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Dallas Phase
JOHN COOPER WINS DALLAS
John Cooper School from The Woodlands, Texas (a Houston suburb) finished second in Winter QuizNet, 2008. A perennial playoff team at the National Academic Championship, they broke through this year and proved themselves the best of the 22 teams competing in Dallas, earning a trip to Chicago, where they would go on to compete with the Chicago winners in the second semifinal match on June 9.
The parity among teams competing in Dallas was striking. No statistic is more telling than the number of outstanding perennial contenders which ended up missing the playoffs with 3-3 records: former NAC champs Horace Greeley (NY) & Holland Hall (OK); former National Semifinalists Klein (TX) & El Paso (TX); also Jackson Prep (MS) & Briarcliff (NY).
Playoff day began with eight teams, none of which was undefeated, all of which seemed evenly matched: St. Mark's School of Texas, Copley (OH), Robert E. Lee (Staunton, VA), John Cooper, Cabot (AR), James Martin (Arlington, TX), White Plains (NY), and Scripps Ranch (CA). Three of the schools had never competed at Nationals before - St. Mark's, Cabot, James Martin - the highest percentage of rookie schools ever to advance to the playoffs at any phase of Nationals.
Not surprisingly, all four games in the first playoff round were close. St. Mark's edged Copley (OH), 295 to 260; No. 1 seed John Cooper defeated Robert E. Lee (Staunton, VA), 340-280; Cabot overcame James Martin (TX), 315-265. Then it was time for White Plains vs. Scripps Ranch, the most exciting game of the Dallas phase of the tournament.
White Plains had struggled to make the playoffs. Clobbered by Cabot in their first preliminary-round match, 210-370, they then beat Robert E. Lee 265-165, then were upset by rookie Episcopal Collegiate School of Little Rock, 215-275. They had to win all three of their Sunday games to qualify for post-season. After a decisive victory over LISA Academy (AR), 370-150, they beat Copley on the last question, 235-230, then faced Jackson Prep (MS) in a controversial, suspended game that had to be completed after a long research break, as the judges had to decide whether to accept Jackson's answer of "an arrow" on a 60-Second question that asked what the eagle on the dollar bill is holding in its right claw (Ans. "arrows.") As it turned out, the question was discarded, on the grounds that equally persuasive arguments could be made on both sides whether to accept the singular "arrow." White Plains correctly answered "Federal Reserve Note" on the replacement question, for a 250-240 win.
The Tournament's Most Exciting Game
The only thing everybody felt sure of before the White Plains-Scripps Ranch playoff game is that it would be close. A perfectly symmetrical 60 Seconds round saw Scripps Ranch pick up 70 points on the INFLUENTIAL BOOKS category, with White Plains stealing 20; then White Plains got 70 points on the COLLEGE, with Scripps Ranch stealing 20. White Plains led Scripps Ranch by 15 going into "Stump the Experts." Scripps Ranch promptly tied the game, recognizing a Remington painting. They took the lead after listening to an excerpt from the Beatles' "Michelle" and identifying it as from the Rubber Soul album. White Plains tied it up after identifying Sir Henry Tate as the tycoon who built and stocked the London art museum that bears his name. They re-took the lead after identifying "5" as the smallest integer that appears in two Pythagorean triples. Scripps Ranch vaulted back into the lead after a 20-point Chemistry question. White Plains wrested the lead back, identifying The Hay Wain by John Constable after a look at the painting. Scripps Ranch took the lead yet again, naming Mars as the father of twins Romulus and Remus. They answered a question about Namibia & South Africa, extending their lead. White Plains recognized Herbie Hancock after an audio clue from the 2008 Grammy-winning "Album of the Year." Scripps Ranch named Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness as the two Joseph Conrad books narrated by a ship's captain named Marlowe. That gave Scripps Ranch their biggest lead of the game - 315-285 with only four questions left. White Plains then answered this Astronomy question: "In 2005 astronomers discovered Eris, a dwarf planet larger than Pluto, in what belt?" (Ans. Kuiper Belt) Nobody answered the next two questions, leaving White Plains short, 315-300, going into the last question: "What ship's 1839 mutiny was the subject of Barbara Chase-Riboud's novel Echo of Lions?" White Plains' answer of "Amistad" tied up the game at the closing bell. It took three questions in overtime to settle the game. The tiebreaker: "Which Roman goddess of prosperity and luck is addressed in the first movement of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana?" Zvika Aloni knew the answer: Fortuna. Final score: White Plains 320, Scripps Ranch 315.
The next playoff game was higher scoring and almost as close, a Texas shootout between Houston and Dallas, as Cooper faced St. Mark's. In the bonus round, St. Mark's kept close to Cooper, stealing this 20-pointer in the FINISH THE LIMERICK bonus: "There once was a lady, Eileen, / Who lived on distilled kerosene. / But she started absorbin' / A new hydrocarbon / And since then she's never ..." (Ans. ... benzene ). There was no clear advantage in "60 Seconds." Cooper entered the final period with a 240-220 lead. The 20-point gains included St. Mark's solving of a geometry problem; Cooper's recognition of a Goya painting; Cooper's identification of Hawaii as the only state name that, when spelled officially, includes a diacritical mark; and St. Mark's identification of Yucca Mountain as the site more studied by geologists than any other place in the world. Cooper barely got past rookie St. Mark's, 340-320.
White Plains, spanked by Cabot 210-370 in the prelims, faced them in a playoff rematch. This time it was White Plains administering the drubbing, 405-165. That 400-point turnabout spread is an all-time NAC rematch record.
First Quarterfinal Match
That left only John Cooper and White Plains to play for the right to move on to the Semifinals in Chicago. It was the third time White Plains has advanced to the final round of any phase of Nationals: 1990 in Houston, 2004 in New Orleans, 2008 in Dallas. The bonus round proved pivotal in this contest, as John Cooper grabbed three of the four bonus opportunities and increased their lead substantially, with net 30-point gains on each of the last two, PRESIDENTS and MATH. White Plains' doom was sealed during "Sixty Seconds," when John Cooper swept the mystery category, which turned out to be WORLD LEADERS; it wasn't that easy, as John Cooper identified, for example, Mary McAleese as President of Ireland and Abdullah Gul as President of Turkey. It was basically all over before the fourth quarter started. The final score was John Cooper 385, White Plains 240. Cooper's Christopher White was named DC MVP.
Here's the John Cooper School team ...
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Who Wants to Be a Game Show Host?
Another edition of our "reality show," WHO WANTS TO BE A GAME SHOW HOST? was conducted. Students (graduating seniors) were invited to audition as moderators, and coaches played the game. Sue Korosa, Copley's coach, turned out to be the game's MVP. As for the audition, which the students understood to be a real audition for a job as one of the moderators at next year's Nationals, the winner was Chris Kniesly from Zionsville (IN).
Dallas Preliminary Rounds Results.
Washington Phase
TULSA BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
BESTS 60 OTHER HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS TO TAKE DC
In 2000, Booker T. Washington won the New Orleans phase of the first-ever three-site National Academic Championship, and we flew them into L.A. to compete in the Final Four.
In 2008, the Tulsa team won the DC phase, the largest field ever since the National Academic Championship has been a three-site tournament, earning the trip to Chicago, but this time they moved right into the championship match, by virtue of the large field of teams at DC.
No team survived the DC competition undefeated. Booker T. lost their last preliminary-round match to Byram Hills A by a score of 305-285, entering the playoffs ranked No. 5, while undefeated Byram Hills was seeded 2nd. James Island went into the playoffs ranked No. 1. Twenty-six of the field of 61 qualified for the playoffs with records of 4-2 or better.
Of the 26 playoff teams, 7 were from Westchester County, NY. Three of the four teams in the Final Four were Westchester schools. One of them, perennial competitor Edgemont, had their best-ever showing at Nationals, upsetting No. 1 seed South Carolina powerhouse James Island, 335-300, then edging Waramaug 250-210, before falling to Booker T. Washington, 330-245. The other Final Four contest pitted New Rochelle against Byram Hills -- Westchester teams that had played each other a number of times back home. This time New Rochelle came out on top, by a score of 295-230.
First Semifinal Match
In the last DC match - technically the first national semi-final game -- Booker T. Washington opened up a 75-20 lead over New Rochelle by the end of the first period. Booker T's captain Dylan Hames grabbed this key tossup after only this half of the question was read: "American Institute of Architects selected this building as 'the best all-time work of American Architecture' in 1991. It was designed for the Kaufman family in 1935. …" (Ans. Fallingwater). The Tulsa team gained 30 additional points on the ensuing HUNDRED YEARS' WAR bonus. That gave Oklahoma a 120-30 lead over New York. New Rochelle next answered the following pyramidal tossup after only the first part of the pyramid: "In the 19th century, Edward was noted for his English translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. …" (Ans. Fitzgerald) They swept the ensuing GRAPES OF WRATH bonus, putting them only 30 points off the lead at the end of the half.
The Sixty Seconds Round categories were: VIETNAM, EGYPT, PAKISTAN, and the MYSTERY CATEGORY. New Rochelle selected MYSTERY, which turned out to be THE WAR IN IRAQ, and nearly swept it, gaining 90 points, while Booker T. stole this one: "What three-word expression was used for the initial bombing of Baghdad?" (Ans. Shock and awe) Booker T. then selected VIETNAM, profiting 70-30. That gave New Rochelle their first lead of the game, 210-200 going into "Stump the Experts." The Tulsa team promptly took the lead on this one: "What symbol is used for the Logical Not function in C++?" (Ans. !) They were never to trail again. This was Booker T's alltime record 22nd consecutive trip to Nationals, and they've always been handy with Humanities. Indeed, Captain Dylan Hames gained 20 points apiece on an audio question (Liszt's Liebestraum) and a visual question (The Graham Children by William Hogarth). The final score was Booker T. Washington 340, New Rochelle 235.
Auditions
The DC version of WHO WANTS TO BE A GAME SHOW HOST? was just too close to call. Bromfield's Tyler Alderson and Coronado's Sarah Glade were named co-winners, and (we hope) should return next year to join our staff of moderators. The MVP of the coaches game was Ithaca's Miriam Nussbaum.
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| Sarah Glade | Tyler Alderson |
Chicago Phase
CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON CRUSHES THE OPPOSITION IN 42-TEAM CHICAGO FIELD
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| Henry Gorman | Neeraj Vijay | Raja Vel | Byron Pierce | Jeff Chao |
In their sixth trip to the National Academic Championship in as many years, the Delaware powerhouse broke through and proved the best in a very strong field of teams competing in the Chicago phase of the tournament. Wilmington scored three 500-point wins on playoff day, an all-time record.
They were not undefeated among the Chicago field, however, having dropped a preliminary-round match to Manheim Township High School, 300-315.
The 2008 edition of Wilmington Charter School is simply one of the strongest and most-balanced teams we have ever seen. Awe-inspiring. All team members - Captain Raja Vel, Henry Gorman, Byron Pierce, Neeraj Vijay, and Jeff Chao - made significant contributions in Wilmington's quest to win Chicago.
Wilmington's opponent in the match to determine the Chicago winner (actually the fourth quarterfinal match in the national scheme of things) was another school that just gets better every year at Nationals: the Mike Zinsmeister-coached Seton Hall Prep (NJ). Seton Hall started the day seeded No. 1, and entered their match against Wilmington Charter with a 9-0 record. Seton Hall overcame perennial contender Hastings, 410-245, to advance to the showdown with Wilmington. The Delaware school, in turn, defeated a fine all-underclassman team from Chaska, MN, 465-235. Both Coach Brian McGuinness of Hastings and Coach Chris Lenius of Chaska had told us ahead of time they wouldn't be very competitive this year, but we didn't believe them and, indeed, there they were, in the thick of things on playoff day.
Chicago Quarterfinals
The score at the end of the "Warm Up Round" was Wilmington 55, Seton Hall 50. In the "Bonus Round," Wilmington got a Geometry tossup and swept the ensuing NOVEL bonus. Seton Hall answered with a correct quick buzz on a question about the Bayeux Tapestry, then a 30-point gain on the SATIRICAL HEADLINES bonus. Wilmington then got an audio tossup, identifying a passage by Johann Sebastian Bach, followed by a 15-15 split on the APOSTLE PAUL bonus. Seton Hall then correctly answered "Robert E. Lee" after only the second sentence of a six-part pyramid tossup, but was unable to add any points on the GERMAN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS bonus. The score was pretty close at halftime, with Wilmington holding a 145-115 lead. The game was basically won in the "60 Seconds Round." Seton Hall chose the Mystery Category, which turned out to be RICHARD NIXON'S "ENEMIES LIST." They did well, with an 80-10 gain. But Wilmington Charter chose AL CAPONE and swept the category, to take a 275-195 lead into the final round. Among the 20-point gains in the "Stump the Experts Round" -- Wilmington knew that Tannhauser, in the Wagner opera, appealed to the Virgin Mary to escape from Venusburg … that Queen Hatshepsut's behavior included wearing a false beard … that American Gothic, Nighthawks, and Picasso's The Old Guitarist are all found in the Art Institute of Chicago. Seton Hall recognized the "cassowary" from a photograph; they also knew that shipwrecks were the cause of the separation of twins in the Shakespeare plays Twelfth Night and Comedy of Errors. The final score was Wilmington 425, Seton Hall 275.
First Semifinal Match
The Dallas winners, John Cooper School, faced the Chicago winners, Wilmington Charter, in the second semifinal contest. John Cooper played well … when they didn't have to beat Wilmington to the buzzer. The Delaware team grabbed the first four bonus-round tossups: another six-sentence pyramid question, on a quick buzz during the second sentence (Ans. Treaty of Westphalia); identifying Cro-Magnon Man from a visual clue; yet another quick buzz during the second sentence of a five-part pyramid tossup (Ans. Percy Bysshe Shelley); and identifying Kiss Me Kate after listening to "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." They picked up 30 points on the NOVELS bonus, 30 points by identifying three of the four basic methods of solving a quadratic equation, and 50 points with a sweep of the FINISH THE TITLE bonus, including their 20-point identification of "Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel" by Franz Schubert. The "60 Seconds Round" categories were: DECISION MAKERS, THE LOST GENERATION, SERMON ON THE MOUNT, and the MYSTERY CATEGORY. John Cooper, way behind at half, closed the gap by picking MYSTERY (FINISH THE SENTENCE) and sweeping it. But Wilmington answered back by naming all the authors of ten given literary works to come out of "the Lost Generation." It was a rare double sweep. Wilmington owned the fourth quarter, scoring on 13 of the 20 "Stump the Experts" tossups. Wilmington Charter ended up with 590 points in their win - not only is that the highest score in any NAC contest during this millennium, but it's also an all-time record for most points in any semifinal or final match - ever.
The Final Match
Although Booker T. Washington had won the largest phase of the tournament, the 61-team DC phase, Wilmington Charter had to be favored to win the day, given their high-scoring performances en route to the title match. Booker T's Coach Marilyn Turmelle was overheard to declare, when asked about their chances against the opponent-crushing Wilmington juggernaut, "Well, they haven't faced us yet."
Wilmington took an 80-50 lead into the "Bonus Round." Booker T's Captain Dylan Hames got the first tossup, recognizing the painting Hannibal Crossing the Alps by Turner even before the clue "…depicting the march of a Carthaginian general across a mountain range" was heard. Amazing. They then vaulted into the lead after sweeping the LATIN bonus, including this 20-pointer: "Which masterpiece by Francis Bacon has a title that translates as new tool?" (Ans. Novum Organum) Wilmington got the next tossup, a physics question with an answer of "Momentum." They added 30-0 on the ensuing DRAMA bonus, to take a 10-point lead. Wilmington grabbed the next bonus opportunity, knowing that Ramstein Air Base is America's largest overseas military facility, and the largest concentration of Americans outside of the United States. They lost ground, 5-10, on the BIOLOGY bonus. Booker T. answered the next tossup, knowing that ham is the only meat that specifically comes from the hind leg of a hog. The Tulsa team profited 30-0 on the ANCIENT HISTORIANS bonus, identifying Herodotus, Thucydides, and Tacitus. They took a 165-135 lead into halftime. The "60 Seconds Round" categories were: NUCLEAR PHYSICS, FAMOUS YALE GRADUATES, FAMOUS "LASTS," and ???. Wilmington picked NUCLEAR PHYSICS, gaining 90-10. Booker T. Washington opted for FAMOUS YALE GRADUATES, with an 80-20 advance. The score going into "Stump the Experts" was tied at 245! Booker T. promptly took the lead on a visual question, identifying Sudan from the outline of its map. They added 20, knowing that the city of Guernica's historical significance relates to the nationalist aspirations of the Basques. Then they identified Canal Street as the New Orleans thoroughfare named for a never-built waterway connecting the Mississippi River with Lake Pontchartrain. Wilmington cut into their lead after naming the Indus as the river in the vicinity of the Harappa and Mohenjo-daro archeological sites. They drew to within 10 after recognizing a cartouche from a visual clue. Booker T. then identified "flash" as the kind of memory associated with Sony's newest Walkman. They saw more daylight after a quick buzz and a 20-point correct answer after only this much of the clue: "When it was foretold that this infant would kill his father, …" (Ans. Oedipus) They then identified Art Deco as the architectural style preserved in the historic hotels along Miami Beach's Ocean Drive district. After solving an Analytical Geometry problem, Booker T. led 365-285 late in the contest. Wilmington knew that the stethoscope is the 200-year-old device hospitals are gradually replacing with a hand-held ultrasound machine. Booker T. then identified the late Yves Saint Laurent from a visual clue of his fashions. The Tulsa team won the title game by a score of 385-300.
l to r: Susanna Michael, Carl Engle-Laird, Jordan Rogers, Dylan Hames, Onkur Sen, Billy Chyan
Chip Beall presents Coach Marilyn Turmelle the $2,000 check,
courtesy of the Muller Foundation
Auditions
Zach Willey from Fishers High (IN) won the Chicago edition of WHO WANTS TO BE A GAME SHOW HOST? Plano coach Jason Barton was named MVP of the coach's game.
Chicago MVP
Wilmington's attack was so balanced that selecting a Chicago MVP was no easy matter, but that honor goes to Henry Gorman.
Coach of the Year
Wilmington's powerful and balanced attack is a tribute to the leadership of Bill Tressler, who was named Coach of the Year.
Hall of Fame
Booker T. Washington's Dylan Hames won the overall tournament MVP award. Because of his significant multi-year performance at Nationals, culminating in his leading the Tulsa team to this year's title, Dylan Hames has entered the NAC Hall of Fame.
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In 26 years of competition, only 19 have made the Hall of Fame:
Mike Keller (Irmo, '85-87)
Eric Evans (Granville, OH, '88-89)
Jim Paluszak (Dorman, SC, '89-91)
Matt Bruce (Booker T. Washington, OK, '89-92)
Mark Staloff (East Brunswick, NJ, '94)
Brad Rutter (Manheim Township, PA, '92-95)
Brad Harris (James Island, SC, '92-95)
Amanda Goad (Governor's School, VA, '93-96)
Scott Petty (Houston Eisenhower '95 and Houston Memorial '96)
Justin Powell (James Island, '95-98)
Ryan Cooper (James Island, '95-99)
Dave Madden (Ridgewood, 1998-1999)
Jonathan Hess (Irmo, 1998-2002)
Sara Sheer (Horace Greeley, 2001-2004)
Matt Pargeter (Holland Hall, 2002-2005)
Nate Mattison (Byram Hills, 2004-2006)
Fuhe Xu (Harrison, 2004-2007)
Ariel Schneider (Harrison, 2004-2007)
Dylan Hames (Booker T. Washington, 2006-2008)
Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year honors go to St. Mark’s School of Texas and Central Bucks East (PA). Ironically, St. Mark’s was the winner of the first-ever Chip Beall-hosted high school quiz program, when they won the Dallas-Fort Worth Whiz Quiz title in 1978. This, however, was their first year at Nationals. On another day, St. Mark’s might well have won the Dallas phase of Nationals – they lost out to the eventual Dallas winners, John Cooper, by a score of 320-340. Central Bucks East (PA) scored two playoff wins, to advance farther than any other rookie school competing in DC.
Scoring Leaders
At the NAA, we judge teams not only on tournament progress (how far they advanced in the competition), but also on average points, and seldom does a team lead the league in both. This year, Wilmington Charter finished No. 1 in the nation, averaging 437. We have to go back six years to find a team with a higher tally: 2002 James Island, arguably the greatest team ever, averaged 490 points per game. Other scoring leaders this year: James Island averaged 404; Seton Hall, 372. Last year, Harrison averaged 380 points per game; in 2006 Byram Hills averaged 366 in their championship season.
New York
The most impressive state at this year's tournament was again New York – specifically, Westchester County, which placed four teams in the Quarterfinals: White Plains, Byram Hills, Edgemont, and New Rochelle.
Scripps Ranch Coaches Retire
It was another year in the playoffs for Scripps Ranch High School from San Diego. In a best-of-seven series, who knows? – It might have been they instead of White Plains in that last Dallas game. Scripps Ranch has been participating at the National Academic Championship since 2001. Under the leadership of Coaches Tom Ihlbrock and Oren Patashnik, Scripps Ranch has made the playoffs every year, with one exception. They won the New Orleans phase of the competition in 2003, won their Semifinal match in St. Louis in that controversial “Maracaibo” game, and finished as Runner Up to the champions from that Sara Sheer-led Horace Greeley team. Ihlbrock and Patashnik fashioned teams that were always competitive, always enthusiastic, always good-humored. They loved the game.
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Don Hanlin Retires
Don Hanlin, who accompanied the Center Grove team to Nationals this year and watched them win a playoff game, has retired. Before Mr. Hanlin founded the White River Academic League, now the largest in Indiana, and the state championship Indiana Quiz Bowl, Hoosier teams had not been much of a force at the National Academic Championship. Then those great Andrean High teams of the late 90s made us sit up and take notice. Harrison High started coming to Nationals in 2001, and have made the playoffs every year, culminating in their national title in 2007. South Bend St. Joseph’s advanced to the Semifinals in 2006. A great deal of credit goes to Mr. Hanlin for creating tournaments and encouraging excellence.
Don Hanlin’s Thoughts on the Raison d'ętre of Quiz Bowl
Writes Mr. Hanlin: "I believe that academic teams are an essential part of gifted-and-talented education for two reasons. Interscholastic competitions give gt students a chance to lose. In their home schools, they usually win every academic challenge they face. They almost never experience academic failure. Of course, that's not what they will face in college and in the world of work. They have to be aware that they will have to compete with other high ability individuals just like themselves. Academic competitions contribute to their education by giving them that opportunity to face risk. On the other hand, such competitions also confirm that gt students are not some kind of freak. By competing in local, state, and national academic competitions, high ability students discover that there are lots of teenagers just like them. That gives them a self-confidence that they may not have developed back in their individual high schools. That's why the work that you and I have done is so important."
Next Year’s Champs?
Watch out for three Westchester, NY schools next year, with all their best players returning: White Plains, New Rochelle, and Byram Hills. Ditto Chaska (MN), which finished with a nifty 8-1 record.
Farm System
A number of high school quiz bowl teams have “farm systems” in place – middle schools or junior highs competing in quiz bowl, which feed into the high school teams. We predict that high schools such as Manheim Township, Danville, Hawken, and Lincoln College Prep – or any, for that matter, whose feeder schools participate in the Junior National Academic Championship – will be perennial contenders at high school Nationals in the years ahead. High schools, then, that have such feeder schools, are encouraged to arrange for them to compete in next year’s Junior Nationals. Those that don’t may want to consider developing a “farm system.”
We Love the Pyramid, but Don’t Worship It
A Vermont school turned down our invitation last spring to join us at Nationals, saying, “We prefer tournaments that use pyramid-style questions.” It seems that a bit of misinformation has been spread about the kinds of questions we use at Nationals. Pyramid-style questions – three- or four-sentence tossups that start with the difficult or obscure and end with the easy and accessible – are our favorite kinds of questions, and always have been. Almost all of our tossups-leading-to-bonuses are pyramidal. On the other hand, to insist that all tossup questions must be pyramidal is narrow-minded and fatuous. Math calculation questions, of course, make great tossups, and can only be made pyramidal artificially. Questions starting with “why” make great tossups; e.g., “In 1174 King Henry II walked barefoot from London to Canterbury. Why?” (Ans. He was doing penance for having ordered the murder of
Thomas Becket.) Audio music questions make terrific bonus-round tossups.
New Moderators
Arjun Plakkat and Maggie Larkin, two winners of the 2007 edition of WHO WANTS TO BE A GAME SHOW HOST?, performed quite well as moderators at 2008 NAC. We knew they would. This is no easy task: not only were they seeing the questions for the first time, with no opportunity to rehearse, but they simultaneously had to master the complicated laptop computer program that displays the questions, awards points, calculates scores, runs the audio questions, etc.
 Arjun Plakkat |
 Maggie Larkin |
Ernie Anderson's son Jay Gorgia joined us for the first time as a moderator. Jay would clearly have won any WHO WANTS TO BE A GAME SHOW HOST? audition -- he has everything we look for in a moderator: voice, intelligence, sociability. This was his one year as a "junior" moderator. Next year he'll be invited back as a "senior" moderator.
Qualifying for 2009 Nationals
Keep in mind that all 2008 playoff teams have automatically qualified for NAC XXVII. Return to our web site in September, when our free “Twenty Questions” quiz returns and information on our next QuizNet will be posted. We will also provide details on next year's National Academic Championship.
WINNERS OF OUR 26 TOURNAMENTS
1983 -- Walt Whitman (Bethesda, MD)
1984 -- Wheelersburg (Wheelersburg, OH)
1985 -- Skyline (Dallas, TX)
1986 -- Irmo (Columbia, SC)
1987 -- Walnut Ridge (Columbus, OH)
1988 -- Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, MD)
1989 -- Dorman (Spartanburg, SC)
1990 -- Collegiate (Richmond, VA)
1991 -- Dorman (Spartanburg, SC)
1992 -- Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, OK)
1993 -- Torrey Pines (San Diego, CA)
1994 -- East Brunswick (NJ)
1995 -- Governor's School (Richmond, VA)
1996 -- Houston Memorial (TX)
1997 -- Edison (Huntington Beach, CA)
1998 -- State College Area (PA)
1999 -- James Island (SC)
2000 -- Manheim Township (PA)
2001 -- Irmo (Columbia, SC)
2002 -- Irmo (Columbia, SC)
2003 -- Horace Greeley (Chappaqua, NY)
2004 -- St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN)
2005 -- Holland Hall (Tulsa, OK)
2006 -- Byram Hills (Armonk, NY)
2007 – Harrison (West Lafayette, IN)
2008 – Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, OK)
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