Students test Internet and computer skills at Tech Bowl

Local students from Elementary, Middle, and High School competed last month in the 15th Annual Tech Bowl held at the Niceville Community Center.

The Tech Bowl is an Internet scavenger hunt computer competition held annually for students enrolled in Okaloosa County Schools.  Elementary and Middle school students participate in a “scavenger hunt for information” competition on the Internet.  High School students also participate in the scavenger hunt, but they also compete in a computer assembly competition whereby they must assemble a computer that has been disassembled, and they are timed.

Prizes are awarded to winning team members as well as the school that they attend.  Due to popular demand, student and school prizes are gift cards to Best Buy in varied denominations that range from $50 to $200.  Every student competing in the Tech Bowl who did not win one of the prizes above received a $25 Best Buy gift card.

The winners of the Elementary School Division were:
1st Place – Edge ES – Score of 23
2nd Place – Plew ES – Score of 21.5
3rd Place – Liza Jackson – Score of 21

The winners of the Middle School Division were:
1st Place – Pryor MS – Score of 24.5
2nd Place – Liza Jackson – Score of 22.5
3rd Place – Lewis School – Score of 21

The winners of the High School Division were:
1st Place – Collegiate HS at NWFSC – Score of 69
2nd Place – Crestview HS – Score of 57
3rd Place – Niceville HS – Score of 51

The elementary schools that competed this year were Antioch, Baker, Bluewater, Edge, Lewis, Liza Jackson Prep, Mary Esther, Plew, Saint Mary’s, Shalimar, Walker, and Wright.  Middle schools that competed were Baker, Bruner, Davidson, Lewis, Liza Jackson, Pryor, Rocky Bayou, Ruckel, and Saint Mary’s.  The high schools that competed were Baker, Choctawhatchee, Collegiate HS of NWFSC, Crestview, Laurel Hill, and Rocky Bayou.

The Tech Bowl would not be possible without the help from the following sponsors:

Diamond Level
Okaloosa County School District
Niceville – Valparaiso Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Platinum Level
L-3 Communications
City of Niceville
Cox Communications
Jacobs Engineering

Gold Level
Polyengineering

Silver Level
American Athletic Uniforms, Inc.

Bronze
Bay Area Awards

Many special thanks go to:

• The Men and Women of the U.S. Air Force Reserve at Duke Field for their time, efforts, computers, and ideas that help make the Tech Bowl possible;
• Michael Stuart, Master of Ceremonies, for his wit, humor, time and for all the years he has been the “Official Tech Bowl Emcee”;
• All the students and coaches – the Tech Bowl would not be here today if it were not for you; and
• The committee members for all the hours of work put forth that allows this competition to continue.