JUNIOR HIGH KNOWLEDGE TEAM RANKS FIRST IN STATE

The Cape Girardeau Junior High Knowledge Master team placed first in Missouri and sixth in the world during recent academic competition.

Dixie Cook, Knowledge Master coach, said this is the 16th time the junior high team has participated in the contest and the 12th time the team has placed first in the state.

The school has won $1,200 in software from Knowledge Masters.

The team scored 1,784 of a possible 2,000 points and answered 197 of 200 questions correctly. Students earned bonus points for speed.

The top score in the competition was 1,858.

Cook said 433 schools competed in the junior high division. In addition about 1,000 middle schools compete in the same division.

In addition to schools from the 50 states, competitors came from Canada, Mexico, Africa, Asia, Europe and South American.

"The students did an excellent job of working together," said Cook.

Members of the team are ninth-graders Jeff Banks, John Bechtold, Stanley Clark, Casey Cook, Rob Giles, Gabe Hart, David Hearnes, Aaron Hessenkemper, Jennifer Jones, Todd Matzat, Crystal Miller, Sven Rainey, Nanda Somarajon and Emily Trueblood.

Eighth-grade members of the team are Josh Arnzen, Jeremy Driskell, Elizabeth Green, Troy Hooper, Elizabeth Kunz, Wade Russell and Beth Shivelbine.

Seventh-grade members are Patrick Durham and Matt Wilson.