Academic team a bright light

Away from the glaring lights of the gym and the grass and dirt of the fields, a winter sport flies under the radar. In a backroom at Orange County High School, four students are squaring off against the competition, coming up with answers to questions that would make Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings sweat. The academic team, currently first in the AAA Commonwealth District, is sweeping the competition, proving that while the Hornets may be overmatched athletically, they're doing just fine intellectually.
According to Orange County High School Academic Team Coach Steve Cunningham, the 13-2 Hornets are at the top of the nine-team Commonwealth District. Each team faces each other twice for a total of 16 matches in the regular season.
 A match consists of 45 questions divided into three rounds. The first and last rounds are toss up rounds with 15 questions each. Players buzz in with their answers game show style. The first person to buzz in and answer correctly wins the question. However, incorrect answers incur a five point penalty when answered early-before the question is read completely. No penalties are incurred for incorrect answers if the question has been read fully. Also, that team cannot offer any subsequent answers to that question. The middle round is different in that it's a directed round in which teammates can confer with each other before answering. If the team gives an incorrect answer, the opposing team may steal. The team with the most points at the end of all three rounds wins.
The win-loss record is important when it comes to determining the regular season champion. Cunningham said a double elimination tournament is scheduled for January. From there, the top team will head to regionals and possibly states, something the academic team hopes to accomplish this year.
"This is the first time in memory that Orange has had a team that could challenge for a district title in academic competition and we were [one of the] first sports to do well in this new AAA district," Cunningham said. "I want us to be the first to win a district crown and the first to proceed to regional competition, perhaps [to] states."
But how does one prepare for an academic competition? Questions are prepared by the competition commissioner and include a range of subjects including math, science, English, social studies and miscellaneous subjects like pop culture and philosophy. At a competition last week, team members answered questions about everything from the television show Glee to Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.
 Academic team captain Kaitlyn Berube, who has been captain since her sophomore year, said the team meets and quizzes each other during Hornet Hour to prepare. They use questions from the previous year and flesh out subjects they aren't sure about. She said individual talents also play a part.
"Everyone is good at something," she said. "I'm mostly literature and current world politics. Juan [Londono] knows the stuff no one else knows."
Berube said being on the team and playing in a competition is exhilarating with being able to use knowledge that's accumulated over time. She also said it helps in school because knowledge is gained in subjects a player might not be good at.
But being good at school isn't likely to be a problem for the academic team members. Starters Berube, Londono, Eric Sidelko and Mark Bernard have their sights set on some pretty big name schools like University of Virginia, Duke and Princeton.
Along with their academic letters for participating on the team, team members also have something else that will help them achieve their future goals-scholarship money. In April, the academic team competed on the quiz bowl show "It's Academic." The team finished second in the northern Virginia competition and won $500 in scholarship money for the school. The win, and the team's showing in districts, have led to an increase in their recognition at the school.
"There has been some recognition from students and faculty," Cunningham said.
Berube said at first the team was nervous about the district switch.
"It's gone well for us [though]," she said. "We used to lose to everyone. People are paying more attention to us now."
The academic team will next compete Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. at North Stafford High School. District finals are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 14.