Chautauqua Lake will next compete in the National Academic Championship in New Orleans May 25-26.

The Chautauqua Lake team consists of Lincoln Smith, captain; Dayne Jantzi; Lydia Kushmaul, and Nathan Henry. Smith was named Player of the Match. The team is coached by Mary Jantzi and Connor Barnes.

This year’s championship is the seventh for Chautauqua Lake and its pre-merger schools, the most for any school in the known history of High School Bowl. The team is the first High School Bowl team in about five years to attend a national championship.

Jackson Kruszynski, captain; Skye Wood; Siying Sun, and Morgan Krotz played for Ellicottville, coached by Ann Chamberlain. The team finished the year with a record of eight wins and two losses.

Pictured from left are Lydia Kushmaul, Dayne Jantzi, Lincoln Smith, Nathan Henry during the 2024 High School Bowl Championship match against Ellicottville.

A reception followed the championship match at Jamestown Community College. Dennis Webster, long-standing High School Bowl host and producer, presented certificates and awards to both teams.

The championship win entitles one Chautauqua Lake senior to a $1,000 scholarship for each of two years of education at JCC, presented by the Jamestown Community College Alumni Association.

For its second place finish, the Ellicottville team will receive a $500 scholarship contributed by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

As the award was presented, Chamberlain thanked Webster for his years of work producing the event for area schools.

“You model for our students how to be a good human being,” Chamberlain said.

The final match concludes Webster’s tenure as show host and producer.

“I imagine what a first-time High School Bowl contestant must feel, and I think I share those first-time feelings today,” Webster shared. “I’m uncertain of what’s ahead, but I’ve come to know that sometimes the best way to make something you hold close better is to let it go.”

To get to the finals, Ellicottville Central School defeated Panama Central School 71-62. Morgan Krotz and Jackson Kruszynski of Ellicottville, and Xander Gould and Ian Heath of Panama earned Player of the Match honors.

Ellicottville (8-1) was represented by Krotz, Kruszynski, Skye Wood, and Siying Sun.

Panama (4-2) team members were Heath, Gould, Liz Anderson, Abby Becker, and Lauren Gibbs.

High School Bowl is jointly produced by the Media One Group of radio stations in partnership with Jamestown Community College.

The championship match aired recently on radio stations WJTN and SE-93 in Jamestown. Wendy Dyment of Westfield was the moderator for the 2023-2024 season, the 62nd year of High School Bowl. Twenty regional schools competed in this year’s tournament. High School Bowl is produced by Dennis Webster of Media One Radio with technical operations by Brian Papalia.