Seventh and eighth-grade students put their knowledge to the test March 6 during the 36th Annual Belmont County Scholastic Challenge. This event is sponsored by the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center (ECOESC). This

year marked the sixth consecutive year the competition was held virtually. 

The virtual event, modeled after the popular game show Jeopardy, brought together teams of six students from all seven public schools in Belmont County, including Barnesville, Bellaire, Bridgeport, Martins Ferry, Shadyside, St. Clairsville and Union Local. 

Several districts competed under student-chosen team names, including the Bellaire Big Reds, Bridgeport Googly Geeks, Shadyside Tigers, St. Clairsville Concrete Cinder Blocks and Union Local Motown Jets. Each district determines whether their team is composed of seventh graders, eighth graders or a combination of both.

Competition began at 11:30 a.m. with three rounds of play, each 25 minutes in length. Using the Wayground platform over Zoom, students answered questions spanning history, geography, math, spelling, English literature, and foreign language. Though the format is fast-paced, students were able to confer with teammates before submitting answers. Scores were tallied and standings were shared with teams before each round. All seven teams competed well and scores were close throughout. Following the third round, a tiebreaker round was held to determine the second and third place winners. 

The top three teams for the 2026 Belmont County Scholastic Challenge were St. Clairsville Concrete Cinder Blocks in first place, with team members Layne Galloway, Austin Duplaga, Luke Kiene, Mason Kiene, Liam Rine and Landon Spears; Martins Ferry in second place, with Reed Berisford, Declan Gwennap, Henry Kisner, Heath Lohr, Sophia McCormack and Eli White; and Barnesville in third place, with Blake Brown, Grant Feldner, Lincoln Gallagher and Blaine Thompson. Medals and trophies are delivered to schools the following week, and each participating student receives a certificate. 

ECOESC Gifted coordinator Julie Rotruck said the competition offers students more than just academic challenges. “Scholastic Challenge is more than a competition,” said Rotruck. “It is an opportunity to grow, lead, and shine academically in a setting that honors their abilities.”

The fast-paced format of the Scholastic Challenge tests the students across multiple content areas while building critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience skills that extend beyond the classroom. The ECOESC is proud to host this event that celebrates academic achievement among middle school students in the Belmont County region.