Vermont-NEA Scholars Bowl 2024 finals

The team from Champlain Valley Union High School (from left: Zoe Mui, Nolan Sandage, Frankl Fidler, Jacob Graham, Colin Ravlin, Elias Leventhal and Coach John Bennett) won the 2023-24 Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl by sweping the state playoffs in Montpeliier on April 6th.

MONTPELIER -- The team from Champlain Valley Union High School secured the state high school academic championship on Saturday, April 6th, winning the Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl at Montpelier High School.

CVU capped a run of four blowout wins at the April playoffs with a 505-245 victory over defending champion Burlington. The Redhawks also swept through the first set of playoffs in January, meaning they secured their third state championship overall and second in the last three years without needing to play of a championship match.

The result capped a dominant season which saw the Redhawks win every Vermont competition without losing a match. Including the regional round in the fall, the Redhawks finished the state tournaments with a record of 23 wins and no losses. CVU also won the the league's three side tournaments -- the Sue Passco Opening Tournament in September, the Pre-Holiday Academic Tournament in December, and the Vermont NAQT Championship in March -- to finish the regular season with an overall record of 47-0.

Competing members of the CVU team were Elias Leventhal, Colin Ravlin, Jacob Graham, Frank Fidler, Nolan Sandage and Zoe Mui. The team is coached by John Bennett and Kiran MacCormick.

Mt. Abraham claimed the small-school state championship on Saturday, taking the small-school title with a 270-120 victory over Montpelier in the championship game. Montpelier, which took home the Medlar Cup as the most improved team compared to the January playoffs, had the best record among small-school teams in the April playoffs to force a title game but fell to MAU in the title matchup.

A similar situtation occured in the JV tournament as January winner CVU B outlasted Burlington B, 330-240, in the JV championship game after Burlington B's impressive run to third-place overall in the April playoffs sent that division to a deciding match.

Scholars' Bowl is a question-and-answer quiz competition, similar to Jeopardy! but featuring teams of high school students and with a heavier focus on the academic curriculum. The tournament has been held annually since the 1983-84 school year and is sponsored by the Vermont-National Edcuation Association.