Tears of joy were shed this weekend as the Ethics Bowl team made history, taking the regional championship at SIUE.
EHS had two teams, orange and black, and placed first and second at the competition.
The winning team was made up of sophomores Izzy Robinson and Logan Szymanski, junior Veda Kommineni, and seniors Kate Huang and Kaitlyn DeVries.
“It was an incredible experience,” Robinson said. “I cried with one of the seniors because of how intense it was and how hard we had worked to get there.”
In preparation for the competition, the team met up once a week in Mrs. Lane’s room to run through cases. As the competition got closer, they met twice a week.
The team created a tight bond due to their intense practice preparing for competition.
“It was definitely stressful but also [practice] was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” Robinson said. “It was a lot of work, but it really paid off.”
DeVries has been a member of Ethics Bowl since she was a freshman, so she felt that winning this year was a testament to the dedication and hard work she has devoted to the club.
“We went from crying in frustration over a devastating loss last year to crying in happiness over finally winning this year,” DeVries said.
After the success of last weekend’s competition, the team is beginning to prepare for the divisional competition.
“I’m really excited about divisions since it’s the school’s first time ever making it,” Szymanski said.
Performing a mock case run at each practice, the team is making sure they are more than prepared.
“EHS has never made it past the regionals, so this is crazy,” DeVries said. “I am so excited, and a little nervous, but mostly excited about the competition.”
Divisionals is a one-match virtual event that takes place on Feb. 12. If the team wins, they will compete at nationals at UNC Chapel Hill.
“I’m not trying to think about [nationals],” Szymanski said. “I’m focusing on the round in front of us.”
