Orca Bowl team comes in 12th out of 480
posted 04/28/05
Friday Harbor High School’s Ocean Sciences Bowl team placed 12th in the nation out of 480 teams that started the 2005 competition. Members of the team -- John Fyrqvist, Shay Hopkins, Johannes Paul, and Sarah Anderson -- returned yesterday from the four day national competition in Biloxi, Mississippi. The team’s coach Marc Vermeire is "very proud of them. They played very well in some tough matches and were outstanding sportsmen through the entire event."
Anderson, a junior on the team will anchor the squad at next year’s regional event held at the University of Washington in February. "We are going to be on everyone’s hit list next year having won the region twice in a row. We’ll have to field a very strong team."
A Whale of a Win II:
Friday Harbor repeats as Orca Bowl champs
Friday Harbor High School's champion Orca Bowl team displays their winning hardware and charms. In the first row, from left to right, are Captain John Fyrqvist (holding a lucky golf ball) and Ashley Spendiff. In the second row are JoHannes Paul, Sarah Anderson and advisor Marc Vermeire holding his son and team mascot Charlie. (Team member Shay Hopkins is not pictured.)
updated 02/15/05 posted 02/13/05
Friday Harbor High School came from behind to win its second consecutive Washington State Ocean Sciences Bowl -- better known as the Orca Bowl -- Saturday, Feb. 13, 2005. Seniors John Fyrqvist, JoHannes Paul and Shay Hopkins and juniors Sarah Anderson and Ashley Spendiff also won the sportsmanship award.
"I'm really proud of them," said advisor Marc Vermeire.
"It was awesome," said Spendiff. "We didn't think we were going to win but we did."
Friday Harbor wins a five-day trip on a University of Washington research vessel and advances from the 15-team regional competition to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl in Biloxi, Mississippi in April. Last year's team, which included Fyrqvist, Brady Ryan, Jacky Elder and Elliot Thomsen, finished second at the 2004 national bowl.
"John Fyrqvist pretty much took charge," Anderson said. "He was awesome."
Last year Brady Ryan answered most of the questions in the Jeopardy-style
competition. Ryan returned to his high school and helped this year's squad. "Brady really knows his stuff," Paul said.
The 2005 team studied as a group."We actually had practices," Fyrqvist said.
That led to contributions from the entire team. "This year the talent was wide-spread," Fyrqvist said.
"We were all keen on winning it," Anderson said.
Title winners rarely receive sportsmanship awards, so the judges must have been impressed with Friday Harbor. "These guys are really good sports," Vermeire said.
In addition to hard work, Friday Harbor had a few good-luck charms on their side. Fyrqvist brought a golf ball he found while scuba diving in Bermuda last summer. He also wore a wool captain's cap that his sister Kati sported during her team's victory in the Knowledge Bowl Thursday, Feb. 11. Vermeire's 3-month-old son Charlie served as the team's mascot.
"Sarah and Ashley will be our anchors next year and we'll keep rolling with it," Vermeire said.
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