Bishop Sullivan a Winner Again in Blue Crab Bowl at ODU

March 05, 2012

Bishop Sullivan's winning team huddles to come up with an answer: (from left) Matt Foley, Walker Olsen, Will Harris and Cameron Forren.

For a record fifth year in a row, Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach has won the Annual Blue Crab Bowl, a daylong marine science academic tournament held this year at Old Dominion University.

The winning Bishop Sullivan Team A, coached by science teacher Bill Dunn, includes Walker Olsen (captain), Matt Foley, Cameron Forren, Josh Taylor and Will Harris. With the win, the team qualified to compete in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl April 19-22 in Baltimore.

Other top teams in this year's competition, which was Saturday, March 3, were Chesapeake Bay Governor's School (Glenns), second; Seton School Team A (Manassas), third; and Grafton High School (Yorktown), fourth.

Bishop Sullivan also entered a Team B coached by science teacher Carol Stepanowich and including Leland Alexander Remias, Lorenza West, Cara Monacchio, Anna Chang and Beth Watson. Other teams from South Hampton Roads represented Churchland High School in Portsmouth and Isle of Wight (County) Academy.

A total of 16 teams competed in this year's tournament, the 15th Annual Blue Crab Bowl. Participants prepare through class work and extracurricular study with their science teachers, who serve as coaches. Students explore marine science topics, practice thinking on their feet, and develop team and analytical skills for the quiz bowl setting.

The Blue Crab Bowl is Virginia's regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. It aims to encourage students' understanding and awareness of ocean topics, including oceanography, geology, biology, maritime history and marine policy. The event is the result of cooperative effort between the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and ODU's Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. More than 70 faculty, graduate students, research and support staff volunteer their time to officiate and manage the event.

This year's Blue Crab Bowl was made possible by the sponsorship of national, regional and local sponsors. These include the Office of University Events, Webb Center and Pretlow Planetarium at ODU; Virginia Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program; What If Scientific/Leave Only Bubbles; Hampton Inn-Naval Base Norfolk; Nauticus; the Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association; and the National Marine Educators Association.

All teams were recognized with awards presented by Rodger Harvey, chair of ODU's Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Victoria Hill, ODU's coordinator for the Blue Crab Bowl, and Carol Hopper Brill, bowl coordinator for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

For further information, contact Brill at 804-684-7735 or chopper@vims.edu. Information about the Blue Crab Bowl is also available at www.vims.edu/bcb . For information on other competitions around the country and the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, visit www.nosb.org/.