Lincoln-Way East Air Force Junior ROTC takes third place in national academic bowl

From June 22 to 26, Lincoln-Way East Junior Air Force ROTC cadets attended the JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl Championship in Washington, D.C.

The Griffins were invited to participate as one of only 16 teams nationwide. Team members included seniors PJ Janicki, Kirsten Lutz, Paige Sackman and Alex Desjardins. Alternates Lexie Johnson and Jake Leonard also attended.

The competition began online in November 2017. Teams from all over the country answered questions similar to those on standardized tests such as the SAT/ACT, questions regarding JROTC, as well as questions regarding current events.

Teams who earned the highest overall percentage from each round moved on to the next. From round one to round two, approximately half of the 327 teams advanced. Only 16 teams advanced beyond round two in order to attend the national competition.

Attending the JLAB Championship is competitive, but cadets competed with each other for a spot on the team long before attending nationals. Lincoln-Way East cadets are selected to participate in Academic Bowl based on an online practice “try-out” test.

The top six cadets (four cadets and two alternates) with the highest scores are invited to be a member of Academic Bowl.

In order to prepare for the competition, cadets mostly reviewed current events. The national competition took place at the start of their trip. The championship questions differed greatly from the first two rounds.

After answering many questions, the Griffins entered the quarterfinals with an impressive 8-1 record.

The team advanced to the semifinals, missing the finals round by only 10 points.

Aside from the competitive aspect, the cadets were also able to make friends from throughout the country.