What’s the superlative for the word elite?
Bedford High School’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps academic team returned from four days in Washington, DC, this week with the third-place trophy in a prestigious national competition.
Gianna Carrier, Evangel Li, and Aidan McDonald, who will begin their senior year at BHS, and Matthew Dill, a junior, powered to the final four of the U.S. Air Force JROTC Academic Bowl Championship at The Catholic University of America.
“The quiz bowl event assessed cadets on a range of subjects including core curriculum such as math, science, and language arts, along with evaluations of their grasp on current events, citizenship, leadership skills, and financial literacy,” explained Lt. Col. (Retired) Kenneth Mierz, Air Force JROTC instructor at BHS.
The story actually began last November when the BHS team was among 676 worldwide that began the competition with online rounds of rigorous competition. “Their achievement placed them among the elite 16 Air Force JROTC Academic Bowl teams, earning them an all-expense paid trip to the championship event,” Mierz said.
There the Bedford foursome breezed through the preliminary round, earning the third seed, then trounced a team from Austin, TX, by a score of 300-200. In the semifinals, Bedford was nipped by the eventual champion, Valencia, CA, High School, 280-270. North Quincy High School was the other finalist.
Mierz accompanied the delegation to the nationals, as did Erin Crowley, executive assistant to the superintendent of schools. “This team came together using their diverse talents and strengths to achieve extraordinary results,” Crowley commented. “They showed great maturity, respect for others, and they had fun throughout the entire trip.”
This annual event is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force JROTC and organized by the College Options Foundation.
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