When three members of Brunswick High School’s quiz bowl team couldn’t make it to Windham for the Maine State Quiz Bowl last weekend, the team’s only available member decided make the trip himself.
Senior Alexei Douhovnikoff stood alone against an array of four-person teams representing schools across the state. And he won.
“Alexei’s quote was, ‘Well, I’m just gonna go for it,'” according to teacher Clark Porter, who coaches the school’s quiz bowl and math teams.
“A lot of times, stuff like sports you expect to maybe get trophies for, but less so for stuff like this — so it can be cool to bring back evidence how how well you did,” Douhovnikoff, 18, said.
It was a big week for Brunswick High School students, as junior Indigo Selinger tied for best overall with a perfect score at the State Math Meet on April 7.
“It’s really cool that Brunswick is getting some recognition,” Selinger said.
The Brunswick High School math team at the State Meet in Augusta on April 7. Photo courtesy of Clark Porter
Both students have been involved in their respective teams since they started at Brunswick High, they said.
The quiz bowl is often compared to “Jeopardy!,” where teams of students answer general-knowledge questions.
“Just being aware of what’s going on around you is the best way to learn, because the questions can be about anything,” Douhovnikoff said. “So as long as you’re always paying attention to what people are saying, and you’re always trying to learn, you’ll pick up a lot of facts.”
Douhovnikoff hopes to keep doing trivia in college and beyond.
“I want to see [Douhovnikoff] on ‘Jeopardy!’,” Porter said.
He said his trivia success is thanks to a combination of reading, watching quiz shows and paying attention to current events.
At math meets, students solve equations in teams, individually and in a relay-style event.
“All I can say is, it’s not like how it was in ‘Mean Girls,'” Selinger said, referring to the “mathletes” competition scene in the 2004 movie starring Lindsay Lohan.
Selinger tied with a student from Cape Elizabeth for first overall at the math meet. The Brunswick team also ranked ninth in the Division A competition.
Selinger is headed to the Official American Regions Mathematics League — a national high school math team competition — in Pennsylvania in May.
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