Arlington High School's Hi-Q team is participating in three months of intense academic competition, hoping to win the 2012 Hi-Q championship.

The Arlington team, which has won the academic quiz competition six times since its inception in 1976, is competing against 12 other Snohomish and Island county schools in Hi-Q, run locally by Everett Community College.

In each competition, three local high school teams compete by answering questions from 13 categories. Points are accumulated throughout the season to determine which teams advance to the play offs.

The team, which begins its competition Jan. 18, is hoping to come back from its third-place finish in 2010. Team members include Robert Kephart, Kyle Kilmer, Janey Foxe, Madeleine Fries, Frederick Stabell, Spencer Lajoie, James Piscioneri and Hannah Mendro, daughter of Hi-Q advisor Ben Mendro, who has coached the team for 20 years. Jane Joselow is also an advisor for the team.

Arlington will host the Feb. 14 contest and compete again March 9.

Hi-Q is in its 36th year of academic competition in the region. Hi-Q is sponsored by Everett Community College, Fred Meyer stores, MountainCrest Credit Union, the Everett Community College Foundation, University Center of North Puget Sound and the participating high schools.