Sun Devil Quizbowl team competes in nationals


The Sun Devil Quizbowl team, led by ASU senior Kenneth Lan, headed to the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) 2011 Intercollegiate Championship, April 9 in Chicago. The Division I team placed 26th and the Division II team placed 21st.

In addition, five members of the team (Mike Bell, Kenneth Lan, Ian McCloskey, Joe Yu and Brendan Guinn) competed in the Academic Competition Federation (ACF) National Quizbowl Championship April 16-17 in Pittsburgh, earning a 23rd-place overall finish. Combined with the NAQT national championship, this marks the first year ASU has been represented at both of the major Quizbowl circuits’ national tournaments.

“These were ASU Quizbowl's toughest tournaments to date, and I am proud of my team's accomplishments over the last three years,” said Coach Kenneth Lan. “I believe that by recruiting from the high school teams which we have cultivated through hosting high school tournaments in Arizona, we will continue to inch higher in the national rankings over the next several years.”

Under NAQT rules, the Division II players from this year will be transferred to Division I, since they are now considered veterans after having competed at Nationals. Of the Division II team members, Marko Manojlovic will be graduating in December, but Ian McCloskey, Brendan Guinn, and Joe Yu plan to play for ASU again next year, alongside current Division I team members Mike Bell, Greg Zeigler and Louis Weimer.

With so many returning members, the ASU Quizbowl squadron has high hopes of performing even better at next year's competition.

 

Jeanne Schaser
Media Relations


jeanne.schaser@asu.edu
(480) 965-3502