Recently, as state awards and final places have been announced, Fremd has consistently placed above and beyond within the chess team, debate, Scholastic Bowl, and Business Professionals of America (BPA).
The Fremd chess team has historically been high achievers at state, and have placed 3rd overall at state at IHSA this year. With only two matches lost all year throughout numerous tournaments, the team has performed remarkably well. Over two days, the team had played multiple matches against well accomplished players from other schools, especially as Illinois is one of the strongest states for chess in the country. Out of a total of 128 teams, the Fremd chess players persevered and made it to the top three schools of the entire state.
Matt Zimolzak, the head coach of the chess team, explains how the tournament works.
“It’s all a team, you bring a team of up to 12 players and you play eight of them at any time. So it’s always eight against eight at any point,” Zimolzak said.
At debate, within the Public Forum, Lincoln Douglass, and Congress divisions, Fremd students have attended both the junior varsity and novice state tournament, as well as the varsity state tournament. Freshmans to juniors participated in the recent state tournaments, where Fremd achieved a total of 4 state champions across the three divisions, and had several teams attend octofinals, quarterfinals, and semifinals, along with a total of 16 finalists. Historically, Fremd has performed exceptionally well at both local debate tournaments as well as state tournaments, often amassing multiple finalists in various divisions, which is similarly reflected in this year’s performance.
Maddie Maslan, the current head coach of Public Forum and Lincoln Douglass debate, describes the differences between each style of debate.
“Congressional debate is like the battle royale of debate. Kids role play as Congress, and pass legislation while discussing and weighing the ramifications of it. Public Forum is two people vs. two people, and naturally fosters collaboration and partnership. And Lincoln Douglass is the most individualistic, but we really get to dive into the morals and ethics, outside of the given topic,” she said.
Scholastic Bowl recently attended their three sectionals, where despite having a close loss in two of them, they were able to win for the first time ever in the NAQT competition. One team directly competes against another, with five members on each time ready to hit the buzzer to answer a question. The questions vary widely in topics, from literature and science to pop culture. Members become incredibly versed in their fields, but Scholastic Bowl is mainly a team effort.
John Snyder, the head sponsor for the Scholastic Bowl, explains the dynamic of the sport.
“It’s individual sometimes, but most of the time it’s the team, the group effort, which is what makes Fremd really strong, and our players have specialized and became experts in their areas,” he said.
BPA has historically sent several Fremd students to state every year, and this year, five students came out qualifying for nationals. This club offers a wide variety of different events that encourage leadership development in students, and also prepares students for futures utilizing real-world business skills. Students compete in a variety of different events, with the main groups including health administration, finance, and management and communication.
