Fleming Junior High Knowledge Bowl Wins Back-to-Back Titles; B Team Finishes Fourth

Fleming junior high captured first place at the Junior High League Knowledge Bowl, securing the program’s second consecutive league championship, HF Herald reported Jan. 29, 2026. The championship A team members are Easton Steward, Easton Japp, Jack Williamson and Eli Bentley.

Fleming also fielded a B team composed of seventh graders who finished fourth overall. The B team roster includes Anna Ashburn, Cole Wernsman, Emma Lardel and Catherine Gerk. HF Herald’s account of the event included a team photograph, noting the championship quartet was “pictured above.”

HF Herald’s published summary states: "MEMBERS of the Fleming Knowledge Bowl team celebrate a strong showing at the Junior High League competition. Easton Steward, Easton Japp, Jack Williamson and Eli Bentley, pictured above, captured first place to earn the Junior High League Knowledge Bowl championship for the second consecutive year. Fleming's B team - Anna Ashburn, Cole Wernsman, Emma Lardel and Catherine Gerk - also had an impressive performance, finishing fourth overall as a seventh grade team...."

The Original Report submitted earlier to local coverage aligns with HF Herald’s details but left a sentence incomplete about the B team; HF Herald supplies the completed roster and placement. Neither account provides scores, round-by-round results, opponent names, venue information or coach names. The competition date is not stated beyond the HF Herald publication date of Jan. 29, 2026.

Fleming’s back-to-back title underscores sustained investment in academic competitions at the junior high level and signals program depth when a seventh-grade B team places fourth overall. For parents, teachers and school leaders in Logan County, the outcome highlights student academic engagement outside the classroom and may influence how the district allocates support for quiz bowl coaching, travel and practice time. Anna Ashburn, Cole Wernsman, Emma Lardel and Catherine Gerk gaining tournament experience as seventh graders suggests the program could remain competitive in coming seasons as those students advance.

The HF Herald page that carried the Knowledge Bowl story also included local education and sports coverage that may interest readers tracking school activities. Items on the same Jan. 29, 2026 page included a Frenchman school board budget and facilities report by Candie Fix, Haxtun Junior/Senior High first semester honor roll lists, and sports coverage noting Sedgwick County/Fleming wrestling’s 34-33 dual win over the Wray Eagles on Jan. 22 with Kol Herskind opening the night with a 13-1 major decision at 106 pounds.

Key follow-ups remain: exact event date and venue, final scores or standings, names of coaches or advisors, and comments from students or school officials. These details are not provided in HF Herald or the Original Report and can be obtained from Fleming school administrators for fuller coverage and public recognition of the students and program.