MOUNT VERNON — Knowledge Bowl teams sponsored by the Knox County Career Center again blitzed the competition and did very well at the state Knowledge Bowl tournament, held Friday at the First Church of the Nazarene.

Twenty-six teams from career-based intervention programs from throughout the state faced off in four quarters of questioning from Master of Ceremonies Dave Bevington. Topics covered included the working world, government, spelling, VIPs, the arts, safety, sports, geography and math. Each question selected by computer had a randomly assigned point value; the team earning the most points in the junior and senior divisions was declared the winner.

The senior division champions are from Centerburg. For the third year in a row the Trojan CBI team, led by coach Ed Lambert, took home top honors.

“The contest was really exciting and a little nerve racking. Winning was great,” said team captain Cindy Waldnig.

The other local school placing in the senior division was Clear Fork High School, which placed third.

Judging by its performance, one would not have guessed that the KCCC junior division contestants were competing together for the first time as a team. Coached by Bob Geiger, they walked away with a state championship.

Team captain Haley French said winning was “amazing” and also “a relief.” She said team members prepared for the competition by dividing up the categories, with each person becoming an “expert” in two or three areas. She said this is also the last time the team will compete in Knowledge Bowl. Next year they will be dispersed into different labs at the career center.

“We are planning to get ‘State Champion’ shirts, though,” said French.

Mount Vernon Middle School and Clear Fork Middle School came in fourth and fifth in the junior division, respectively.