Francis Howell North team takes National Quiz Bowl trophy in Denver

Francis Howell North High School seniors Kristina Forst, Daniel Bodden, Alexis Tainter and junior Jamie Hetlage celebrate another correct answer in the National Journalism Quiz Bowl April 18 at the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Denver. Other Francis Howell North staff members attended the Quiz Bowl as audience support, cheering and waving flags with every correct answer that led to the trophy-winning final question.  Photo by Evert Nelson/JEA.

Seniors Alexis Tainter, Daniel Bodden and Kristina Forst and junior Jamie Hetlage of Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, Missouri, celebrated their win at the National Journalism Quiz Bowl April 18 at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Denver.

It was truly a collaborative team, with the editor-in-chief of the North Star newsmagazine (Bodden), the editor-in-chief of the Excalibur yearbook (Forst), the team editor (Tainter) and a newspaper staff member (Hetlage) working together for the trophy.

To determine the initial seeding of the participating teams, each team of four students took a test April 17. The next day, the top seven qualifying teams met for three rapid-fire buzzer rounds, answering current events, journalism law, terminology and civics questions. The first team to 10 correct answers won each round.

Francis Howell North, ranking first in seeding, bypassed the first buzzer round and beat out “On the Prowl” broadcast staff from Satellite Center High School, Luling, Louisiana, 10-3.

The final round, against James C. Enoch High School from Modesto, California, was a nail biter, with FHN squeaking out a 10-9 win against EHS for the trophy and top bragging rights.

Participating teams came from California, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana and Missouri.

Aaron Manfull, MJE, and Jordyn Klackner are advisers at Francis Howell North.