East Carteret High’s Bowl team wins 8^th in national competition

East Carteret High School’s Ocean Sciences Bowl team brought home a top level placing from the National Ocean Sciences Bowl competition. The national competition took place April 25-27 in Seward, Alaska.

Members of the team are team captain Matthew Joyner and members Charlie Brooks, Chelsea Brown, John Allen Griffin and John Haught. They are coached by East Carteret High School teacher Barbara Waters.

The local team earned the right to compete in the national competition by winning regional and state competitions. For those wins, the team members and advisor received an all-expenses paid trip to the national competition in Alaska.

“The level of competition at the state competition was fierce and then it was extremely fierce at the national event,” Mrs. Waters said. “I am ecstatic that the East Carteret team placed eighth in the nation. My goal and the goal of the team was to break into the top eight because eight awards are given at the national level, and the team made it.”

A team from Lincoln-Sudbury High School in Massachusetts won the national title and a trip to Costa Rica.

East Carteret High School’s team won a trophy and a variety of marine science books and money for scientific equipment for the school.

According to Mrs. Waters, North Carolina has never placed in the top eight in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. She noted the competition is open to teams from any state that borders the ocean or the Great Lakes and to teams from Colorado.

“The East Carteret High School team did a fabulous job at the competition,” Mrs. Waters said. “The scores were so close and that was exciting. The top Ocean Sciences teams from across the country were there competing and it was very interesting to watch.”

East Carteret High School’s team got a chance to explore parts of Alaska before the competition. The team flew into Anchorage and then rode the train to Seward. They took a cruise on Resurrection Bay, visited the Alaska Conservation Center and fished in Homer Spit.

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership, representing leading oceanographic institutions, universities and aquaria, manages the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. The Bowl is a national academic competition for high schools on topics related to the study of the oceans and has been taking place since 1998.