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Monroe’s Hi-Q team aims high

Doug Ramsay photo, dougramsayphoto.photoshelter.com

Monroe High School Hi-Q team members, from left, Zach Scott, Eric Grewal and Claire Chisholm work to come up with an answer to a question on literature during the 2012 opening season Hi-Q match Tuesday, Jan. 10 at Monroe High School. Monroe is the defending regional champions, finishing fourth nationally last year. In the opening match, Monroe finished third behind Jackson and Archbishop Murphy high schools. This year’s team has just two returning members from last year: sophomore Niklaus Higgins and Chisholm, who is a senior. Established in 1948, Hi-Q is the oldest continuous academic competition for high school students in the nation. Competitions have been happening in Snohomish County since 1976 and is the only one still existing on the West Coast. Questions for the competitions are based on U.S. history, U.S. government, art history, biology, chemistry, current events, geography, literature, mathematics and physics. This year, 15 schools from Snohomish and Island counties are participating. Last year was Monroe’s fourth time winning the regional title, which they also won in 2001, 1982 and 1980. Monroe finished second in eight other years. While not competing this year, Snohomish High School took the championship in 2002 and 1984. Hi-Q may not be as popular as the school’s athletic teams, but it did gather support after last year’s national finish, Higgins said. “At Monroe, we have a lot of spirit and a lot of support, but I have to say Hi-Q is not as recognized as an athletic sport and should since we put a lot of effort in to it,” he said. Chisholm, who is in her third year on the team, said team members can put in several hours each day studying for matches. Chisholm said she studied all day on both Saturday and Sunday prior to last week’s match. Besides studying at home, Chisholm said the team meets every day after school for several hours during the week of a meet. Monroe will compete two more times before the regional championship in April. The next competitions are Feb. 7 at Arlington and March 19 at Lake Stevens.