For the fourth consecutive year, the University High School Academic Team finished in the top three at the Indiana State Quizbowl Tournament.
3-1 In Morning Round
The team of Alex Brinkman, Alex “AJ” Johnson, Jay Maturi, Jack Paganelli, and Evan Vesper went 3-1 in the morning matches on Saturday, March 18 at William Henry Harrison High School in West Lafayette. The Trailblazers lost to Avon but defeated Crown Point, Marion, and Cathedral in those first four matches. They started the knockout round with the #3 seed.
Advancing to Semifinals
First up in the knockout round was a rematch against Cathedral High School. The Trailblazers trailed 35-65 after the first round, but a sweep of the “Exponents” category and a shut out in the fourth round led the Trailblazers to a 355-170 victory.
William Henry Harrison High School was the semifinal opponent for the Trailblazers. University lost to Harrison in the regular season but defeated Harrison in the White River Academic League tournament last month. Again, the Trailblazers trailed after the first round, but they chipped away in subsequent rounds. At the start of the fourth and final round, the Trailblazers were down 180-230. They tied it up after 10 questions, but Harrison pulled away at the end and won the match with a final score of 300-335.
To end the day, the Trailblazers defeated Hamilton Southeastern 325-170 in a low-key, fun match and took third place overall in the tournament.
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 last year. In 2014, and this year in 2017, they took third place. Congratulations to the UHS Academic Team on a great season and a solid showing in the state tournament!