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The “Minettes and a Miner” did not miss or pass on any question, outlasting eight other teams to win the 15th annual high school local history Smackdown Thursday night at the Calumet Theatre.
Consisting of three Juniors and a Senior from Dollar Bay, the team went the final three rounds head-to-head with the “Hanka Homesteaders” from Baraga to win the title.
The competition was presented by the Keweenaw National Historical Park and consisted of teams from throughout the four counties.
Questions came from local historical societies and gathered from many of the local history novels written about the area’s history, geography, geology, and ethnic traditions.
Each team was allowed one mistake and was given the opportunity to pass on a question they could not determine an answer to, the winners did neither.
The “Minettes and a Miner” received a traveling trophy for their school and each winning member was given a $250 scholarship for the championship.
2017 Smackdown Winners!
Dollar Bay High School’s Minettes & Miner have won the 2017 Smackdown!
The Minettes & Miner—Bobbi Jo Caskey, Kayla Hakala, Kendra Lahikainen, Korey Ericson and coach Cathy Hill—were up against stiff competition from Baraga’s Hanka Homesteaders.
The two teams went head-to-head for the last five rounds before the Minettes & Miner emerged triumphant. Tied for third place were the Rockers (Dollar Bay), the Valkyries (Baraga) and the Nonesuch Know-It-Alls (Ontonagon).
In total, nine teams met on the Calumet Theatre stage to face questions about local history, geology, geography, and the environment. The Smackdown, organized by Keweenaw National Historical Park, is a fast-paced competition for high school students, who field the questions, posed by the Quizmaster. Two wrong answers eliminate the teams from competition. A team of four judges, representing each Copper Country county, can deliberate and determine whether a team’s answer is acceptable.
Park Superintendent Wendy Davis and Advisory Commission chair Bob Langseth were thrilled to congratulate the winners and all competitors for their hard work and impressive knowledge of local history. Prizes ranged from water bottles and pizza parties to trips to the Keweenaw Heritage Site of their choice. The Minettes & Miner, in addition to the Smackdown trophy, also received a $1000 scholarship to be shared equally between the participants.
Designed in consultation with local educators, the goals of the competition are to encourage interest in local history among high-school age students, provide an opportunity for history-minded youth to compete in a specialized event, and provide a fun and entertaining evening for participants and audience members alike. Additional support for the Smackdown was provided by the Isle Royale & Keweenaw Parks Association, Range Bank, River Valley State Bank, Aspirus Keweenaw, Pat’s Foods, and Homestead Graphics.
For further information about the Smackdown, please contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at 906/337-3168, or visit the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.
