Ole Miss Hosts National Qualifier Quiz Bowl Tournament

By Gene Crunk
Hottytoddy.com intern
ehcrunk@go.olemiss.edu

From calculus to pop-culture, questions at the University of Mississippi’s annual Brain Brawl quiz bowl tournament Saturday challenged high schoolers from across the South.

Thirty-six teams of four competitors each competed in the annual tournament Saturday morning at Lamar Hall. The event is hosted by the Office of Pre-College Programs, and it drew teams from both Mississippi and surrounding states.

Three-to-four-sentence questions were read by the event’s moderators, and competitors were given the chance to “buzz in” and answer. A correct answer could gain either 10 or 15 points for that player’s team, depending on how quickly the player answered.

When players answered buzzer questions correctly, they earned a set of three related bonus questions for their team. Teammates worked together to answer the bonuses, which were also worth 10 points each.

Amy Goodin, the University’s Project Coordinator for Academic Competitions, said that the event is a great recruiting opportunity for the University. However, she reiterated how important it is to the competitors.

“How many kids do you know that would get up early on a Saturday to answer academic questions?” said Goodin. “It means a lot to the kids.”

There were seven preliminary rounds in the morning before the top eight teams competed for the win in the afternoon. The top three teams at the end of the day qualified for the National Association of Quiz Tournaments’ national competition, which will be held in May in Atlanta.

Itawamba Agricultural High School, a quiz bowl giant, won the tournament. Other Mississippi powerhouses were also in attendance, including Madison Central and Clinton.

The University hosts two tournaments each academic year: Brain Brawl in the fall and UMAIT in the spring. The spring tournament is the largest in the state, with a field size of 64 teams and a double-elimination format.