On Saturday, March 15, University High School’s Academic Teams competed in the State Classic Quiz Bowl Tournament, earning strong finishes against some of the best teams in Indiana. This year, in an unusual turn of events, UHS sent both a varsity and JV team after the event organizers requested an additional team to balance the tournament lineup. With just three days’ notice, our JV players stepped up to the challenge and held their own against tough varsity competition.
The JV team—Stacy Xu, Sam Commons, Annabelle Douglas, Raya Stennis, and Ben Wei—faced a challenging five-match round-robin against top teams from across the state. They secured a win against John Adams (310-285) and put up competitive scores against strong varsity opponents, including Fishers, Brebeuf, and John Adams A. The varsity team—Lukas Fiur, Caroline Appel, John Coutant, Vikram Rao, and Allesandro Salerno—went 3-2 in pool play, advancing to the afternoon elimination round. They earned wins over Center Grove (330-305), North Central (325-305), and John Adams (390-325), securing a place in the quarterfinals. In the elimination rounds, the Trailblazers defeated Brebeuf (365-335) before falling to John Adams in a competitive semifinal match (440-320), finishing fourth overall and bringing home a semi-state trophy.
The varsity team finished the regular season 6-1 and capped the year with a top-four finish at state, proving their strength among Indiana’s best. The JV team ended the regular season 5-0 and won the inaugural WRAL JV Tournament, an impressive accomplishment that showcases the depth of University’s Academic Team program.