Farmington ACE Team Leads In Standings

PRAIRIE GROVE IS IN THIRD PLACE

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Coleman Warren, captain of Farmington's ACE team, answers one of the questions in the match Thursday at the Performing Arts Center in Farmington. Farmington won its match with 56 points.
LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Coleman Warren, captain of Farmington's ACE team, answers one of the questions in the match Thursday at the Performing Arts Center in Farmington. Farmington won its match with 56 points.

FARMINGTON -- Farmington High's Academic Competition in Education team is in first place as the season heads toward its third and final round before the championship match on Feb. 21.

Nine Northwest Arkansas schools are participating in the academic competition this year, though Fayetteville High School has failed to show up at its first two matches.

The ACE program is different from Quiz Bowl in that teams are given specific books and chapters to study in preparing for their matches. Subjects in each game include physics, chemistry, Shakespeare, math, biology, world history, art history, American government and literature.

Three schools compete in a match. For most questions, each team is given 15 seconds and four tries to give a correct answer. When time runs out, the opposing teams can buzz in to give a correct answer and score.

Teams accumulate points throughout the season. At the end of the third round, the school with the most points automatically qualifies for the championship match. The next six top teams will battle it out in two semi-final matches to advance to the championship.

Farmington has won both of its matches so far and has a total of 122 points. The Cardinals scored 66 points in its first match in December and last week, scored 56 points to win its game against Bentonville West High School and Siloam Springs.

Bentonville scored 50 points and Siloam Springs scored 12 points.

Bentonville is in second place after two rounds with 96 points and Prairie Grove is in third place with 79 points.

Donna Mitchell, Prairie Grove's coach, said the Tigers have three seniors on their team and four new ACE members.

She was impressed with her new team members last week. in the match held at Farmington's Performing Arts Center.

"We had a lot of strong showing from our new members today. Almost one-half of our points came from new members," Mitchell said.

Farmington only returned three members, after seven seniors graduated last year. The 2017-18 team has six seniors.

Coleman Warren, Farmington's senior captain, said he helped recruit students to try out for the team this year. He was looking for "smart" students but hard-working students, he said.

"It takes both. I'm really pleased with the people we put on our categories," Warren said, adding good team chemistry plays a role, as well as the leadership of their coach, Clayton Williams.

"Mr. Williams definitely is the best ACE coach you could have," Warren said. "He puts a lot of effort into it."

Other schools involved are Gravette, Lifeway Christian and Shiloh Christian.

General News on 02/07/2018