PHIL CAMPBELL, ALA. — Northwest-Shoals Community College (NW-SCC) competed on the national stage last Saturday (2/27) as Bryant Gillespie led the NW-SCC College Scholars Bowl team to a 13th place overall finish in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ (NAQT) Community College Championship Tournament. Gillespie earned tournament All-Star ranking and finished fifth overall individually.
To qualify for the NAQT Community College Championship Tournament, community colleges were able to compete in an online sectional tournament. This year all of NAQT’s championships have been conducted online using Zoom conference calls for each match. NW-SCC was the only team from Alabama to qualify and compete in the national tournament.
According to NW-SCC College Scholars Bowl Coach Brad Pool, the resiliency of the team was a major reason for their success this past weekend. “Our team has not let the virtual tournament format or other necessary restrictions caused by the pandemic slow them down,” said Pool. “They just love to compete and are willing to do whatever we ask of them. They are a really fun group to be around.”
NW-SCC College Scholars Bowl team members are Lexi Crittenden (from Phil Campbell), Bryant Gillespie (from Moulton), Briley Mills (from Red Bay), and Christian Rodriguez (from Russellville).