By Christina Leslie|Correspondent

The team of young scholars from St. Joseph School, Toms River, captured their second consecutive win in the 10th annual St. Rose High School Invitational Scholastic Bowl held Oct. 28. Young academics from 10 diocesan grammar schools competed in the St. Rose, Belmar, campus in nine subject areas for both team and individual awards.

Each competing school sponsored a team of seventh-and eighth-graders who vied, one per subject area, in the categories of current events, english, geography, mathematics, religion, science, spelling and social studies. Individual student scores earned from the 30-minute multiple choice tests were combined to determine a team score and overall winner. Students were eligible to compete individually in a ninth subject area, Spanish; their scores were not included in the teams’ totals.

The St. Joseph team took home the first place team medal as well as a $2,000 tuition certificate for use at St. Rose High School. Teams from the second place winner, St. Dominic School, Brick, and St. Rose School, Belmar, who ranked third place in the contest, each earned $1,000 tuition certificates.

Individual students who excelled in a subject area were awarded a $500 tuition certificate for use at St. Rose High School.  The winners in each of the eight regular subject areas were: in current events, Daniel Treval, St. Aloysius, Jackson; in English, Jack Coleman, St. Dominic, and Cameron O’Connor, St. Joseph (tie);  in geography, Garrett Hegel, St Catharine; Spring Lake; in mathematics, Gabiella Ignacio, St. Joseph; in religion, Paul Mlodgenski,  St. Dominic; in science, John Knudsen, St. Joseph; in spelling, Angela Magahis, St. Dominic; and in social studies, Philip Williams, St. Rose. Sandra Madrigal, St. Aloysius was the Spanish category winner.

Other diocesan schools who competed in this year’s scholastic bowl were St. Peter, Point Pleasant Beach; Holy Innocents, Neptune; St. Denis, Manasquan; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Asbury Park, and St. Veronica, Howell.

St. Rose High School guidance counselor Ann Pfister-Brown served as moderator for the scholastic bowl which began with an opening prayer. St. Rose High School student ambassadors led their young counterparts to classrooms for the testing; once the tests were scanned and scored, the students and their parents were escorted to the Belmar high school’s Little Theater for the awards presentation.

Juliann James, St. Joseph School senior vice principal, served as moderator for the Toms River team of young scholars. “We are extremely proud of our students’ academic accomplishment. To win this competition two years in a row is an amazing feeling for all of us,” she noted. “The level of excitement was palpable. The students were so pleased with themselves and the parents could not have been prouder!

The students conducted themselves with maturity and professionalism throughout the competition rooting for each other and offering support and team spirit. This fine group of students brought honor to St. Joseph Grade School.”