MONMOUTH – Western Oregon University’s College Bowl to face Georgetown College and Arizona State University in national championships. WOU’s team won the Regional Championship Tournament on February 23 at University of Washington. They will be one of 16 teams competing in the National Championship Tournament from April 25 to 27 at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.

WOU was one of 10 schools in the region that competed for the title of Regional College Bowl Champion. The team of students consisted of Kelly Gordon, history major from Newberg, Megan Cullerton, communications major from Portland, Richard Mansker, history major from Portland, and Adam Molatore, music major from Clackamas. Amanda Rodino, coordinator of leadership & programs for University Residences, was the team’s coach. Gordon was named as one of eight people to the Tournament All-Star Team as the third highest individual scorer of the tournament.

“The strong performance of the WOU College Bowl team is a testament to the commitment to the liberal arts education we have at Western,” said Stephen Scheck, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Our small classroom environments and faculty attention provide many opportunities for students to argue positions on issues in class and to work collaboratively in achieving group success. A very appropriate preparation for situations our students will face in their future careers.”

The first round of the tournament consisted of nine round-robin matches. WOU won seven of their nine matches. The top four teams went into a double-elimination round, where WOU went undefeated. The other teams in the regional tournament were from Boise State University, Washington State University, University of Idaho, Idaho State University, University of Washington, Gonzaga University, Lewis & Clark College, and the Sylvania and Cascade campuses of Portland Community College.

“This win is such an honor for WOU and a tremendous accomplishment by our students,” said Patrick Moser, assistant director of leadership and operation for University Residences and coordinator of the regional tournament. “This is the first time our team has ever advanced to the national tournament and it is especially exciting to advance over many larger institutions, some from the Pac-10.”

Western Oregon University will join 14 other regional winners and a wildcard pick from the regional runner-up teams at the national tournament. The other regional winners include: Georgetown College, Florida State University, Arizona State University, Rice University, Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota.

Like the popular radio and television series of the 50's, 60's and 70's, the game features two teams of four students each competing to score points to Toss-Up and Bonus questions. The questions cover every conceivable topic from literature, science, history, geography, religion, social sciences, multicultural topics and the arts to popular culture, sports and current events. WOU is among nearly 300 institutions of higher education playing College Bowl this season, which is in its 32nd year.

College Bowl is organized and administered with the cooperation of the Association of College Unions International (ACUI). The campus tournament is run by Werner University Center Student Leadership and Activities and University Residences.

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Contact:
Patrick Moser
Assistant director of leadership and operations, University Residences
503-932-1932 or moserp@wou.ed

Amanda Rodino
Coordinator of leadership and programs, University Residences
503-838-8658 or rodinoa@wou.edu
*contact Amanda to get in touch with the students on the team