Bergen Junior VI (10/22/16) - Hackensack NJ

[jonpin]

On behalf of the Quiz Bowl team at the Bergen County Academies, I wish to extend an invitation to the sixth annual Bergen Academies Junior Academic Competition, a quiz bowl tournament for junior- or middle-schoolers. This competition will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2016 and is a perfect opportunity for your school’s Gifted and Talented students, BrainBusters team, or any collection of interested students to work together in competition against other middle schools in the region, show off their knowledge, and learn new facts. Last year’s competition featured 24 teams from three states, and saw Middlesex Middle School of Darien, CT defend their overall title while Tenafly Middle School won the Bergen County championship.

The games of the competition will be in “tossup-bonus” format. Two teams of four students each will attempt to buzz in to answer a tossup, with a correct answer earning points and the opportunity for the answerer’s team to hear a bonus. On bonuses, a team will have the opportunity to discuss as a group before giving an answer. A game will consist of twenty tossups and however many bonuses are used, and will take approximately 35 minutes. Teams will play roughly 4-5 games in the morning, followed by a lunch break and playoffs. Provided teams stay until the end of the tournament, our hope is that all teams will play at least seven games.

The registration fee for this tournament will be $80 for the first team from a school, and $70 for each additional team. A team may consist of up to six students, with four competing at one time (substitutions will be permitted at halftime and between games). Included in the registration fee, BCA will provide a breakfast of bagels and juice before the competition begins, one pizza per team for lunch (additional pies may be purchased), and trophies and medals for the high-performing teams and students. Each school is required to have an adult (either teacher or parent) with each team at all times. Note that teams are to register by school, not by town or school district. Students are eligible if they have not yet completed eighth grade.

National Academic Quiz Tournaments will be writing the questions for this event. NAQT is an established and reputable quiz bowl company which has been writing tournaments for more than 15 years. No other tournament in New Jersey will use these questions at any point in the 2016-17 school year. The top 15% of competing teams will qualify to attend NAQT’s Middle School National Championship Tournament, to be held in May 2017 in Dallas, TX.

To register for the tournament, please send the following information to me: the name and location of your school, contact information for an adult who will attend with the team (phone number and email address), and how many teams you are bringing. If you’re not certain of how many teams, please estimate and let me know when you’ll be sure. Send the above to me no later than Monday, October 17 at [email protected]. We hope to see you at our tournament!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Pinyan

[jonpin]

Field update (9/29)

Community (Plainsboro) - 1-2
Dalton - interest
Leonia - 1
Middlebrook (Wilton, CT) - 1
Middlesex (Darien, CT) - 4-6
St. Leo's (Elmwood Park) - 1
Teaneck Charter - 2
Tenafly - 4
Tuxedo Park - 3
Warren - 2-3

Field cap: initially 24

[jonpin]

The playoffs are underway, featuring Middlesex A and B, Cavallini, Dalton, Leonia, and the A teams of Ben Franklin, Tenafly, and Tuxedo Park. Prelim stats are here.

Lasal Mapitigama of Cavallini was the top scorer.

[jonpin]

Middlesex pulled off a 1-2 finish for the third straight year. Dalton won third place when Bergen County champions Leonia inadvertently left before the third-place game. Stats to follow later this weekend.

[LasalM]

Congratulations to all who participated and thank you for an amazing tournament!