournament

MSHSAA Academic Competition Team

Who: Central High School

What: 4-A State Tournament

When: May 10

Where: Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Mo.

By Callie Clark ~ Southeast Missourian

It's 2:30 p.m., and while most Central High School students have already gone home, a small group of juniors and seniors gather in a classroom to answer questions about everything from Ohm's Law to the poem "Ozymandias."

"I guess maybe other kids think of us as the nerds," said senior Brad Main. "We all have to deal with being the smartest students in our classes, so all of us getting together to compete is a nice change of pace."

Members of Central's academic competition team will spend many more hours after school, clutching their red and yellow practice buzzers, in the next few weeks as they prepare for the state tournament May 10.

"This competition takes a certain type of personality," said Pete Frazier, team coach and Central social studies teacher. "You have to be assertive, have a quick response and be confident in your answer."

It's those qualities that have earned Central's team a 70-8 record and three district titles since Frazier began coaching in 2000.

Beneath the typical teenage attire of baggy jeans, faded Blues Brothers T-shirt and Vans tennis shoes is the cornerstone of the defending 4-A state champions -- senior Colin McLain.

"Colin is extremely good, and he can answer questions from just about any topic," said junior Sonia Tikoo. "He's the most trigger happy on the team, but he has the uncanny ability to answer questions before any of us know what the mediator is talking about."

McLain joined the team in seventh grade, and his reason for sticking with it for so long is simple: "I'm good at it."

A way to perform

McLain's prowess is visible in the six medals he's garnered for individual scores at academic competitions and in the all-district and all-state honors he earned in 2002.

"Colin is our powerhouse," Frazier said. "But you can't have just one outstanding person."

That's where teammates Main, Nathan Bragg, Carissa Moore, Tikoo, Bonan Wang, Codey Williams and Jason Van Cleve come into play.

"Most of us know a lot of obscure facts we don't get to use any other time," said Main. "Athletes get to perform in sports. This is a way for us to perform in something we're good at and like doing."

This year, Frazier compiled a 160-page booklet of common formulas, trivia, charts, timelines and synopses of famous literary works, and distributed copies to each of the team members.

"We've all read it and tried to memorize it," said Tikoo. "But with so many random questions, there's really no way to prepare for these competitions."

For the past eight years, the Missouri State High School Activities Association has sponsored the state academic competition.

Schools hold tournaments with three or four teams throughout the year before competing in a round-robin district tournament, which the Central team won last week.

The winning team in each of Missouri's eight district competitions advances to the state tournament. This will be Central's third consecutive trip to state. The team placed fifth in the 2001 competition and won the title last year.

"Our team has a legacy," said McLain. "We're dedicated, and we have a genuine interest in learning."

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128