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American Chronicle | Maryland School for the Deaf claims second straight Academic Bowl championship
In a showcase just inside the front door of the Maryland School for the Deaf's Ely Building, the gleaming silver cup that proclaims MSD the 2010 Academic Bowl Champion is lonely.
But not for long.
The trophy will have company when the 2011 championship cup is added to the display.
The MSD team performed a repeat earlier this month when it successfully defended its title at the 2011 Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing for high school students.
The team, led by head coach Patrick Rosenburg and assistant coach Edna Johnston, was a strong one, with all players returning from last year's team. Seniors Christy Hediger and Todd Bonheyo, junior Andrew Biskupiak and sophomore Ethan Sonnenstrahl all said the pressure was on to retain the title.
"There was some pressure because it was the same team as last year," Hediger said. "So we were expected to win or someone was going to upset us."
One disappointment in this year's competition: A format change called for teams of four members instead of five. That meant cutting someone.
In previous years, regional tournaments have been held throughout the country to determine finalists who would travel to Gallaudet University for the championships.
This year, Gallaudet decided to eliminate regional competition and invite all 78 teams to Washington. To accommodate the increased number of teams, the rosters were decreased by one player.
A benefit of winning the championship last year was getting the team's picture on the cover of the MSD Bulletin, a quarterly magazine published by the school.
Asked if that would happen again this year, the students smiled.
"We're going on the back cover, not the front, this year," Christy said. "We'll save the best for last."
Teams participate in preliminary pool rounds, with teams eliminated at the conclusion of each round. Students must be well-versed in eight subject categories, including English, history, science, social studies, current events and deaf history.
Johnston said the team was strong, with all members well-versed in a number of topics.
"I look at other teams, and many of them have one strong player who stands out," Johnston said. "On our team, all four players are strong, and they are all are able to fill in the gaps for each other."
MSD was pitted against New Mexico School for the Deaf in the championship match and prevailed 48 to 29.
The coaches said MSD enjoyed a huge amount of support from parents, friends, siblings and former students who attended all four days of competition.
Fans who could not travel to the competition were able to watch a live news feed on a deaf sports website, Christy said. Others followed the results on Facebook.
Johnston said MSD has a winning formula for its approach to Academic Bowl, and hopes to have another successful experience next year, even though "Christy and Todd will leave a big gap to fill next year."
All four members savor different memories of their participation.
"I loved the competition, there weren't any specific things for me," Sonnenstrahl said. "I loved the matches and the challenges."
The team's seniors had their last Academic Bowl appearance.
"It was the last championship match, the last question, and I knew we had won and it was the end of my career," Bonheyo said. "That was the best part, to end like that."
Hediger has been a member of the team since her freshman year. The team came in second that year, and then dropped a notch to third her sophomore year.
"Then in my junior and senior years we were first," she said. "I was glad to have two straight years in first before I'm finished."
Johnston said the MSD team is "very committed and dedicated" to the Academic Bowl effort.
"The team puts a lot of time in, they work hard and they deserve it," she said of the victory.
In a showcase just inside the front door of the Maryland School for the Deaf's Ely Building, the gleaming silver cup that proclaims MSD the 2010 Academic Bowl Champion is lonely.
But not for long.
The trophy will have company when the 2011 championship cup is added to the display.
The MSD team performed a repeat earlier this month when it successfully defended its title at the 2011 Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing for high school students.
The team, led by head coach Patrick Rosenburg and assistant coach Edna Johnston, was a strong one, with all players returning from last year's team. Seniors Christy Hediger and Todd Bonheyo, junior Andrew Biskupiak and sophomore Ethan Sonnenstrahl all said the pressure was on to retain the title.
"There was some pressure because it was the same team as last year," Hediger said. "So we were expected to win or someone was going to upset us."
One disappointment in this year's competition: A format change called for teams of four members instead of five. That meant cutting someone.
In previous years, regional tournaments have been held throughout the country to determine finalists who would travel to Gallaudet University for the championships.
This year, Gallaudet decided to eliminate regional competition and invite all 78 teams to Washington. To accommodate the increased number of teams, the rosters were decreased by one player.
A benefit of winning the championship last year was getting the team's picture on the cover of the MSD Bulletin, a quarterly magazine published by the school.
Asked if that would happen again this year, the students smiled.
"We're going on the back cover, not the front, this year," Christy said. "We'll save the best for last."
Teams participate in preliminary pool rounds, with teams eliminated at the conclusion of each round. Students must be well-versed in eight subject categories, including English, history, science, social studies, current events and deaf history.
Johnston said the team was strong, with all members well-versed in a number of topics.
"I look at other teams, and many of them have one strong player who stands out," Johnston said. "On our team, all four players are strong, and they are all are able to fill in the gaps for each other."
MSD was pitted against New Mexico School for the Deaf in the championship match and prevailed 48 to 29.
The coaches said MSD enjoyed a huge amount of support from parents, friends, siblings and former students who attended all four days of competition.
Fans who could not travel to the competition were able to watch a live news feed on a deaf sports website, Christy said. Others followed the results on Facebook.
Johnston said MSD has a winning formula for its approach to Academic Bowl, and hopes to have another successful experience next year, even though "Christy and Todd will leave a big gap to fill next year."
All four members savor different memories of their participation.
"I loved the competition, there weren't any specific things for me," Sonnenstrahl said. "I loved the matches and the challenges."
The team's seniors had their last Academic Bowl appearance.
"It was the last championship match, the last question, and I knew we had won and it was the end of my career," Bonheyo said. "That was the best part, to end like that."
Hediger has been a member of the team since her freshman year. The team came in second that year, and then dropped a notch to third her sophomore year.
"Then in my junior and senior years we were first," she said. "I was glad to have two straight years in first before I'm finished."
Johnston said the MSD team is "very committed and dedicated" to the Academic Bowl effort.
"The team puts a lot of time in, they work hard and they deserve it," she said of the victory.