Washington Knowledge Bowl
Washington State Knowledge Bowl is an academic competition for high school students in Washington State. Imported from Colorado, Olympic ESD 114 coordinated the state's first Knowledge Bowl competition during the 1980-1981 school year in which forty-two teams from the region's fifteen high schools in competed. Knowledge Bowl in Washington lacks a middle school division.
Within a few years, all ESDs in the state were coordinating regional competitions and the first state tournament was held in 1984.
Format
Washington Knowledge Bowl events/meets probably has a similar format of play as other Knowledge Bowl playing states. Meets consist of several rounds each consisting of written rounds and oral rounds, with the winner of a meet being decided by the highest cumulative score from the entire day. Meets apparently don't count towards post-season seeding.
Regional Competitions
Each of the nine Educational Service Districts (ESDs) in Washington State hold regional Knowledge Bowl competitions. Regional competitions are held between November and early March. Each ESD decides the format that will be used in their respective regions and how many regional competitions and meets will be held.
The regional competitions that determine which teams will advance to the state tournament typically take place in February or early March. The number of teams each ESD region is allotted for the state tournament varies each year with the number of schools that compete at each division (based on Washington Interscholastic Activities Association classification) in each ESD region. The top 18 teams in each division (top 9 in 1B division) advance to the state tournament.
The ESD regions are as follows:
- ESD 101 (Northeast Washington)
- ESD 105 (Yakima Valley)
- ESD 112 (Southwest Washington)
- ESD 113 (West Central, Coast)
- ESD 114 (Olympic Peninsula)
- ESD 121 (Puget Sound)
- ESD 123 (Southeast Washington)
- ESD 171 (North Central Washington)
- ESD 189 (Northwest Washington)
State Tournaments
The state tournaments take place annually in March.
The format for the state tournament begins with a written round of 50 multiple-choice questions with a 35-minute time limit. Up to six team members may participate in the written round. This is followed by four Preliminary oral rounds of 50 questions each, setting the stage for the Semi-Final and Championship rounds, also oral rounds of 50 questions each. Only four team members may compete in the oral rounds. Team member substitutions are allowed at the half-way point (after question 25) of each oral round.
Washington State Knowledge Bowl Champions
| Year | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 2B | 1B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Henry Foss | Lakes | Connell | Charles Wright Academy | - | St. George's School |
| 2001 | Kamiakin | Skyview | Port Townsend | Charles Wright Academy | - | St. George's School |
| 2002 | - | - | Eatonville | Freeman | - | St George's School |
| 2003 | Capital | Kelso | Port Townsend | Okanogan | - | St. George's |
| 2004 | - | Lakeside School | Port Townsend | Charles Wright Academy | - | St. George's School |
| 2005 | Kamiakin | Lakeside School | Medical Lake | Charles Wright Academy | - | St. George's School |
| 2006 | Lewis and Clark | Bellevue | Stevenson | Charles Wright Academy | - | Pe Ell |
| 2007 | Mountain View | Hanford | Blaine | Chelan | Federal Way | Pe Ell |
| 2008 | Kamiak | Kennewick | Sequim | Charles Wright Academy | St. George's School | Pe Ell |
| 2009 | Kamiak | Kennedy | Charles Wright Acadmey | Freeman | Desales | Almira/Coulee-Hartline |
| 2010 | Skyview | Camas | Pullman | Port Townsend | St. George's School | Odessa |
| 2011 | Olympia | Camas | Anacortes | Colville | DeSales | Wilbur |
| 2012 | Central Valley | Camas | Pullman | Colville | Northwest Christian | Wilbur |
| 2013 | Camas | Charles Wright Academy | West Valley | Stevenson | Harrison Prep | Valley Christian School |