Among the many extracurricular groups at Bishop Guertin is one that has only recently begun to attract attention in the community.

Although the Quiz Bowl program was active and competitive in the past, it was resurrected several years ago after having died out. Now in its third year, the new BG Quiz Bowl team is in the midst of a successful season and looks forward to continuing its progress in local competitions.

The Quiz Bowl team competes in the New Hampshire Quiz Bowl League and New Hampshire Public Television’s "Granite State Challenge," and earned state titles in both tournaments last year. At this point in the year, the group is preparing to begin filming GSC episodes and is enjoying strong performances in NHQBL meets. Despite losing the regional title by one point in a tiebreaker round, the team is in position to earn one of three at-large spots in the state finals, which will take place in April.

"It’s been a fun year so far," said senior captain Dave Travers, who has been with the team for three years. He added that both the A team and the B team have gained players this year and are "functioning well and working together." Travers, sophomore Holly Boivin, senior Jeff Steiner, and junior John McCann compete as the GSC team and the NHQBL A team. Members who comprise the B team include junior David Micali and senior Nate Cooke, as well as senior Tom Tawadros and sophomore Gabby Paquet, who are also the GSC alternates.

Travers and Coach Lisa LaRochelle both commented on the team’s diversity this year. "This makes for a more cohesive team … someone is always willing to step up and work on areas where we are weak," LaRochelle said. Travers said each player has his or her own strengths to contribute in competition, covering all the different aspects of the material.

In addition to the team that competes in local competitions, some BG students have established a separate group to play in NAQT tournaments, which culminate in a national championship at the end of the school year. This team has also been performing well, with senior Tim Morrison leading the team to first- and second-place finishes in all of their meets so far this year.

Quiz Bowl is just one of the many programs at BG gaining recognition, and all of its members look forward to continuing their strong season throughout the school year.

Holly Boivin is a sophomore at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua.

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