SitNews - Stories in the News - Ketchikan, Alaska

The Tsunami Bowl: The 17th Annual Alaska National Ocean Sciences Bowl

By MARY KAUFFMAN

 

March 05, 2014
Wednesday PM


(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Each year, Alaska holds a regional ocean sciences competition as part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl with the goal of the competition to recognize and reward excellence among students interested in ocean studies. The annual bowl also aims to encourage high school students, their teachers and parents to increase their knowledge of the oceans and to broaden awareness of the critical value of ocean research.

This year, the 17th annual Alaska Region National Ocean Sciences Bowl competition, called the Tsunami Bowl, was held in Seward on February 28 – March 2, 2014. Following up the regional bowls, the national competition will be hosted by the Orca Bowl in Seattle on May 1–4, 2014 with the theme ocean acidification.

The Alaska Region National Ocean Sciences Bowl consisted of two equally weighted parts: a tournament quiz-style academic competition, designed to challenge and recognize the students' knowledge of sciences in the context of the oceans; and a project with written and oral components. The research project is optional.

Teams consisted of 5 high school students: 4 team members plus an alternate with the alternate being optional. The coach is usually, but not restricted to, a science or math teacher.

Ketchikan High School sent the Saber-Toothed Salmon team of five students to compete in the Tsunami Bowl competition which took place in Seward. 

Ketchikan High School's Saber-Toothed Salmon Team members are: Micah Briola (returning team member); Matthew Guevara; Duncan Menzies (returning team member); Hana Oshima; and Keenan Sanderson (returning team member).

According to information provided by the team's coach Julie Landwehr, the Saber-Toothed Salmon Team scored 10th in the written paper, 11th in the oral presentation of that paper, and 4th in the quiz bowl to make their overall place 8th out of 18 participating schools from all over the state. 

Hana Oshima was chosen by her Ketchikan teammates and coaches as the most valuable member of the Saber-Toothed Salmon Team. Julie Landwehr coached the Saber-Toothed Salmon team and Leif Sivertsen was the assistant coach. The team's project was " The Effects of pH on the Abundance of Phytoplankton for Mariculture".

2014 Tsunami Bowl Competition Results (100 Points Possible)

1st Place: Juneau-Douglas High School The Caballers (90.3 points)

Ruby Steedle
Johnny Connolly
Johnny Elliot
Stephen Mell
Megan Sheufelt
Coach: Brian Stoody

The overall winners received University of Alaska Southeast tuition waivers and all expenses paid to travel to the national final competition in Seattle May 1–4. They also received certificates, the championship banner and first-place medals and trophy.

2nd Place: Juneau-Douglas High School The Third Whale (87.5 points)

Emma Good
Elias Antaya
Neal Chapman
Macleod Morehouse
Abigail Taylor-Roth
Coach: Brian Stoody

Second and third place overall received certificates, medals and a trophy.

3rd Place: Kodiak High School Elusive Jellyfish (83.3 points)

Joong Hyun Lee
Hannah Christian
Annie Looman
Lars Bodnar
Chellene Medina
Coaches: Switgard Duesterloh and Jane Eisemann

Second and third place overall received certificates, medals and a trophy.

4th Place: Petersburg High School The Sea Masons (81.9 points)

5th Place: Homer High School Persnickety Protoperidinium (73.6 points)

6th Place: Dillingham High School Flamin' Krakens (70.8 points)

7th Place: Mat-Su Career and Technical High School Mat-Tsunamis (68.1 points)

8th Place: Ketchikan High School Saber-Toothed Salmon (65.3 points)

9th Place: Hutchison High School Fairbanks Foraminifera (56.9 points)

10th Place: Unalaska City High School The Ice-Raiders (54.1 points)

11th Place: Cordova High School Pugnacious Dawgsharks (43.1 points)

12th Place: Kotzebue Middle/High School The Pelicant’s (37.5 points)

13th Place: Cordova/Dillingham/Petersburg High Schools Ocean Fusion (27.8 points)*

14th PlaceL Kotlik School Atomic Sea Ice (26.4 points)

15th Place: Mat-Su Career and Technical High School Imagine Dragonfish (25 points)

16th Place: Seward High School Team Fatheads (23.6 points)

17th Place: Scammon Bay High School Jace and the Argonauts (20.8 points)

18th Place: Wasilla High School Tactile Cnidarians (11.1 points)

* Quiz only; did not participate in research project

Individual Components

Research Project (overall score; 50 points possible)
Paper and oral presentation combined. The coach of the first-place research project team is awarded a $500 grant to purchase classroom resources, sponsored by Alaska Sea Grant.

1st Place: Kodiak High School Elusive Jellyfish (47.2 points)

2nd Place: Mat-Su Career & Technical High School Mat-Tsunamis (45.8 points)

3rd Place: Dillingham High School Flamin' Krakens (40.3 points)

Research Paper (25 points possible)

1st Place: Mat-Su Career and Technical High School Mat-Tsunamis (25 points)

2nd Place: Juneau-Douglas High School The Third Whale (23.6 points)

3rd Place: Kodiak High School Elusive Jellyfish (22.2 points)

Oral Presentation (25 points possible)

1st Place: Kodiak High School Elusive Jellyfish (25 points)

2nd Place: Petersburg High School Sea Masons (23.6 points)

3rd Place: Dillingham High School Flamin' Krakens (22.2 points)

Knowledge Quiz (50 points possible)

1st Place: Juneau-Douglas High School Caballers (50 points)

2nd Place: Juneau-Douglas High School The Third Whale (47.2 points)

3rd Place: Petersburg High School Sea Masons (44.4 points)

The coach of the 1st-place team receives $500 worth of classroom supplies sponsored by the National Park Service.

Mayor of Seward Perpetual Trophy: Juneau-Douglas High School Caballers with 148 points in the first round.

Awarded to the team with the most points scored in a single round. This team receives a perpetual trophy to display in their school until the next Tsunami Bowl competition.

Sportsmanship Award: Scammon Bay High School Jace and the Argonauts

Voted on by the quiz bowl judges. Students each received a certificate and a Marine Biology Coloring Book.

Most Valuable Players: Selected from each team by coaches and/or team members. Each recipient was awarded a certificate, a matted print of a seabird done by Seward photographer and graphic designer Carol Griswold, and an animal-shaped 4 GB USB drive. All MVP members are denoted by bold on the teams page.

Most Improved Team: Dillingham High School Flamin' Krakens

The Dillingham High School team was 17th place last year and 6th place this year, improving by 11 places. They are coached by Clint Reigh and Summer Graber.

The teacher receives $500 worth of classroom supplies, sponsored by a Tsunami Bowl sponsor.

Red Lantern Classroom Enhancement Award: Wasilla High School Tactile Cnidarians

Awarded to the teacher of the team that completes both the research and quiz portions of the Tsunami Bowl and finishes in last place; $1000 worth of classroom supplies sponsored by the National Park Service.

Icicle Seafoods Scholarships: Icicle Seafoods sponsored five $5,000 scholarships open to any Tsunami Bowl student. To be considered, students wrote an essay, filled out an application, and sent a copy of their grades. The winning students must use their scholarships at one of the University of Alaska campuses.

Diane Murph, Petersburg
Briana Whiteside, Hutchison (Fairbanks)
Logan Reveil, Homer
Hannah Christian, Kodiak
Deanna Hunt, Kotlik

Juried Art Show: "Ocean Connection"

Best of Show

Veronica Wilde, Seward High School, "Enevitable Time"

Amber Vernon, Unalaska City High School, "Old Soul"

There was a tie for best of show, so each teacher will receive $250 worth of classroom supplies, sponsored by the Tsunami Bowl art judges.

Alaska Region National Ocean Sciences Bowl juried art show, “The Ocean Connection,” was optional and does not affect a team’s standing in the Tsunami Bowl.



On the Web:

2014 Alaska Tsunami Teams
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/nosb/2014/teams.php

More Juried Art Show Results:
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/nosb/2014/art.php

Sponsors of the 17th Annual Alaska Region National Ocean Sciences Bowl
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/nosb/2014/sponsors.php

2014 Tsunami Bowl Competition Results
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/nosb/2014/game.php



 

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