RUSSELLVILLE REPEATS IN CHICAGO
CVCA TRIUMPHS IN VIRTUAL
In New Orleans, Russellville (AR) edged Little Rock Central 200-155 to advance to the finals in Chicago. In Chicago, Carbon advanced farther than any other Utah team in NAC history, but Somers (NY) defeated them 370-145, earning the right to face Russellville in the Finals.
Varsity Playoffs
The team from Carbon, Utah
Somers High School (NY)
Russellville put on a masterful performance in the championship game. They pulled ahead 165-50 in the bonus round, after sweeping the PHILOSOPHY and AMERICAN POETRY categories. In the 70 Seconds round, Russellville picked up 30 points on Somers’ category choice, WAR, and then got 8 out of 9 right in their own category, GEOLOGIC TIME. In the Stump the Experts round, it was all Russellville. They answered an audio question before the music was played: “In the last movement of a suite by Edvard Grieg, a ‘tiptoeing’ pizzicato theme is repeated 18 times while getting louder and faster. Name the movement.” (Ans. “In the Hall of the Mountain King”) They identified Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha; they correctly named “Cholera” from just this much information: “What disease did John Snow study when he assembled. …” Russellville won by a 375-100 margin.
Russellville Successfully Defended Their Championship
Russellville is the first school to repeat as winners of the National Academic Championship since Irmo (SC) accomplished the feat in 2002.
CUYAHOGA VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY NO. 1 IN THE NATION
Varsity Playoffs - Virtuals
The Semifinal contests were close affairs. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy edged rookie South Lakes (VA) 275-240; it went down to the last question as Richmond Collegiate (VA) defeated Edgemont (NY) 310-300.
CVCA never trailed in the title game, and swept the first couplet, in the audio category VINTAGE MTV. They led 170-70 after the bonus round, highlights of which included their sweep of the FISH bonus with visuals and the 2024 bonus. They outscored their opponents 60-10 on their 70-Seconds round category, LANGUAGE ARTS, and 40-30 on Collegiate’s choice, ZOOLOGY. Collegiate played them even in the final period, but CVCA won it 370-200.
Two of CVCA’s starters were unavailable on Playoff Sunday!
Hall of Famer
Hall of Fame
- Mike Keller (Irmo, SC, ’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, SC ’95-98)
- Ryan Cooper (James Island, SC ’95-99)
- Jonathan Hess (Irmo, SC, 1998-2002)
- Sara Sheer (Horace Greeley, 2001-2004)
- Matt Pargeter (Holland Hall, OK, 2002-2005)
- Nate Mattison (Byram Hills, NY, 2004-2006
- Fuhe Xu (Harrison, IN, 2004-2007)
- Ariel Schneider (Harrison, IN, 2004-2007)
- Dylan Hames (Booker T. Washington, OK, 2006-2008)
- Alex Pijanowski (Harrison, IN, 2011-2013)
- Max Smiley (Horace Greeley, 2013-2014)
- Kevin Yokum (New Orleans Jesuit, 2013-2014)
- Luke Minton (El Paso Coronado, 2013-2015)
- Jaskaran Singh (Plano West, 2017-2018)
- Brian Li (Pingry, 2020)
- Maggie Brett-Major (Holton-Arms, 2022)
- Sarah Choi (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, 2023-2025)
WINNERS OF OUR 43 VARSITY 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)
- 2009 — John Cooper (The Woodlands, TX)
- 2010 — Zionsville (Zionsville, IN)
- 2011 — Harrison (West Lafayette, IN)
- 2012 — University of Detroit Jesuit (MI)
- 2013 — Horace Greeley (Chappaqua, NY)
- 2014 — Jesuit (New Orleans, LA)
- 2015 — Coronado (El Paso, TX)
- 2016 — Daviess County (Owensboro, KY)
- 2017 — Zionsville (Zionsville, IN)
- 2018 — Plano West (TX)
- 2019 — University of Detroit Jesuit (MI)
- 2020 — Pingry (Basking Ridge, NJ)
- 2021 — Byram Hills (Armonk, NY)
- 2022 – Holton Arms (Bethesda, MD)
- 2023 – Horace Greeley (Chappaqua, NY)
- 2024 – Russellville (AR)
- 2025 – Russellville (AR) (Chicago) and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Virtual)
JV Playoffs
Gadsden High (AL) won the New Orleans JV competition, with a 375-320 win over Jenks (OK) in the finals.
Yet another rookie triumphed in Chicago, without a playoff game, as Eisenhower High (WI) finished 5-1 to 3-3 records for their nearest competitors. It was the first time ever that a Wisconsin team has won one of our venues.
Gadsden High School (AL)
Gadsden was declared national champs, successfully defending their title by virtue of their 8-0 record. This was their sixth national title in the JV division.
JV Playoffs - Virtual
Congratulations to Escuela Internacional Sampedrana (EIS) for making the playoffs, but Ankeny (IA) won their playoff game, 295-135. Pingry (NJ), the school that won the Varsity title in 2020, won the JV title in 2025. The score in the finals: Pingry 330, Ankeny 275.
Pingry finished with a 7-0 record.
Middle School Playoffs
New Orleans Champs, Freeport Middle School (FL)
The New Orleans Middle School finals proved the most exciting game on May 25, as rookie Freeport Middle School (FL) defeated Golden Meadow (LA), 325-135.
Golden Meadow Middle School (LA)
In Chicago, it was Quest Academy (IL) vs. Life Way Christian School (AR). Quest came into the game with many superb accomplishments in previous NAC tournaments, being the only school ever to have won both the Elementary and Middle School divisions. Life Way is a perennial contender, making the playoffs every year. Life Way led after the first period, 70-50. Quest dominated the bonus round, sweeping the ENGLAND and EMPEROR bonuses, taking a 180-100 lead at halftime. Life Way gained a net 10 in the 70 Seconds Round, and trailed 190-260 going into the final period. Life Way had an impressive showing in Stump the Experts, collecting 290 points, but Quest got a record-setting 160 points, scoring on questions such as:
What Hemingway short story could have been titled, but was not, “The Frozen Ice Crystals Lying on the Ground on Top of the Highest African Mountain”?
Ans. The Snows of Kilimanjaro
and identifying “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” from an audio excerpt. Quest won by a final score of 420-290.
National Champs from Quest Academy
They finally did it.
Golden Meadow (LA) set an all-time record – after twelve trips to the Junior National Academic Championship, they finally made the playoffs. Then proceeded to win a couple of playoff games, advancing all the way to the New Orleans Finals.
Middle School Playoffs - Virtual
Runner-Up Hollidaysburg (PA)
In the quarterfinals, rookie H.C. Crittenden (NY), coached by the winningest coach in NAC history, Martin Gilbert (also the longtime coach of Byram Hills High), defeated CVCA (OH) 335-260. Defending champ Boise North Junior High then triumphed over perennial contender Warren (NJ) 435-245. In the semifinals, it was No. 1 ranked Hollidaysburg (PA) over Crittenden 360-300 and Boise North over rookie Ankeny Northview (IA) 345-265. In the finals, Hollidaysburg swept the 20TH CENTURY DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE bonus, but North swept CHARLES DICKENS and ASTRONOMY, and led 175-115 at halftime. Hollidaysburg had a net 20-point advantage in 70-Seconds. It was pretty much all she wrote after North swept the MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS couplet in the final period. The final score: North 315, Hollidaysburg 235.
Hall of Famer Grady Noble Graduated, but North Junior High Repeated as Champs without Him
Boise North is the first repeat champ since Edmonson County (KY) did it in 2018-2020. They did not go undefeated, but finished 8-1, having lost a preliminary round contest to CVCA
Hall of Fame
- Jon Leidenheimer (Longfellow, VA, 2009-2011)
- Myles Siglin (Flushing, MI, 2012-2014)
- Brandon Fairchild (Johnson County, KY, 2013-2015)
- Anna Zheng (Paideia, GA, 2014-2017)
- Jonas Miller (Edmonson County, KY, 2018-2019)
- Brody Johnson (Edmonson County, KY, 2018-2019)
- Grady Noble (Boise North, ID, 2023-2024)
WINNERS OF OUR 18 MIDDLE SCHOOL TOURNAMENTS
- 2008 – Bate Middle School (Danville, KY)
- 2009 – Longfellow Middle School (Falls Church,VA)
- 2010 – Longfellow Middle School (Falls Church,VA)
- 2011 – Longfellow Middle School (Falls Church,VA)
- 2012 – Trickum Middle School (Stone Mountain, GA)
- 2013 – Flushing Middle School (Flushing, MI)
- 2014 – Woodland Junior High School (Fayetteville, AR)
- 2015 – Sutton Middle School (Atlanta, GA)
- 2016 – Wooster Middle School (Wooster, OH)
- 2017 – Chaffin Junior High School (Fort Smith, AR)
- 2018 – Edmonson County (Brownsville, KY)
- 2019 – Edmonson County (Brownsville, KY)
- 2020 – Emerson School (MI) & Edmonson County (Brownsville, KY)
- 2021 – Ramsey Junior High School (Fort Smith, AR)
- 2022 – Anchorage (Anchorage, KY)
- 2023 – Southview (Ankeny, IA)
- 2024 – Boise North (ID)
- 2025 – Quest Academy (IL) (Chicago), Boise North (ID) (Virtual)
Elementary Champs
Rookie Nysmith (VA), despite suffering two defeats in the prelims, emerged as winners of the Elementary National Academic Championship.
Elementary - Virtual
Elementary Champs
In the semifinals, Prairie Trail (IA) defeated Edgewood A (OH), 410-150 and Edgewood B edged Gadsden A (AL), 270-260. The final score of the Finals: Prairie Trail 270, Edgewood B 155.
Ankeny and Gadsden
There was no bigger story this year than the success of teams from Des Moines suburb Ankeny, IA. Prairie Trail from Ankeny won the Elementary title. Northview advanced to the Middle School semifinals. And Ankeny High finished second in the JV division. Gadsden, AL had another great year. Gadsden High won the JV division again. Gadsden Middle finished third in New Orleans. Gadsden Elementary finished third in the Virtual Elementary playoffs.
Here They Are ...
right: Coach Nathan Coombes, Anders Repp, Drew Coleman, Nolan Gentry, Eli Pattee, Judson Rowedder, Gabby Williams and Jaxon Penning
Varsity Playoffs
Here are the champions.
Asst. Coach Satish Bhatt, Shaarav Bhatt, Tommy Vondra, Aarush Patel, Anthony Lukashevich, Noah Schulman, and Head Coach Lisa Groh
Here are the champions.
NOBODY COMES CLOSE TO GADSDEN, ALABAMA IN JV TOURNAMENT
