CCS team among top 11 at State Quiz Bowl

Chase County was among the thirty teams that qualified for this year’s ESU State Quiz Bowl in Hastings.
The Longhorns went 2-2 last Wednesday and finished in the top 11.
CCS started off the tournament with a 45-20 win over Laurel-Concord-Coleridge and followed it up with a 35-5 win over Hemingford.
As the day progressed and competition got tougher, CCS lost to Southern Valley 45-50 and was knocked out of the tournament with a 20-50 loss to Hastings.
Hastings was a tough matchup for SPVA’s other team at the tournament, beating Perkins County as well. PCS went 0-2 at State Quiz Bowl with a loss to Columbus.
Elkhorn North went undefeated to win the state title. Norse placed second, while Elkhorn South was third.
Rounding out the top six was Norfolk, Southern Valley and Hastings.
Freeman, Falls City Sacred Heart, Kearney, Gering and Cambridge joined CCS in the top 11.
Chase County team members are George Colton, Andrew Wiest, Zach Herbert, Navy Smith, James Adle, Caleb Stamm, Evan Tomky and Evan O’Neil.
Coach Chelsea Zuege said her team did a great job.
“I feel like they had a well rounded team, younger and older,” Zuege said.
With team members experienced with state competitions in speech, track, baseball and e-sports, Zuege said those experiences help across the board whenever they compete in events.
“For the freshman, it was a new experience but really good for them too.,” she added.
“This group of guys is fun to sponsor because they are competitive and not afraid to take a chance,” Zuege continued, adding she’s received several compliments about them as they are respectful and professional at the same time.
“They really represent Chase County Schools with pride and enthusiasm,” she said.
Herbert is the only senior on the team, leaving Zuege looking forward to the coming years.
“We are hoping to gain a few more strong academic students to join our team,” she said.