The Arcadia High School (AHS) Quiz Bowl Team wrapped up its National Competition in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 22 to 24. Quiz Bowl Nationals is one of the most competitive academic tournaments in the country, drawing hundreds of the best high school teams across the U.S. This year, Arcadia managed to qualify two years back-to-back. The team consisted of junior Christopher Chu, junior Samuel Dickter, Co-Captain junior Paxton Lin, freshman Jayden Liu, senior Jason Rizzo, and Co-Captain senior Terrence Wu.
Quiz Bowl is an academic buzzer-based competition where teams of four students race to answer questions based on a wide range of topics. From literature to history and math to pop culture, Quiz Bowl covers it all.
“We placed 97th out of more than 300 teams at nationals, which was significantly better than last year,” said Wu.
This improvement didn’t come by accident, but rather from hours of hard work and dedication put together by the team.
“We prepared by having consistent attendance at our meeting to practice our knowledge and reaction speed. There are many online resources including packets that contain our questions, along with online games like Protobowl that simulate the real competition,” said Wu.
“History and Current Events are my strongest events for Quiz Bowl,” said Dickter.
Questions are read aloud by a moderator and if a player answers correctly early in the question before the power mark, they are rewarded with 15 points. Answering a question right after the power gives a team 10 points, and if someone gets a question wrong or a negative, they are penalized 5 points. This format demands not only breadth of learning but also sharp instincts, as the slightest of hesitation can determine if a team wins or loses.
The tournament itself unfolded over multiple days, with each round having high stakes. The second day proved especially difficult.
“[The] first day [went] very well. We went 5-2 and we beat the 48th [seeded] team in a very close match,” said Dickter.
Due to the performance during the first day, the team had three chances to qualify for playoffs.
“Our playoff qualifying round was not only significant for its outcome, but also because it was a game where each player had their time to shine,” said Wu.
Arcadia’s performance at nationals is a reminder of what academic competition can mean for students: a pursuit of knowledge and the satisfaction of seeing hard work pay off on the biggest stage.
“[This is] a sign of more success for Arcadia Quiz Bowl down the road,” said Wu.
Photo Courtesy of Arcadia Quiz Bowl
