I hate to break it to ya but thats what nationals are like. If you guys want to be nationally competitive you gotta know that stuff. Maybe you guys are ok with playing local teams repeatedly and feel that winning a state title is the limit of quiz bowl. But it would do the state a lotta good to strive for nationals. That doesn't go for just Kirksville but also teams like Ladue and SLU High who could represent Missouri well if they traveled more. The questions at Truman State were not to hard just look at the scores of teams at Georgia who played on the sets(especially Dorman).That's why I don't like college quizbowl.
As for math in college, math calculations basically don't exist. I can see why you wouldn't like that (neither does Grant) but math speed is something that is hard to teach. It is something innate more than it is something you learn. Charles and i can do most of the math that is presented in tournaments but we just cant work with numbers that fast.