A team from the University of Pittsburgh placed third in National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ Intercollegiate Division II Championship Tournament April 4-5 in Rosemont, Ill.
Ariel Faeder, Danny Peelen, Zac Stapler and Samuel Wang compiled an 11-2 record, their only losses coming to first-place Harvard and second-place Georgia Tech. They defeated teams from Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Notre Dame and California, Berkeley.
Faeder, the team captain, made the All-Star Team as the tournament's second leading scorer.
It was the University of Pittsburgh's best finish since it won the Division II title in 2001.
Quiz Bowl is a competitive, academic, interscholastic activity for teams of four students. Teams use buzzers to answer questions about science, math, history, literature, mythology, geography, social science, current events, sports and popular culture.
Matches consist of a combination of individual competition and team collaboration. Participation reinforces lessons from the classroom and encourages players to develop new intellectual interests.
Bishop Canevin High School senior TJ Wanamaker competed in the individual player national championship tournament for the second time.
"We are so proud of his outstanding work," Bishop Canevin coach Charlotte Smith said.
Wanamaker, a Cranberry resident, enjoyed playing.
"It was fun to participate in a competition where everyone has the same interest, and seeing so many people dedicate themselves to being the best at trivia," he said.
First Published: April 15, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
Updated: April 15, 2025, 11:31 p.m.
