2018-2019 California Cup

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njsbling
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2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

California Cup #4 will be held on Sunday, March 31 at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose. Register via the form => https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... g/viewform

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The Northern California Quiz Bowl Alliance is pleased to announce the seventh annual California Cup. The California Cup consists of four quiz bowl tournaments held throughout the year, and it is widely considered the premier academic competition event in Northern California. For each tournament, we will have check-in at 8:30AM, matches will start at about 9:00AM, we will have a lunch break around noon, and we hope most teams will finish by 5:30PM.

Tournament Dates and Locations:
California Cup #1: Saturday, October 27 at St. Francis High School in Mountain View
California Cup #2: Saturday, January 19 at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose
California Cup #3: Saturday, March 16 at Menlo-Atherton (public) High School in Atherton
California Cup #4: Sunday, March 31 at Belalrmine College Prep in San Jose

These dates may be subject to change. Depending on room reservation and logistical issues, in some cases, different divisions might have to be held on different dates or at different locations. We will strive to inform you of any such situations as soon as they are confirmed.

Question Sets:
Cal Cup 1 will use WHAQ III for the Competitive and Standard divisions and SCOP Novice for the Novice division.
Cal Cup 2 will use NAQT IS-179 for the Competitive and Standard divisions and NAQT IS-180A for the Novice division.
Cal Cup 3 will use CAST for all divisions.
Cal Cup 4 will use BHSAT for the Competitive and Standard divisions and PSACA’s Groundhog Day for the Novice division.

Registration:
Teams may choose to register separately for each tournament within the series, but we recommend registering for all four tournaments at once (the “package”), which will give you a significant discount. We will allow teams who wish to purchase the package up to the second tournament to decide whether to purchase it. That is, you may attend the first tournament for only the price of the first tournament and then decide at the second tournament to purchase the rest of the package, at which point you will pay the rest of the package price. Schools may register more than one team--there is no limit.

In the case of a waitlist, we will enter teams into the field in the following order of priority:
1. teams that have purchased (or plan to purchase) the package
2. teams that pledge to bring a moderator
3. teams that include at least one high school student that are not in any of the above categories
4. middle school teams not in any of the above categories

We offer a lot of flexibility in allowing drops from the field right up to 6PM PST of the day before the tournament. If you must drop from a tournament after 6PM the day before the tournament, you will be liable for 50% of the cost of the upcoming tournament. If you do not show up at a tournament without informing us, you will be liable for the full price of the tournament. Exceptions to these policies will be made only in case of emergency. This policy will also apply to package holders, though it will be scaled to account for the discount associated with the package. By signing up for the California Cup tournament series, you agree to these policies.

Entry Fees:
Base fee per team for package of all four tournaments: $300
If your school played zero Cal Cup events last year (i.e. new school discount): -$100 from the price of the package

Registering for a single tournament: $100
New school registering for a single tournament: $65

Buzzer discount: -$10 per buzzer per tournament
We will test buzzers and will NOT accept them if they do not have four fully functioning units on each “side,” so do not try to claim discounts on buzzers that are not in full working order. We will also not accept buzzers that require a laptop to operate unless we really need them. Please label your buzzers with your school/team name so that you can promptly pick them up at the tournament’s conclusion.
Staff discounts:
-$20 per tournament per approved moderator (if needed)
-$10 per tournament per scorekeeper
Referral discount: If a school (new or established) refers Cal Cup to a new school then they will receive a $10 discount per tournament per team that the referred school plays.
If a team consists of 2 players then the team will receive a $20 discount (in addition to any other possible discounts).
If a team consists of 1 player then the team will receive a $40 discount (in addition to any other possible discounts).
Minimum entry fee: $20 per tournament per team

Buzzers and staff discounts apply on an as-needed, first-come, first-serve basis. When registering, please detail how many staff and/or buzzers you may be able to bring. As the tournament approaches, we will let you know whether they are needed or not. Note that discounts for future tournaments will NOT be given at any particular tournament. What this means is that if, for example, at the first tournament you claim a buzzer discount for all four tournaments, you must still pay as if you only claimed it for one tournament. Then, for each subsequent tournament in which you actually bring the buzzer, we will refund you $10 in cash. The same goes for the staffer discount.

Payment will be taken at registration the morning of the tournament via check or cash; please make checks payable to “ASUC/Quiz Bowl Club.” We will also take payment via Venmo; we will provide details regarding that the day of the tournament.

Division Information:
The Cal Cup competitions will each consist of three divisions: Competitive, Standard, and Novice.

The Competitive division is intended to contain teams that would be ranked among the top few hundred in the nation. Any team that is currently ranked by Fred Morlan on the most recent ranking on hsqbrank.com must compete in Competitive. The rest of the teams who belong in the Competitive division are solely up to the discretion of the directors. Generally, any team composition reasonably close to the team composition that is either ranked by Morlan or deemed by us to be of Competitive caliber (where “reasonably close” is a standard that is at our sole discretion) must compete in Competitive.

The Standard division contains teams that (1) are not required to play Competitive, (2) do not qualify to play Novice, and (3) choose not to play Competitive. This division will use regular high school difficulty sets and allow teams of strength generally below that of nationally competitive teams to play against other such teams.

Novice teams are intended to be entirely comprised of players in their first or second years of playing high school-level quiz bowl, with players in their second year of playing quiz bowl being admitted at our discretion (under special circumstances, we may allow players with more than two years of experience to play Novice). Generally, this division is intended for players who are actually new to the game and is tailored towards awarding a title to players who have just started playing. Hence, there is a maximum of one year of Novice eligibility for players who play a full slate of Novice tournaments over the course of the entire school year.

Middle school players who have only played middle school questions may play Novice. Middle school players who have played high school questions are subject to the same standards as high school teams, with the possibility of somewhat more leniency for those in their second year of playing high school questions.

Any team that clinches a divisional championship at California Cup #3 (by accumulating an insurmountable lead in points) must play at least one division higher in California Cup #4. Additionally, a team may compete in any division higher than that in which they otherwise qualify. Petitions to be placed in a lower division will be considered by the California Cup directors jointly, and any determinations by this group are final.

Scoring and Gameplay:
The California Cup assigns points to schools based on their performance at the tournaments that take place throughout the year. We have decided to adopt the following scoring system: 10 points for 1st place, 8 points for 2nd place, 6 points for 3rd place, 4 points for 4th place, 3 points for 5th place, 2 points for 6th place, and 1 point for 7th place. We will tally up the points for each team’s three best performances, so your team’s worst performance will be disregarded if you attend all four tournaments. Only teams that register for the full package will be eligible for the overall title and prizes at the end of the year. If a team that does not purchase the full package ends up placing high enough on the scoring system, then we will simply skip them in the California Cup overall ranking (but they will still retain their ranking for that individual tournament). At the end of the year, we will break ties by evaluating (1) the performance in the 4th tournament and (2) statistics from each team’s performances throughout the year. We will maintain separate standings for each division. The top teams and players of each individual tournament will still be recognized at the end of that tournament as well.

We will enforce all the gameplay rules as they are written in Sections C-I of the official rules of the Academic Competition Federation, so all players should familiarize themselves with these rules before playing these tournaments. Pay special attention to timing, pronunciation, and protest guidelines, as players often lose points by not knowing these.

Nationals Qualification:
The top teams at each tournament will qualify for the 2019 PACE National Scholastics Championship, which will be held June 8-9, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Reston Hotel in Reston, Virginia. California Cup tournaments have historically held the highest possible certification from PACE (Platinum), and should we continue to meet that threshold, the number of Competitive qualifiers will be 25% of the entire size of the Competitive and Standard divisions combined (rounded up). For instance, if the combined Competitive and Standard teams add up to 49, then the number of NSC qualifiers from Varsity will be 13 (25% of 49 is 12.25, which is then rounded up).
Additionally, teams that perform well on at Cal Cup #2 will qualify for the 2019 NAQT High School National Championship Tournament, held May 24-26, 2019, at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia. The formula for HSNCT qualification is 15% of the entire field size rounded up. Teams that do well at the non-NAQT California Cup competitions can also apply for wildcards to HSNCT and PACE, and many have historically received them. Competitive teams that do not qualify directly--as well as Standard and Novice teams--may apply for nationals via wild card when wild card applications open. These wild cards are generally evaluated on statistical metrics like the average points per bonus (PPB) of a team.

Thank you for your interest, and please spread the word to other high schools that are interested in quiz bowl or are heavily involved in other academic events like debate, robotics, or Science Bowl. We look forward to another exciting year of academic competition!

You can find out more about what quiz bowl is here here and you can find more quiz bowl-pertinent resources here.

Contact:
Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Last edited by njsbling on Wed Mar 20, 2019 4:14 am, edited 15 times in total.
Nicholas Karas
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

Cal Cup #4 Field as of March 30 (47):

Competitive (15):
Amador Valley
Archbishop Mitty
Bellarmine
Davis
Dougherty Valley
Dublin
Escobar
Guilder
Harker
Mira Loma
Saratoga (2)
Stanford Online
Virgil
Voltaire

Standard (20):
BASIS (2)
Bellarmine (2)
Challenger-Almaden
Eriksen
Evergreen Valley
Folsom
Guilder
Gunderson
Hopkins
Les Quiz
Oakland College Prep
Pleasanton Scholars (2)
Quavo (2)
Saint Francis
San Mateo
Saratoga

Novice (12):
Archbishop Mitty
Bellarmine
Challenger-Strawberry Park
Churchill
King's Academy
Les Quiz
Neg5
Pleasanton Scholars
Saint Francis
Saratoga
Starry Nights
Vista Del Lago

Waitlist (4):
1. Davis B [Standard]
2. Amador Valley B [Standard]
3. Amador Valley C [Standard]
4. Challenger-Berryessa [Standard]
Last edited by njsbling on Sat Mar 30, 2019 5:20 am, edited 63 times in total.
Nicholas Karas
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by ryanrosenberg »

What was the reasoning behind allowing Stanford Online High School to compete in this tournament?
Ryan Rosenberg
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by i never see pigeons in wheeling »

They're a diploma-granting secondary learning institution with formal enrollment and coursework that is also approved as such by NAQT. What's your reasoning for defaulting to the position that "they should not be allowed to play" rather than "trust but verify?"
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by ryanrosenberg »

i never see pigeons in wheeling wrote: Mon Oct 29, 2018 6:46 pm They're a diploma-granting secondary learning institution with formal enrollment and coursework that is also approved as such by NAQT. What's your reasoning for defaulting to the position that "they should not be allowed to play" rather than "trust but verify?"
There are a couple of things that potentially concern me about Stanford Online being ruled eligible: the ability to only take a class or two and be eligible, and their ability to enroll students across the country. As far as I know, this is the first time a non-geographically-limited (cf. a district charter, or state-run virtual school) online school has played a quizbowl tournament; I think it's reasonable to ask about their eligibility. More broadly, I'm concerned that Stanford Online being eligible could easily lead to a high school super-team. From my understanding of NAQT's eligibility rules, a student taking a single course through Stanford Online would be able to play for their traditional high school throughout the school year, then inform NAQT that they wished to play for Stanford Online at HSNCT and be completely eligible. It would make sense to me to establish a requirement that students at online high schools must be seeking a diploma through that high school to be eligible.
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by 1992 in spaceflight »

Thanks for playing the WHAQ III set, everybody! As the set is not clear, please join the "2018 WHAQ Discussion" private group if you want to discuss the set. (Go to your user control panel, click on usergroups, then find "2018 WHAQ Discussion" and join it)
Jacob O'Rourke
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Formerly: AQBL Administrator (2020-2023); HSAPQ Host Contact; NASAT Outreach Coordinator (2016 and 2017); Kirksville HS Assistant Coach (2012-2014); Truman State '14; and Pacific High (MO) '10


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njsbling
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

We have decided to reschedule Cal Cup #2 for Saturday, January 19 due to concerns regarding the air quality this Saturday; it will probably still take place at Bellarmine but we will confirm that soon. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Nicholas Karas
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

We are currently trying to secure rooms at Deer Valley High School in Antioch for Cal Cup #3 on February 23 (DVHS does not have the entirety of next week off as many Bay Area schools do). We will let everyone know as soon as we hear back from the school. None of the South Bay schools were able to host this time.

If Deer Valley is unable to host then we will postpone Cal Cup #3 until March 16 (and run Cal Cup #4 in late March or mid-April).

We apologize for any inconvenience.
Nicholas Karas
Atlanta, Georgia
Member, Northern California Quiz Bowl Alliance
californiacupquizbowl (at) gmail (dot) com
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

Registration for Cal Cup #3, to be held on Saturday, February 23 at Deer Valley HS in Antioch, is now open.

To register, please fill out this form => https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... w/viewform

We are setting an initial field cap of 18 for Competitive, 20 for Standard, and 25 for Novice until we have confirmed that we have enough buzzers and staff.
Nicholas Karas
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

We learned this afternoon of additional fees that would be owed for running Cal Cup #3 at Deer Valley HS; such fees would make it prohibitively expensive to run the event there. Therefore, Cal Cup #3 will not be taking place on Saturday.

We will run Cal Cup #3 on Saturday, March 16 (location TBA). When the location of Cal Cup #3 on March 16 is confirmed we will open registration again (any teams that already registered will have to register again at that time).

We apologize for any confusion and/or inconvenience and thank everyone for their patience during this process.
Nicholas Karas
Atlanta, Georgia
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californiacupquizbowl (at) gmail (dot) com
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

Cal Cup #3 is taking place on Saturday, March 16 at Menlo-Atherton (public) High School.

To register, please fill out this form => https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... w/viewform
Nicholas Karas
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Re: 2018-2019 California Cup

Post by njsbling »

Congratulations to Stanford Online A for winning the Competitive Division, to Challenger-Almaden for winning the Standard Division, and to Saint Francis B for winning the Novice Division at Cal Cup #3! We would like to thank all of our volunteers for their help and Mrs. Kayton for her assistance with logistics and reserving the classrooms.

Competitive+Standard Stats/Results are here => http://hsquizbowl.org/db/tournaments/56 ... all_games/

Novice Stats/Results are here => http://hsquizbowl.org/db/tournaments/56 ... all_games/
Nicholas Karas
Atlanta, Georgia
Member, Northern California Quiz Bowl Alliance
californiacupquizbowl (at) gmail (dot) com
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