After weeks of rigorous after-school practices, Coral Gables Senior Highs’ History Bowl team returned to regional competitions at Archimedean Upper Conservatory for a second year in a row, ready for a day full of intense matches. As the deciding round to advance to Nationals reached its end, the judge read the final question.
Amidst the high-stakes atmosphere, team members huddled in collaboration, whispering collectively as they came to a final agreement. As the sound of the buzzer echoed, senior Wilhelm Meyer delivered the final answer with conviction: ‘Plato’. Moments later, the judges confirmed it was correct, declaring the Gables History Bowl team as winners of the tournament.
“I was left speechless at our win. It was like seven hours of competition and being able to pull through at that last moment was unbelievable,” senior Wilhelm Meyer said.
With their qualification to compete in the International Academic Competition secured, the team swiftly rose from their seats and gathered in a tight huddle as excitement burst out of the room. Thanks to the members’ consistency, hard work and dedication, they have successfully maintained a record of winning regionals for two years running. By qualifying for the national stage, their win showcases their skill but also introduces new obstacles they must face as they prepare for the demanding national competition.
The History Bowl team was founded by seniors Wilhem Meyer, Johan Meyer and Alexander Ridoux last year as they envisioned the possibilities of an official History Bowl team at Gables that could compete at a higher level and win many competitions. Determined to find like-minded students who had a special interest in history and thrived in their history classes, the trio hoped to bring together a group with a shared passion for the subject through competition.
The idea of competing was fueled by the founders’ memories of watching their middle schools’ History Bowl teams excel in local contests, a spark that motivated them to bring their experience to Gables. Inspired by those early wins, Meyers and Ridoux took the initiative to officially create the club and begin recruiting members, with the support of social studies teachers Mr. Miller and club sponsor Ms. Chase, who referred qualified students.
“The team started when Ridoux and I got bored in Mr. Cipriani’s [Advanced Placement United States History] class and we looked for history competitions to go to and it just kind of took off from there. We formed the team and quickly started recruiting members. We qualified for Nationals our first year by finishing top six in the district, which we have done for two years in a row,” senior Meyer said.
To their surprise, an abundance of students were eager to join the club and form new friendships while figuring out how to work as a team. For the members, joining the History Bowl team meant more than memorizing dates, as they studied each others’ strengths and weaknesses to sharpen their collective performance.
“Being in the team, I learned a lot about collaboration because if a player answers too early and gets a question wrong, the entire team can no longer answer the question. So we had to learn how to really be careful and think cautiously before spontaneously answering a question and being aware [of] which questions other teammates are more likely to get right,” sophomore Adam Gold said.
Once the club officially formed their junior varsity and varsity teams, weekly practices eased them into team-building activities, history-themed Kahoots and Ice Breakers to help everyone get comfortable with each other. Naturally, as competition season approached, both teams crowded into Ms. Chase’s room every Wednesday, quizzing each other repeatedly on history trivia as they trained for regionals.
With just a few more months until Nationals, the team has begun using more effective and conventional studying methods. From revisiting questions from past competitions to extensively learning new material, members are building a routine they can use during weekly practices or on their own. They have even started holding mock-competitions, giving both teams a chance to overcome the pressure of Nationals and prepare to the best of their abilities.
After months of steady preparation, the History Bowl team now prepares itself for the biggest competition of the year. Alongside refining their study skills, History Bowl has also held several fundraisers throughout the year to cover travel expenses and competition enrollment fees. By securing teacher grants and hosting after-school Chipotle fundraisers, the team has successfully drawn support from many students across Gables.
With the ongoing support of Gables’ Social Studies Department, faculty and students alike, the team continues to surpass the obstacles and challenges set before them. Each step forward brings them closer to their goal, as they look ahead to taking their team to an even higher rank at Nationals next year.
“I hope our team takes home a National title, it will require a lot of work, but we have a very capable team of students and it is definitely doable,” senior Meyer said.
At the heart of their club lies an ongoing mission: to preserve their record-breaking victories as a team of passionate history students. Even in only their second year as a club at Gables, History Bowl has already left its mark.
