Quiz Bowl competes at Nationals

Team finished with 4-6 tournament record

Seniors+Jonah+Kupritz+and+Maggie+Coleman%2C+junior+Nick+Kasic%2C+freshman+Aaron+Kasic+and+junior+Will+Poulter+outside+the+Hilton+Anatole+in+Dallas+where+the+National+Quiz+Bowl+tournament+took+place+May+27-29.

Used with permission from Peter Dangerfield

Seniors Jonah Kupritz and Maggie Coleman, junior Nick Kasic, freshman Aaron Kasic and junior Will Poulter outside the Hilton Anatole in Dallas where the National Quiz Bowl tournament took place May 27-29.

Jamie Halper

The buzzers sounded for the last time as Park’s Quiz Bowl team finished up a school year-long season with a 4-6 record at Nationals, according to staff adviser Peter Dangerfield.

“You know you always want to go and leave with a winning record, but 4-6 after seeing the competition we went up against and seeing some of the great teams, I’m really proud of our kids for getting to the 4-6 mark,” Dangerfield said.

The competition took place in Dallas May 27-29. Park won matches against teams from Arkansas, Illinois and Maryland, according to National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC. Seniors Maggie Coleman and Jonah Kupritz, juniors Nick Kasic and Will Poulter and freshman Aaron Kasic attended the tournament.

Senior Maggie Coleman said the team’s wins were especially exciting considering the level of competition.

“Winning felt great, especially since we were competing against some of the best teams in the nation,” Coleman said.

Beyond the competition, Coleman said one of her favorite memories was helping teammate Kupritz face swap with Buddha statues in the hotel, along with touring the city.

“Outside of the competition, we went to some museums, like the Dallas Art Museum,” Coleman said. “We generally just explored the city and hung out.”

Reflecting on the season, Dangerfield said he’s very pleased with what the team was able to accomplish.

“As my first year I couldn’t have asked for anything better than what we ended up with,” Dangerfield said. “I have a small group of kids but they’re really dedicated, they’re really great.”

Dangerfield said a priority for next season is to continue building the team and replacing the graduating seniors.

“I’m losing two of the Valedictorians in Maggie (Coleman) and Jonah (Kupritz) so I need to replace them and the team needs to replace them,” Dangerfield said. “Hopefully with another year under my belt and another year under their belt we can hit school early next year and start recruiting.”

Even though she won’t be on the team next year to compete alongside new recruits because she is graduating, Coleman said she encourages students to join the team.

“It’s a lot of fun, it’s low-pressure and it’s a great place to be yourself if you’re a huge nerd,” Coleman said. “Plus, Mr. Dangerfield is great.”