Quiz Bowl ranks 20th at nationals
Team defeats six universities, scores 190 points against tournament champion Harvard in first trip to ICT
Liberty University’s Quiz Bowl team ranked 20th in the national Intercollegiate Championship Tournament (ICT) March 29, according to Jim Nutter, Quiz Bowl coach.
The tournament took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosemont, Ill., which is a suburb of Chicago. Liberty’s team took eight people, including their five players.
According to Nutter, Liberty entered the tournament ranked 26th out of the 32 teams invited to nationals. The ranking was based on the 335 points per game (PPG) the team scored in the sectional tournament that was played at Virginia Tech in February.
Success — With a 20th place finish, the Quiz Bowl team had its best season in school history. Photo provided
The rise to 20th in the national ranking was due to Liberty’s team garnering six wins at the nationals, which were against Truman State, Broward College, The University of Alabama, Valencia College, Carleton College and Northeastern University, according to Nutter. Harvard’s team won the tournament, but Liberty scored 190 points against them in a loss.
“This was our first trip to nationals, so I was really impressed with our six wins, especially the 315-195 win over the University of Alabama from the Southeastern Conference,” Nutter said. “These six wins at nationals increased our team win total to 39 for the season, which is an all-time record for the program.”
According to Nutter, graduate student Catherine Hardee finished in 14th place out of 123 players and is the primary reason that the team made it to nationals this year.
“It was a thrill to realize we had done so well at Nationals,” Hardee said. “This is my last year with the team, since I am graduating in May, and to go out on such a strong note is a real blessing. I’m so proud of all my teammates and what we were able to accomplish.”
Hardee said she joined the Quiz Bowl team in 2010 during her junior year of her undergraduate degree at Liberty and is currently working toward her master’s degree in history, which she will complete this semester.
Even though the team has come across some difficulties, they have achieved a number of impressive accomplishments, Nutter explained.
The team finished in second place with seven wins and one loss in the nine-team Big South Conference Tournament in January and fourth place with nine wins and four losses at the 14-team National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) Sectional Tournament in February.
According to the NAQT website, Quiz Bowl questions range over the entire spectrum of a college curriculum such as literature, history, geography, government, the sciences, math, music, art, and religion and may also include a certain amount of current events, sports and popular culture.
There are a number of benefits Liberty’s Quiz Bowl team provides to members. Players not only learn to think quickly under pressure, but the résumé and graduate school application also benefit, according to Nutter.
“(M)any of our Quiz Bowl alumni have gone on to attend medical schools, law schools and other graduate schools,” Nutter said.
For more information about Liberty’s Quiz Bowl team, email Nutter at jhnutter@liberty.edu or call 434-592-3303.