By Casey Smirniotopoulos (February 24, 2003)

The George Mason Scholastic Bowl team concluded its impressive 25-1 season by clutching the state championship on Saturday at William and Mary. After the effortless defeat of Radford High School (190 – 90), the team faced Middlesex High School, the winners of its region. They became the team’s toughest competition after a daunting loss of 115 – 190.
 

In spite of this loss, the Mustangs maintained their focus and determination through their three additional games. The first, against Eastern Montgomery, was another easy win for the Mustangs. After the third round, the score was 210 - 110. Radford, their second opponent, challenged the team’s knowledge, only losing their competitive edge in the third round to end the game 200 – 140. The last team in the lower bracket was James Monroe. As was the pattern with their former opponents, the Mason team defeated Monroe without a problem. A strong first round and strong leads in the following two brought the final score to 210-105. Fully warmed up and ready to tackle Middlesex once again, the Mustangs had reclaimed a position to win the state title. In a close game, the first of two against their foes, the first round left Mason trailing by 10 points. However, a skillfully managed second round pulled them ahead, making Middlesex question the ease with which they had won their earlier match.

Kaitlin Bottock hugs team captain Dan Bray following  their Scholastic Bowl team's second consecutive state  championship at William and Mary last Saturday.  Team member Joe Mauro looks on.  (Photo by Casey Smirniotopoulos)

In a tense final round, the Mason team managed to maintain its composure and their lead, winning 180-150. With only one loss for each team, a tie-breaker game was played. The Mustangs lengthened their lead every round, with a 40-point lead gained in the second round alone. The Middlesex team was defeated 185 – 115, awarding the title of state champions one again to the George Mason Scholastic Bowl team. The Mustangs later found out that they were the only team in their division to break 200 points – a feat they accomplished twice. Team members are Dan Bray (captain), Rahul Gupta, Evan Cunningham, Kaitlin Bottock, Joe Mauro, and Casey Smirniotopoulos.The Scholastic Bowl team transforms itself into the It's Academic team for its second meet in March.