Representing the University of Washington’s (UW) Student Chapter at this year’s Western District Traffic Bowl was undergraduate senior Peter Yu and graduate students Garett Davis and Jonah Lorica. These three secured first place with a dramatic late game comeback and made UW history along the way. Their success is attributed to their strategic gameplay and deep well of knowledge.

Pictured above is Jonah Lorica (left), Peter Yu (center), and Garett Davis (right). 

In the preliminary rounds, UW demonstrated a commanding presence, outperforming the University of Hawaii and Portland State University to emerge as the only team with positive points. The team’s strategy was clear and effective:

“Our strategy was to buzz early and often. We had confidence in our ability to answer questions from our collective experience. We knew if we got the opportunity, we could more likely than not know the right answer.” ~Garett Davis

Moving into the final round against USC and UC Berkeley, UW found themselves initially lagging. However, the final moments of the competition were nothing short of a thriller. A daring move and a correct answer to the final clue turned the tables in their favor, securing their victory and a place at the ITE International Collegiate Traffic Bowl in Philadelphia this July.

Reflecting on their experience, the team shared:

“Our favorite part was how competitive the competition was. Having it come down to the Final Jeopardy added a lot of suspense and made it more gratifying. It is always more satisfying winning against good competition and luckily the Western District has plenty of it.” ~Garett Davis

As they prepare for the international stage, the team is not resting on their laurels. They are actively preparing by expanding their knowledge base and studying past competitions:

“We will prepare by studying the manuals we are not as familiar with (such as those from Canada) and watching previous traffic bowls.” ~Garett Davis

This marks a significant milestone for UW, as it’s the first time they will compete in the ITE International Collegiate Traffic Bowl since its inception. The ITE Western District, with a history of three international wins, the most recent being Oregon State University in 2021, looks forward to UW continuing this legacy of excellence.

The UW Student Chapter will receive the Western District Student Traffic Bowl traveling trophy, a certificate, and $1,000 in funds for travel to the ITE International Collegiate Traffic Bowl. The Student Endowment Fund is able to provide support like this to student chapters thanks to it’s generous donors. Learn more about how the Student Endowment Fund provides annual support to student chapters and how to contribute here.

To learn more about UW’s exciting and growing student chapter by visiting their website: https://sites.uw.edu/ite/