The 2011-12 season has proved to be a special one for the Riversprings Middle School Academic team.

Although it was a rebuilding year for academic team Coaches Bill Taylor and Trey Thaxton, the Bears parlayed a strong regular season into an invitation to the National Academic Quiz Tournament in Chicago, Illinois.  It is the first such invitation in the school’s history.

RMS kicked off the season on November 5, 2011 at the Maclay Middle School Invitational in Tallahassee, Florida.  The Bears mixed it up with teams representing 12 different schools from across the region.  Riversprings finished a solid 4th place, and RMS high scorer Daniel Sloan was the 12th overall leading scorer out of over 80 competitors.

The Bears’ next action came January 28, 2012, in Bainbridge, Georgia.  The tournament featured a field of more than 40 teams.  RMS had an A team and B team compete.  By tournament’s end, both teams finished in the top 10. 

The Bears then went on to compete in a tournament at TCC on March 8th, before moving on to the big showdown on March 15th: The Wakulla County Championship hosted by the Coastal Optimist Club.  Paced by strong performances by team captain Daniel Sloan (top scorer), Isaac Kent, Maclellan Hicks, and Adrian Peacock, Riversprings defeated Wakulla Middle School (2nd) and COAST Charter (3rd), winning their 4th consecutive County Championship and 10th out of the 12 years since RMS opened. 

Fueled by that strong showing, the Bears made a return trip to Bainbridge on March 31.  RMS fielded two teams, and once again both teams shined.  The A team finished in 3rd place, while the B team turned in a 6th place finish.  Maclellan Hicks was the 7th highest scorer for the tournament.

RMS will be back in action at the National Academic Quiz Tournament, which will be held at Chicago's Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel on April 20-22, 2012.  Riversprings is one of only two middle schools from the state of Florida invited to the tournament.  Generous donations by RMS Student Council (sponsor Marlene Adams), Kevin and Shelia Mullens, the Coastal Optimist Club, Eugene and June Vause, Edward and Sonya Hicks, Susan Payne Turner, Noah Posey, Jo Ann Daniels, Coastal Gems Realty, Legal Shield, Quill Turk D.D.S., Wakulla Men’s Club, and Walgreens are assisting the RMS team with the expense of making the trip to Nationals, and the Coaches and team offer a heartfelt thank you to those sponsors.

Anyone interested in sponsoring the RMS academic team’s trip to the National Tournament, should contact Coach Bill Taylor at Riversprings Middle School (926-2300).

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