HHS Quiz Bowl team places in national championship

The Hoover High School Quiz Bowl team placed 20th in the Quiz Bowl High School National Championship Tournament (HSNCT) at the end of May. Students from Hoover competed against the best 350 high schools in the nation in Atlanta.

Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competition, in which teams of four compete to answer questions on topics including literature, science, popular culture, current events and more.

Quiz Bowl Coach Joshua Rutsky said the Hoover team has competed in the HSNCT every year since 2009. The team also got the chance to compete in a second national tournament this season, which Rutsky said is rare. The PACE tournament is smaller and more academically challenging, he said.

Unfortunately, the team’s two years of preparation for the PACE tournament ended in disappointment, Rutsky said. A severe flight delay caused them to miss the first five rounds, forfeiting most of their point-scoring opportunities and finishing in 73rd place.

While that loss was keenly felt, Rutsky said the team can be proud of its accomplishment at HSNCT and their undefeated season in the state.

Submitted by National Academic Quiz Tournaments and Joshua Rutsky.