Econ team ends its run at nationals

After winning the state championship in a quiz bowl against a team from Cambridge, Minnesota last month, the Cloquet High School econ team ended its winning streak at the National Economics Challenge Upper Midwest region, coach Tim Prosen found out Friday.

Cloquet had two econ teams that had been studying and preparing together for about two months, but it was Team 1 — Cale Prosen, Jake Mertz, Amelia Allen and Sam Buytaert — that won the sectional competition and then State. Members of Team 2 were Ilei Benson, Emily Vermeersch, Olivia Jameson and Lydia Stone.

The four Team 1 members each took a 45-question written test for the upper Midwest online competition earlier this month, with 15 questions on microeconomics, 15 on macroeconomics and 15 on international economics and current events. The top three scores made up the team score.

Coach Tim Prosen said Monday he learned that Cloquet was not among the top six teams, which will advance to the national competition in New York City. The former econ teacher turned vice principal said he was sad to see the season end.

“These kids worked so hard, I am very proud of them,” he said. “They all had so much fun working together and studying, they truly enjoy all being together. Many times studying I could not get rid of them, they would have studied all night and I wanted to go home and go to bed.”

Prosen had some consolation: he is still their track coach, and all eight kids on the two teams run track.