As the school year comes to a close, McLean Quiz Bowl reflects on a successful year in scholastic competition, taking home victories in tournaments all over the state.
“We had some big wins, especially at University of Virginia (UVA) back in September,” junior co-captain Angelika Tzioumis said. “We [also] just had a tournament at Georgetown, [where] A team placed second and B team placed fourth or fifth.”
Considering that the A team last year was all seniors, a unique challenge for the team this year has been incorporating new people and skills into their competition practices.
“That was a big trend that we had this year, was trying to see how new people fit in,” junior Eddie Lin said. “The Georgetown Day School [tournament] was the first time most of the B team was together, so I had a lot of fun with them.”
Like with any competitive season, McLean Quiz Bowl has faced both highs and lows throughout the year. While they initially placed well in the first round of the televised It’s Academic tournament, the team did not make it past the second round in February. Despite the adjustment to accommodating new members and competition skills this year, and the impact that such accommodation has on performance, McLean Quiz Bowl is appreciative of all the talent and hard work that new members have invested in competition.
“The two freshmen that we got this year are both incredible,” Tzioumis said. “Seeing them in a high school setting just boosted our confidence in our group’s legacy.”
The final step of competition season before the scholastic season comes to a close is the National Championship Tournament, which is set to take place May 23-25 in Atlanta, Georgia. As the Highlanders prepare for this final stage of the 2025 scholastic competition season, players examine both their victories and losses to evaluate how they can improve and succeed at Nationals.
“We’re a brand new team this year, because our team last year was all seniors,” Tzioumis said. “We’ve learned from our mistakes, and I think we’re prepared to come back.”
