CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sherrard Middle School Team One from Wheeling, Marshall County, won the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History’s (WVDACH) 13th annual West Virginia State History Bowl Championship held Tuesday, April 26, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex.
Shady Spring Middle School Team One from Shady Spring, Raleigh County, was the runner-up in the competition that included 24 teams of eighth graders from 19 middle schools in 12 counties across the state.
Lila Roman of Sherrard Middle School Team One was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The all-tournament team, made up of students who demonstrated exceptional knowledge and teamwork during the day-long tournament, included Morgan Messner, Sherrard Middle School Team One; Roman Gevenosky, Shady Spring Middle School Team One; Eli Broyles, Peterstown Middle School Team One; Levi Dalton, Peterstown Middle School Team One; and Isabel Miller, Keyser Middle School Team One.
The double-elimination tournament includes lightning rounds and team rounds featuring questions about state and county history, culture, heritage, tourism, geography, government and sports prepared by the staff of the department’s Archives and History section. Eighth graders in public, private and home-school education programs are eligible to compete on the four-person teams.
The championship team, Sherrard Middle School Team One, included students Avery Etzel, Joell Gonchoff, Morgan Messner and Lila Roman.
The runner-up team, Shady Spring Middle School Team One, included students Avary Bragg, Roman Gevenosky and Alyssa Sweeney.
The third-place team, Peterstown Middle School Team One, included students Eli Broyles, Levi Dalton, Conner Dillon and Piper Hickman.
The fourth-place team, Keyser Middle School Team One, included students Celia Cole, Ben Heavener, Isaac Jones and Isabel Miller.
For more information, contact Matt McGrew, tournament director and education coordinator for Archives and History, at (304) 558-0230 or Matt.McGrew@wv.gov.
Competitors included the following teams:
Barboursville Middle School (Barboursville, Cabell County)
Braxton County Middle School (Sutton, Braxton County)
Cameron High School (Cameron, Marshall County)
Edison Middle School (Parkersburg, Wood County)
Huntington Middle School (Huntington, Cabell County)
Hurricane Middle School (Hurricane, Putnam County)
Jackson Middle School (Vienna, Wood County)
Keyser Middle School Team 1 (Keyser, Mineral County) (Fourth Place)
Keyser Middle School Team 2 (Keyser, Mineral County)
Midland Trail High School (Hico, Fayette County)
Milton Middle School (Milton, Cabell County)
Mountaineer Middle School Team 1 (Morgantown, Monongalia County) (Sixth Place)
Mountaineer Middle School Team 2 (Morgantown, Monongalia County) (Seventh Place)
Mountain View Middle School (Union, Monroe County)
Peterstown Middle School Team 1 (Peterstown, Monroe County) (Third Place)
Peterstown Middle School Team 2 (Peterstown, Monroe County) (Fifth Place)
Shady Spring Middle School Team 1 (Shady Spring, Raleigh County) (Second Place)
Shady Spring Middle School Team 2 (Shady Spring, Raleigh County)
Shepherdstown Middle School (Shepherdstown, Jefferson County)
Sherrard Middle School Team 1 (Wheeling, Marshall County) (First Place)
Sherrard Middle School Team 2 (Wheeling, Marshall County)
South Middle School (Morgantown, Monongalia County) (Eighth Place)
Summersville Middle School (Summersville, Nicholas County)
Winfield Middle School (Winfield, Putnam County)
MEDIA NOTE: Photographs for winner and runner-up teams are available at the links below. Photographs by Stephen Brightwell, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History.
Sherrard Middle School Team One, 2022 History Bowl winners, from left to right: Team Sponsor Dan Gatts, Lila Roman, Avery Etzel, Morgan Messner, Joell Gonchoff, WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith, and Team Sponsor Jeff Stephens.
Shady Spring Middle School Team One, 2022 History Bowl runners-up, from Left to right: Principal Tamara Mills, Team Sponsor Melody Cox, Alyssa Sweeney, Avary Bragg, Roman Gevenosky, and WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith.
