Avon Lake High School Is First Semifinalist On Scholastic Games Program

As in the first round when the team defeated Lorain, The Scholastic Quiz team of Hunter Tharp, Adam Litzler, and team captain Lindsay Quintero is the first of 15 high school teams to advance to the first round of semifinals, May 7.

The trio beat Columbia High School 360-130 to advance. 

Quintero was also named the weekly program’s “Standout Scholar” award after the April 9 competition. This honor goes to the student who contributes the most to his or her team based on the observations of judges and scorekeeper and includes a $50 cash prize presented by the show’s producer, Jim Mehrling. Litzler won the award in the team’s previous competition.

The team is coached by Patricia Frank and Mike Kaminsky.

Fifteen area schools have been represented on the series, which is heard usually on Monday evenings from 6:05 p.m. to 7 p.m. on WEOL 930 AM.

Both teams did well in the first round and took a 100 to 50 point lead in the second round, which focused on current events.  In the fourth round, Avon Lake continued to advance earning 110 points, 70 of which were scored by Litzler.

Quintero’s standout performance was in the final round in which she scored the majority of the team’s 120-point rally. Columbia was often the first to buzz in the final portion of the match, but the team fell victim to deducted points for incorrect answers, which happens only in the final round.

Advancing to semifinals, Avon Lake, which has won the program's county championship twice in past years, will be facing the winner of the third quarterfinal between Keystone and Olmsted Falls, this year’s defending champion, which posted an all-time winning score of 770 points in a recent competition.