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Buff Elementary competes hard at OBOB State Tournament

A group of young people, some wearing casual clothing and others wearing school-related apparel, are standing together in what appears to be a school hallway or corridor.
The image shows a group of people, including several children, standing together in what appears to be a school or educational setting, with a classroom-like environment visible in the background.

The 15th annual Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) state tournament took place in Salem on April 10-11, at Chemeketa Community College. Buff was one of 27 teams vying for the state title. The team consisting of 5th grader Nolan Hurd, 4th grader Nevaeh Meissel and 3rd graders Kinsley Feigner and Aurora Blythe competed in four pool play matches. 

To advance to the Sweet-16, Buff would need to score as many points as possible instead of winning their matches. A perfect score in a pool play match is 40 points. Teams that average between 26 and 28 points, normally qualify for the Sweet-16. The highest seeded teams, coming out of pool play, traditionally average between 35 and 40 points. Pool play matches consist of eight questions. Teams can receive partial credit.

The Bears would need to score 30 or more points to give themselves an opportunity to grab one of the final spots into the Sweet 16. In their last match to do so, against the southern Oregon school, Buff scored 23 points. During the match, one question was overturned when the judges determined that Buff's answer of polished wood, the correct answer being wood polish, could not be considered a simile. The 91 points that the Bears accumulated during pool play would not be enough to advance to the Sweet-16.  

The state tournament capped off a remarkable year for the team from Madras. They won their school tournament, the Jefferson County Cup and regionals. And unlike other sports or activities, OBOB does not group schools into classifications based on population. Buff finished in the Top 25, regardless of size, of all elementary schools in the state of Oregon.

Looking ahead to the 2026-2027 season, the Bears will be considered one of the favorites at next year’s regional tournament in Redmond. They return team captain Nevaeh Meissel and key contributor Kinsley Feigner. 

Aurora Blythe is transferring to Metolius and will bolster a young Wolves team that is hungry for a deep regional run.

While Nolan Hurd is planning on attending Jefferson County Middle School and competing in the 6-8 Division.  Hurd and his state experience will be a welcome addition to a White Buffalos program that is already one of central Oregon’s best.

A record number of teams, nearly 700, registered with OBOB this year. In its first year, 2008, 168 teams were registered.

OBOB categorizes teams into three divisions: Grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. In the 3-5 and 6-8 divisions, students are asked to read 16 books. In the 9-12 division, students read 12 books. Registration for schools and public libraries begins in September and closes in mid November. Depending on geographic location, teams are sorted into 7 regions of the state. 

Certain regions, due to a high volume of teams competing, have subdivisions. In Central Oregon, the Grades 3-5 Division consists of a subdivision. 7A is Bend - La Pine. 7B is Crook, Grant, Harney, Jefferson and Wasco Counties plus the communities of Redmond and Sisters. To qualify for the state tournament, a team needs to win their regional tournament. The Buff Bears did just that in Prineville on Saturday, March 7th. Defeating 21 teams in the process.