For the fifth consecutive year, the University High School Academic Team finished in the top three at the 2018 Indiana State Quizbowl Tournament.
3-1 In Morning Round
The team of junior Christian Moore and seniors Alex Brinkman, Alex Johnson, Jay Maturi, and Jack Paganelli went 3-1 in the morning matches on Saturday, March 17 at William Henry Harrison High School in West Lafayette. The Trailblazers lost to Harrison but defeated Noblesville, Anderson, and Center Grove in those first four matches. They started the afternoon knockout round with the #2 seed.
Heading to Championship Match
First up in the knockout round was a rematch against Noblesville High School. University trailed 0-20 after the first three questions, but the momentum quickly changed in favor of the Trailblazers. The Trailblazers won the first, second, and third rounds and defeated Noblesville 345-235.
Zionsville High School was the semifinal opponent for the Trailblazers. University took charge at the start, blitzing the Eagles with a score of 60-15 in the first round. The lead expanded to 140-40 by the end of the second round, and the Trailblazers won the match with a score of 285-230.
University faced (for the second time that day) William Henry Harrison High School in the championship match. The Trailblazers fell behind early (10-50) in the first round before closing the score to 45-50 by the end of the round. The Trailblazers lost important ground in the second round and went into the third round with a 75-135 deficit. University outscored Harrison 100-90 in the third round. The score was 175-225 leading into the fourth and final round, made up of 18 questions. After 15 questions, the Trailblazers tied the match at 310. Unfortunately, Harrison scored on question 16 and 18, winning the match. The final score was University 310, Harrison 340.
A Tradition of Success
The Trailblazers have a long history of success in the State Quizbowl Tournament. University won the tournament in 2015, and they were runners-up in 2016 (in addition to 2018). In 2014 and 2017, the Trailblazers took 3rd place. Congratulations to the UHS Academic Team — and especially the four seniors — on a great season and a solid showing in the state tournament!