Moss Hill returns to Battle of Books winner’s circle in convincing fashion
Winners of the 2022 LCPS Elementary Battle of the Books, the Moss Hill Elementary team is, from left, front, Stella Posey, Alia Brown, Eliza Hawkins, Reagan Bumgarner and Eden Nguyen; back, coach Joey Gray, Cale Roberts, Sophia Reid, Addison Lambert and coach Melissa Small.
A team of fourth and fifth graders from Moss Hill Elementary School ran away with the 2022 LCPS Elementary Battle of the Books championship Friday, collecting the school’s second win in the last three contests.
Moss Hill scored 167 points in distancing itself from second-place Southwood Elementary, which scored 109 points to finish two points ahead of third-place Contentnea-Savannah K-8. All nine elementary schools in the district competed in the morning-long event held at Lenoir Community College.
As the district winner, Moss Hill’s team will represent LCPS in the regional Battle of the Books, to be held virtually on April 28.
The Battle of the Books challenges students’ knowledge of books from a common reading list of 15 titles through questions related to content. The nine teams compete in a round-robin format.
For head coach Melissa Small, the school’s media coordinator, Friday’s result represented a return to the winner’s circle after a two-year absence. Moss Hill finished second in 2021 and the 2020 contest was cancelled because of the coronavirus. Moss Hill’s first-place finish in 2019 came after two years of second-place finishes
“Lots of practice,” Small said in explaining the 2022 team’s success.
The team came together in January, culled from volunteers who had passed a preliminary quiz. It looked like a rebuilding year for Moss Hill – only one returning veteran among the eight team members – but instead the team won with the highest score posted in at least seven years.
“I’m very proud of them,” said Small, who was assisted this year by fifth-grade teacher Joey Gray.
Members of the Moss Hill team are: Alia Brown, Reagan Bumgarner, Eliza Hawkins, Addison Lambert, Eden Nguyen, Stella Posey, Sophia Reid and Cale Roberts.
Members of the second-place Southwood team were: Alyssa Conner, Davyn Hall, Raylan Hardee, Paisley Howard, Owen Jones, Angelie Medina Mayan, Ben Phillippe, Adamaris Pina and Sha’ziya Williams, with coaches Gail Outlaw and Angeli Jarman.
Members of the third-place Contentnea-Savannah team were: MaKaybre Braswell, Sheynice Brewer, Al Garcia, Emani Gardener, Lillie Haze and Isaiah Whitfield, with coach Traci Banks.
Also competing were the teams from:
Banks – Noah Finch, Semaj James, Bentley Jarman, Mason Lane, Londyn Luczaj, Madelyn McDonald, Asa Roberson, Madeline Wheatley and Jannah Whitley, with coach Jennifer Jones.
La Grange – Delilah Brito, Zoey Bryant, De’Naysia Graham and Rajamir Turner, with coaches Emily Brown and Jessica Miller.
Northeast – Dulce Diego Mencho, Jadiel Font, Jada Leonard, Kristina Oliver, Zachry Powell, Edward Roman, Mirabella Roman, Amani Saleem Waters and Jalen Torrencee, with coach Zakema Howell-Jones and Jennifer Johnson.
Northwest – Caitlin Conner, Madison Jackson, Isabella Murrell, Mya Murrell, Makayla Stallings and Janiah White, with coach Janis Skoczylas.
Pink Hill – Whitney Dupree, Evelyn Garcia and Laurel Lawson, with coaches Myra Aycock and Jennifer Grubbs.
Southeast – Antwaun Alamin, Jenacyn Brown, Chanel Forbes, Saya Heath, Lauren Majette, Jaylen Peele and Khrystion Platt, with coaches Allison Crowder and Julie Estes.
