On March 21, five Bellarmine students braved the 3A Knowledge Bowl State competition in Wenatchee, Washington. The five students, Aiden Stanton (senior), Grace Miller (senior), Connor Lee (junior), Isaac Oppoku (junior), and Nicole Gobal (junior), had been preparing for this competition for five months. With a meet every Thursday starting in November, these students practiced trivia questions ranging from language to sports to sciences in order to gain experience in the art of quick thinking.
Throughout the regular season, Bellarmine’s Knowledge Bowl team, averaging about 12 players per meet, excelled. However, as the season went on and Bellarmine advanced to Districts and State, the pressure ramped up for players. President Carson Hodge reflects back on the season, stating, “At the beginning of the season, everything’s more lighthearted, but once it hits that post-season grind, it’s all about taking home that dub. I’m really proud of our Lions for going out there and chasing it.”
At the state competition, the five players participated in a written round consisting and four oral rounds, each consisting of 50 questions, and then moved onto the Semi-finals, which brought another three rounds before our Lions placed 6th in state. Typical meets consist of three oral rounds with 35 questions each, requiring much less focus and stamina. The questions presented at state created an added challenge for the team, becoming much more specific and harder to put forth an educated guess.
According to Isaac Oppoku, during the state competition, the questions moved further away from basic history, math, science, and pop culture questions to ones where “You either know it or you don’t. They required a lot of thinking.” However, Bellarmine Preparatory was sent into the semi-final round with a question about “a popular 2025 meme and ended with me saying 6-7,” says Oppoku.
The 2025-2026 season of Knowledge Bowl brought increased participation, community, team-building, and success. The Lion’s success at state can be credited to both their incredible hard work, dedication, and intelligence, as well as the leadership of Carson Hodge and Liu Johnson, Knowledge Bowl’s advisor. A huge shoutout is owed to the five students that competed last weekend and carried their competitiveness and resilience with them throughout the season and all the way to state.
