NC State Anesthesia College Bowl Champions!

A team of students from the nurse anesthetist program at Western Carolina University recently took first place in the 2008 North Carolina State Anesthesia College Bowl, beating teams from five other N.C. schools for the title.

The state quiz bowl, which tests students’ knowledge of anesthesia topics such as physics, chemistry, physiology and pharmacology, is held annually as part of the annual meeting of the N.C. Association of Nurse Anesthetists. After claming the state crown, Western’s winning student team then challenged a team of certified registered nurse anesthetists from around the state, crushing the CRNA team by a score of 7-2.

Western will retain the trophy for one year. The 2009 NC State Anesthesia College Bowl will be held in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn in October, when WCU students will defend their title.

Members of the WCU team, who all are students in the master’s degree program in nurse anesthesia, are Tiffany Outar of Asheville, a graduate of Temple Baptist School who earned her undergraduate degree at WCU;  K. Logan Key of High Point, a graduate of T.W. Andrews High School who earned his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Lance Greer of Hickory, a graduate of St. Stephens High School who earned his undergraduate degree at Lenoir-Rhyne College; Mya Montoya of Asheville, a graduate of West Hall High School who earned her undergraduate degree at Emory University; and Randy Parker of Asheville, a graduate of Asheville High School who earned his undergraduate degree at WCU.

Team coaches were Shawn Collins, director of WCU’s nurse anesthesia program; and faculty members Cheryl Johnson and Mason McDowell.

“We are very proud of our students,” said Johnson. “We are the newest nurse anesthesia program in the state, and it is unprecedented for a new school to have a winning bowl team.”


                                            

Bottom Row (Left to Right):WCU Anesthesia Bowl Team members:  K. Logan Key, SRNA; Mya Montoya, SRNA; Lance Greer, SRNA; Tiffany Outar, SRNA. Top Row (Left to Right): Cheryl Johnson, CRNA Team Coach; Randy Parker, SRNA, Team Alternate; Shawn Collins, CRNA, Team Coach; Mason McDowell, CRNA, Team Coach

All students are in the senior year of the Nurse Anesthesia Program
(Master of Science in Nursing) at WCU.

Tiffany Outar
Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Western Carolina University (GO WCU!)
High Schooll: Temple Baptist School (Local here in Asheville)
Parents: Don and Darlene McCurry
Hometown: Asheville, NC

K. Logan Key
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
T.W. Andrews
Parents: Doug and Eve Key, Tommy and Rebecca Smith
Hometown:  High Point, NC

Lance Greer
Bachelor of Science in Nursing:  Lenoir-Rhyne College
High School:  St. Stephens High School, Hickory NC
Hometown:  Hickory, NC
Parents names: Steve and Janet Greer

Mya Montoya
Bachelor of Science in Nursing:  Emory University
High School: West Hall High School, Gainesville, Ga
Lots of Parents: Mom and Stepdad-Rachel and Dave Rigdon
       Dad and Stepmom-Gil and Judy Montoya
Hometown: Asheville, NC

Randy Parker  (Alternate team member)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Western Carolina University
High School:  Asheville High, Asheville NC
Parents: J.C. and Mary Kay Parker
Hometown: Asheville, NC

Team Coaches:
Shawn Collins, CRNA, MSN, Nurse Anesthesia Program Director
Cheryl Johnson, CRNA, MSN, Nurse Anesthesia Program Assistant Director
Mason McDowell, CRNA, MSNA, Assistant Professor, Nurse Anesthesia Program