Ledyard High wins marine science Quahog Bowl title in upset

Groton - In the world of marine science competition, Ledyard High School winning the Quahog Bowl Saturday, knocking off Rhode Island's seemingly invincible Cranston West, was akin to the Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl four years ago, breaking up a perfect season.

And they did it without teammate Raagan Wicken, who sustained a concussion the day before in a freak accident during gym class. Junior Lucy Zhang, a team alternate, stepped in to take her place during the competition among about 80 students at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus.

"I have some smart kids around me," said a beaming David Bednarz, the team's coach and Ledyard High science teacher. "These guys are so committed."

In the final round, the Ledyard team - which included senior captain Ronnie Tardiff, senior Bryauna Phillips, senior Jenna Farquhar and junior Qiuyin Ren - beat Cranston in dramatic fashion, 46 points to 12.5.

Cranston had been regional Quahog Bowl champions for eight straight years. They've even won the National Ocean Sciences Bowl competition. But Connecticut teams - including fourth-place finisher Waterford High School, fifth-place Bacon Academy in Colchester and sixth-place Norwich Free Academy - had vowed this year to wrest away the title.

"Southeastern Connecticut put up a regional effort by practicing together," said Waterford coach Mike O'Connor, whose team had come in second at the Quahog Bowl for the past seven years.

Bednarz said beating Waterford had been his main goal, but the team almost came up short in the early rounds when it eked out a victory with only 7 second left against Coginchaug Regional High School from Durham. Any loss would have meant Ledyard could not have won the single-elimination competition, in which questions about a wide range of subjects are fired off by the judges during 20-minute rounds.

"Coming back and winning was definitely a surprise," Ren said.

Each of the teammates had developed areas of expertise, but one thing on which all of them agreed was the value of their experiences with Project Oceanology, a hands-on marine science program at Avery Point.

Ironically, the Ledyard school system is considering cutting support for Project O in next year's budget. Members of the team - each of whom won $300 cash and a $3,500 scholarship to the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program at Mystic Seaport - will be bringing their Quahog Bowl trophy to a school board meeting Tuesday to protest the move.

"We need to keep Project O," Bednarz said.

l.howard@theday.com