THE WCMS ACADEMIC TEAM advanced to the Kentucky Governor’s Cup state finals in both quick recall and future problem solving. Also, four WCMS students will compete in the written assessment at state. The team, coached by Allison Westcott, Brittany Collins and Kevin Skeeters, is pictured with Stella Jaggers and Brody Wright, former WCMS teammates who now compete on the academic team at Woodford County High School. (Photo submitted)

By Bob Vlach

Woodford Sun Staff

Woodford County Middle School’s quick-recall team has advanced to the Kentucky Governor’s Cup state finals for a third consecutive year after finishing second to Bondurant Middle School in Region 11.

In a must-win match against Boyle County, WCMS was down 8-2 when Coach Allison Westcott called a timeout and gave her team “some brain juice.” It’s a tradition – or more likely a superstition – where she takes their hands and gives each of them an “electro-shock” while making a bzzz sound.

Her superstition may have worked because by halftime of the regional game, WCMS was leading 16-10 on its way to a 28-17 win and a trip to the state finals on March 20-23 at the Galt House in Louisville.

Westcott says that competing on an academic team is “not just (about) knowing things. It is also a game. … You are playing an opponent, and you have to outplay that opponent.”

She credits her team’s relentless work ethic to get better for continuing the WCMS program’s winning tradition, which she describes as a “culture of constant improvement.”

Depth is a key ingredient to the success in quick recall, with 13 students on the team: Eli McGee (captain), Harris Barnes, Claire Jones, Connor Thacker, Adrian Bowers, Noah Cheetham, River Mitchum, Sammy Oates, Sammy Weese, Wesley Meyers, and alternates, Brodey Strahan, Emmett Strahan and Caleb Denton.

“We … count on each other to get the answer right,” says Eli, because everyone on quick-recall has an area of knowledge.

“You have to really have a lot (of) trust that other people are putting in the work and you’re not doing this all on your own,” says Claire, an eighth grader.

“After awhile,” adds Sammy Oates, “you just become more confident in yourself and your answer, and your ability to perform.” He describes arts and humanities as “probably the broadest category to study,” but says he embraces the subject area “because you never run out of things to learn.”

The WCMS future problem solving (FPS) team also advanced to state after finishing tied for second in the region with FPS powerhouse Boyle County.

Seventh graders River, Sammy Weese, Maya Abel and Zofia Abel had never competed in FPS before this year, so to place second in a tough region, these inexperienced underdogs had to rely on FPS Coach Kevin Skeeters to teach “us everything we needed to know,” says Sammy.

When he joined the team at mid-season, he acknowledged, “I didn’t know anything.” Now, he writes his team’s action plan on what they need to do to solve a problem.

Four students will represent WCMS in the written assessment at state. River Mitchum advanced to state after finishing second in mathematics in Region 11, Noah Cheetham advanced with a fifth-place finish in social studies, Eli McGee was second in language arts to advance to state for a third consecutive year, and Harris Barnes moves onto the state finals in arts and humanities based on points after finishing sixth in the region.

The successes in Region 11 come after WCMS placed first in future problem-solving and second in quick recall on Jan. 17 while finishing second overall in District 38.

Individually in written assessment, River Mitchum placed first in math; Wesley Meyers was second and Adrian Bowers finished third in science; Noah Cheethum placed second and Sammy Weese was third in social studies; Eli McGee finished second in language arts while teammates Harris Barnes (fourth) and Adrian Bowers (fifth) also placed in the top-five; Claire Jones, Eli McGee and Harris Barnes finished second, third and fourth, respectively in arts and humanities; and Ruby Danks and Amelia McKinney were fourth and fifth, respectively in composition.

Reflecting on their season and postseason successes with his teammates, Sammy Oates says, “Our strength is … we depend on each other.”