Pine River-Backus School Knowledge Bowl teams take first and 16th

PINE RIVER — Two Pine River-Backus High School teams competed in the third and final round robin of the 2023 Knowledge Bowl season.

PR-B 1 spokesperson Olivia Anderson, fellow juniors Cash Kangas and Trinity Osman, and ninth grader Morgan King took first place.

PR-B 2, shorthanded due to illness, consisted of spokesperson Tate Bisted and fellow ninth graders Katelyn Burns and LeeAnn Wynn. They took 16th out of a field of 32 teams.

PR-B 1 had their best written round of the season with 41, which put them in second place overall and in room No. 1. Facing Upsala 1 and Crosby-Ironton 2, they scored 11 to 10 and 11.

They held second place in oral round two and faced Upsala 1 and Crosby-Ironton 4, both of whom were defeated 13 to 9 to 10. Crosby-Ironton 2 and 4 both faced PR-B, who continued to be stuck in second place as teams in Room 2 scored well and rabbited ahead on them.

In oral round 3, PR-B again won the room, this time with 14 points to 12 and 10 of the Crosby-Ironton teams.

Finally ranked No. 1, PR-B had a nail-biter of a final oral round, only scoring 10 versus Nevis 3, who got 11, and Crosby-Ironton 2, who scored 7.

By spending the whole meet in room No. 1, PR-B earned six points from Strength of Schedule, which enabled them to be a full three points ahead of the second place team.

This positioned PR-B 1 as a contender for a return to state at the regional competition held March 3.

PR-B 2 started with a rougher 30 points in the written round, giving them 22nd place.

The first oral round was also tough, ending with eight points to C-I 3's 10 and Laporte 1's eight.

This was enough to move them up one position in the ranking to 21st, which saw them score nine to Bertha-Hewitt 4's eight and Nevis 4's six, winning their room and likely advancing them again.

Moving up to 20th place, PR-B 2 faced Bertha-Hewitt 4 again and Menahga 3. This round was the best PR-B round of the season with 17 points being scored by this shorthanded ninth grade team. Bertha-Hewitt and Menahga both scored six.

This impressive round shot PR-B 2 into 15th place where they faced Nevis 5 and Bertha-Hewitt 1.

Here their youth and size may have created issues as their four points to Nevis' 12 and Bertha-Hewitt's nine.

The final point total of 68 was, however, the highest total of any of PR-B's ninth grade teams all year with their highest ranking as well.

The future of PR-B Knowledge Bowl is bright and this team, hopefully at full strength, competed at regions March 3 against teams much more experienced.

Isaak Anderson is the Pine River-Backus High School Knowledge Bowl adviser.