Students from around Grant County competed this week in the annual Grant County Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Awareness (DATA) Quiz Bowl, hosted by Marion Community Schools in partnership with the Grant County Drug and Alcohol Resource Team (DART).
This annual competition helps bring awareness to the risks of substance use and abuse, and helps equip students to make healthy choices. It also gives participants the chance to win fun prizes!
Students in grades four through seven participated in school level competitions in recent months, and up to two winners from each grade at each participating school advanced to the county finals, held Nov. 19 at Justice Intermediate School in Marion. Out of the 24 competitors, the top finishers in the county finals were:
Division 1 (grades 4 & 5)
- First place: Paisley Dalrymple, Swayzee Elementary (Oak Hill)
- Second place: Payton Welchel, Northview Elementary (Mississinewa)
Division 2 (grades 6 & 7)
- First place: Jane Devers, Swayzee Elementary (Oak Hill)
- Second place: Zoe Fox, Eastbrook Junior High
The 2025 winners and runners-up of the Grant County Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Awareness (DATA) Quiz Bowl pose for a photo with “celebrity” judge Marion Police Chief David Gilbert, emcee was Judge Mark Spitzer, and “celebrity” judges Grant County Sheriff Del Garcia, and Marion Chief Operations Officer Keenan Davis. Darla the K-9, who works with the Drug Court, also made a special appearance!
The prize package for first-place county winners included:
- Funded by DART: 10.1” Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet
- IHOP coupon
- Crest Lanes coupon
- Star Bank swag
The prize package for second place county winners included:
- Funded by DART: 8” Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet
- IHOP coupon
- Crest Lanes coupon
- Star Bank swag
The DATA Quiz Bowl is open to all schools in Grant County. The schools that participated this year were Marion Community Schools’ Allen Elementary School, Justice Intermediate School, and McCulloch Junior High School; Madison-Grant United School Corporation’s Park Elementary; Mississinewa Community Schools’ Northview Elementary; Oak Hill School Corporation’s Swayzee Elementary; and Eastbrook Junior High.
In addition to the top four, competitors also included:
- Allen Elementary School: Emma Everhart, Kinzlie Paschal
- Justice Intermediate School: Phoebe Anderson, Olivia Aguirre, Jude Runyan, Ella Shelton
- McCulloch Junior High: Jack Freiburger, Jaxon Hardwick
- Northview Elementary: Cattaleya Sheperd
- Park Elementary: Lea Eccles, Breeah Holmes, Braelyn Powell, Cora Thomes, Piper Trusty, Asher Williams
- Swayzee Elementary: Aurora Conners, Skyler Conners
- Eastbrook Junior High: Layla Adamson, Nickolas Duncan, Anele Matangi
If your school would like information about competing in the DATA Quiz Bowl, click here to contact Tiffany Tracy at Justice Intermediate School.
Marion Community Schools is thankful to all the people, businesses, and organizations that partnered with us to help encourage healthy living in Grant County! We are also grateful for the community volunteers who helped with the county competition. Our emcee was Judge Mark Spitzer, and our “celebrity” judges were Grant County Sheriff Del Garcia, Marion Police Chief David Gilbert, DART Board Member and Grant County Probation Officer Mike Henson, and Marion Chief Operations Officer Keenan Davis. Darla the K-9, who works with the Drug Court, also made a special appearance!
In addition, Marion Community Schools appreciates the educators and families who helped students prepare for the competition, and we are so proud of all of the students who participated in the 2025 DATA Quiz Bowl!
Donors also included:
- Afena Federal Credit Union
- Beacon Credit Union
- Colonial Oaks Health & Rehab
- Crumbl Cookies – Orchard Crossing (Fort Wayne)
- Culver’s
- Drug and Alcohol Resource Team
- Marion Fire Department
- Marion Health
- Marion Police Department
- Regions Bank
- Riverside Community Federal Credit Union
- Ruoff Mortgage
- Starbucks
- Star Financial
- State Farm
- Walmart