Patience and persistence helped students from the Mexico Academy & Central, Sandy Creek Central and Fulton City school districts win top honors at the annual Oswego County Battle of the Books event.
Mexico Elementary School’s five-year second-place streak ended with a 120 point, first place finish for Level 1 (Grades 3 and 4).
Team members Ainsley Bigelow, Jacob Poissant and Sarah Marsden squealed with excitement.
“You’re all winners!” one parent shouted, as she encouraged all Level 1 participants to keep reading.
Representatives from third through 12th grade throughout the county studied 10 books from October through March.
Some teams climbed the ranks, winning at the building level and district level before reaching the county battle.
The county-wide competition was coordinated through the School Library System of Oswego County, a component of the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation and held at Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square.
At the battle, teams had 30 seconds to answer each of the 16 questions beginning with “In which book.”
One member from each team responded with a full title and full name of the author.
Students were also required to write down their answers, to which they earned eight points for a correct title and author, or five points for a title only.
No points were awarded for correct author only.
Several Level 2 competitors were neck and neck after half-time scores were read, but “We B Bookin’” from Lanigan Elementary School of the Fulton City School District received top honors for Grades 5 and 6 after earning 120 points.
During the Level 3 (Grades 7 and 8) battle, teams from Central Square Central, Oswego City and Sandy Creek Central school districts had a three-way tie with 88 points.
Sandy Creek Central’s team came out on top after team members Catie-Ann Blodgett, Emily Ward and McKenzie Kwak correctly answered two overtime questions.
Level 4 (Grades 9-12) representatives: Emily Smith, Emily Kehoe and Rebecca Miller from Sandy Creek Central also beamed with pride after they broke a three-way tie of 72 points by answering an overtime question correctly.
Central Square’s A.A. Cole Elementary School Principal Michael Smolnik, who served as question reader, congratulated all participants for dedicating their free time to reading.
School districts with first, second and third place finishes, respectively, in Level 1 (Grades 3 and 4) are: Mexico Academy & Central, Fulton City and Oswego City.
Level 2 (Grades 5 and 6) winners are: Fulton City, Oswego City and there was a three-way tied for third place between Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Central, Central Square Central and Sandy Creek Central.
Level 3 (Grades 7 and 8) top two winners are Sandy Creek Central and Central Square Central. Level 4 (Grades 9-12) winners are Sandy Creek Central and second-place was shared by Oswego City and Mexico Central & Academy.
Each competitor received a participation medal.
First place team members each received plaques and a plaque also was awarded to their home school.
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