Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl

History

High school academic competition began in Vermont in the fall of 1983 when the Vermont Scholars' Bowl was formed under the direction and sponsorship of Saint Michael's College. Saint Michael's remained the host and title sponsor of the event until the end of the 1994 season. During the 1994-95 school year the tournament was held without a major sponsor, thanks largely to the efforts of tournament director Erald Medlar. The Vermont Chapter of the National Education Association became the event's title sponsor in the fall of 1995 and remains the main contributor to the tournament. A regional phase of play was added to the state tournament at the beginning the 2000-2001 season.

State Tournament Results

Champlain Valley: 2007 state champions

Champlain Valley's 2006-07 team shows off the trophies after defeating Hanover in the state final.

Year State Champion Runner-up Finals score Medlar Cup winner*
2024 Champlain Valley Union High School Hanover High School and Burlington High School None% Montpelier High School
2023 Burlington High School Essex High School 405-230 Champlain Valley Union High School
2022 Champlain Valley Union High School South Burlington High School 385-315 Burlington High School
2021 Essex High School Hanover High School 225-180# Lyndon Institute
2020 State Finals Canceled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
2019 Burlington High School Champlain Valley Union High School 450-390 Middlebury Union High School
2018 Essex High School Hanover High School 415-355 Middlebury Union High School
2017 Essex High School Mt. Mansfield Union High School 430-310 Mt. Mansfield Union High School
2016 Burlington High School Middlebury Union High School 360-290 Middlebury Union High School
2015 Essex High School Burlington High School 415-370 South Burlington High School
2014 Essex High School South Burlington High School 395-325 Spaulding High School
2013 Essex High School South Burlington High School 385-245 Mt. Mansfield Union High School
2012 Hanover High School South Burlington High School 505-250 Essex High School
2011 Hanover High School South Burlington High School 240-180 Mt. Anthony Union High School
2010 Essex High School Hanover High School 237-235 (ot) South Burlington High School
2009 Hanover High School Mt. Mansfield Union High School 305-250 Bellows Free Academy of St. Albans
2008 Hanover High School Essex High School 370-210 South Burlington High School
2007 Champlain Valley Union High School Hanover High School 325-305 Burlington High School
2006 Middlebury Union High School Mt. Mansfield Union High School 280-225 Mt. Mansfield Union High School
2005 St. Johnsbury Academy Champlain Valley Union High School 295-220  
2004 Hanover High School Colchester High School 345-185  
2003 Hanover High School Champlain Valley Union High School 330-270  
2002 Essex High School Champlain Valley Union High School 210-180  
2001 Burlington High School Mt. Anthony Union High School 330-150  
2000 Burlington High School Fair Haven Union High School 320-150  
1999 Burlington High School Rice Memorial High School 310-240  
1998 Lyndon Institute Essex High School 260-130  
1997 Burlington High School St. Johnsbury Academy 225-150  
1996 Montpelier High School St. Johnsbury Academy 400-300  
1995 Essex High School Colchester High School 415-175  
1994 St. Johnsbury Academy Hanover High School 440-285  
1993 Hanover High School Mt. Mansfield Union High School 385-135  
1992 Bellows Free Academy of St. Albans Enosburg Falls High School NA  
1991 Mt. Mansfield Union High School Hanover High School 345-175  
1990 St. Johnsbury Academy Essex High School NA  
1989 Colchester High School Harwood Union High School 190-130  
1988 Fair Haven Union High School NA NA  
1987 Winooski High School Fair Haven Union High School 285-200  
1986 Rice Memorial High School Milton High School NA  
1985 Middlebury Union High School Burlington High School NA  
1984 Rice Memorial High School Fair Haven Union High School 185-120  
% - For the 2023-24 season, two playoff brackets were played in January and April. CVU won both, clinching the state title without a final.
# - Played using alternate online format due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
* - The Medlar Cup was the tournament's second-tier playoff competition from 2006-23. If 2024 it was awarded to the most improved team between the January and April playoffs.

Small-School Championship
A seperate small-school championship was first held alongside the state playoffs during the 2014-15 season.

Year Small-School Champion Runner-up Finals score
2024 Mt. Abraham Union High School Montpelier High School 270-120
2023 Woodstock Union High School Lyndon Institute 290-230
2022 Montpelier High School Lyndon Institute 235-200
2021 Lyndon Institute Lamoille Union High School 195-155*
2020 Cabot School Woodstock Union High School 320-235
2019 Cabot School Montpelier High School 240-220
2018 Montpelier High School Woodstock Union High School 365-225
2017 Montpelier High School Bellows Free Academy of Fairfax 445-75
2016 Bellows Free Academy of Fairfax Mt. Abraham Union High School 255-210
2015 Mt. Abraham Union High School Montpelier High School 305-260
* - Played using alternate online format due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Vermont Teams at National Tournaments

The 2000-2001 Burlington High School team poses for a team picture at the 2001 Panasonic Academic Challenge. The Seahorses became the first New England school to reach the final round of a national tournament by finishing in fourth place.

Top Finishing Teams
Vermont teams that have reached the playoff rounds of national tournaments:

NAQT National Championship Tournament   Panasonic Academic Challenge
2024 - Champlain Valley Union High School (97th)   2008 -- Team Vermont (semifinalists)*
2023 - Hanover High School (97th)   2007 -- Champlain Valley Union High School (semifinalists)
2022 - Champlain Valley Union High School (82nd)   2004 -- Team Vermont (semifinalists)*
2018 -- Hanover High School (77th)   2001 -- Burlington High School (finalists, fourth place)
2016 -- Burlington High School (53rd)   2000 -- Burlington High School (semifinalists)
2015 -- Essex High School (77th)   1997 -- Burlington High School (semifinalists)
2014 -- South Burlington High School (77th)   National Academic Championship
2012 -- Hanover High School (33rd)   2020 -- South Burlington High School (quarterfnalists)
2011 -- Champlain Valley Union High School (33rd)   2020 -- Essex High School (quarterfinalists)
2011 -- Hanover High School (65th)   2020 -- Burlington High School (Round of 16)
NAQT Small-School National Championship Tournament   2020 -- Champlain Valley Union High School (Round of 32)
2016 -- Middlebury Union High School (fifth place)   1984 -- Rice Memorial High School (Round of 16)
PACE National Scholastics Championship    
2000 -- Burlington High School (quarterfinalists)    
*-Panasonic Academic Challenge Team Vermonts consisted of: 2004: Hanover's Niall Prendergast, Harker Rhodes, Evan Gardner and Iain Prendergast; Essex's Jack McClintock; Colchester's Alan West. 2008: Essex's Will Begley and Brendan Farmer; Champlain Valley's Eli Goldberg and Max Keve; Rice's Judy Contompasis; Lamoille's Margaret Lund.

All-American Players
Vermont players that were named All-American or All-Star at national tournaments:

NAQT National Championship Tournament   Panasonic Academic Challenge
2016 -- Sterling Ford, Burlington High School   2005 -- Peter Golubock, St. Johnsbury Academy
2007 -- Dylan Matthews, Hanover High School   1996 -- Matt Johnson, Montpelier High School
PACE National Scholastics Championship   1993 -- Elise London, Mt. Mansfield Union High School
2000 -- Andrew Malcovsky, Burlington High School    

Other Vermont tournaments

Top-finishing teams, where available, from tournaments put on by the Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl or its affiliated teams since the 1995-96 season.  

Sue Pasco Opening Tournament
Held in September at Essex High School
Season First-place team  Second-place team 
2024 Hanover Champlain Valley
2023 Champlain Valley Hanover
2022 Essex Champlain Valley
2021 South Burlington Hanover
2020 No Touranment (COVID-19 Pandemic) --
2019 South Burlington Essex
2018 Champlain Valley Hanover
2017 Essex Burlington
2016 Essex Burlington
2015 Burlington North Country
2014 Hanover Essex
2013 Essex South Burlington
2012 Hanover Essex
2011 South Burlington Hanover
2010 South Burlington Champlain Valley
2009 Hanover Champlain Valley
2008 South Burlington Mt. Mansfield
2007 Champlain Valley  Hanover 
2006 Hanover Champlain Valley 
2005 Champlain Valley Esssex 
2004 Champlain Valley, Hanover and St. Johnsbury  Three-way tie for first 
2003 Hanover/North Country (mixed team)  St. Johnsbury 
2002 Hanover  Champlain Valley 
2001 Champlain Valley  Hanover 
2000 Rice Memorial  Hanover 
1999 Hanover/Rice/Mt. Abraham (mixed team)  South Burlington 
a
Vermont NAQT Championship
Held in February or March at Spaulding High School
Season First-place team  Second-place team 
2024 Champlain Valley South Burlington
2023 Hanover Champlain Valley
2022 South Burlington Champlain Valley
2021 South Burlington Hanover
2020 Champlain Valley Essex
2019 Champlain Valley Burlington
2018 Champlain Valley Essex
2017 Essex Champlain Valley
2016 Burlington Champlain Valley
2015 Essex Burlington
2014 Essex Portsmouth Christian (N.H.)
2013 Hanover Essex
2012 South Burlington Hanover
2011 Champlain Valley  South Burlington 
2010 Champlain Valley  South Burlington 
2009 South Burlington Champlain Valley
2008 Champlain Valley  South Burlington 
2007 Hanover  South Burlington 
a
Pre-Holiday Academic Tournament
Held in December at South Burlington High School or Essex High School
Season First-place team  Second-place team 
2023 Champlain Valley Hanover
2022 Champlain Valley Burlington
2021 South Burlington Champlain Valley
2020 Hotchkiss (CT) South Burlington
2019 Plymouth Regional (NH) Boston Latin (MA)
2018 Hanover South Burlington
2017 Plymouth Regional (NH) Hanover
2016 Essex Northampton (MA)
2015 Burlington Champlain Valley
2014 Burlington Champlain Valley
2013 Essex Portsmouth Christian (NH)
2012 Middlebury Mt. Mansfield
2011 Hanover Middlebury
2010 Champlain Valley South Burlington
2009 Essex Champlain Valley 
2008 Burlington Champlain Valley 
2007 Mt. Mansfield Champlain Valley 
a
Great Halloween States Tournament
Vermont vs. New Hampshire competition
Held in October or November at Hanover High School
Season First-place team  Second-place team  Winning State
2023     N.H., 31-19
2019     New Hampshire
2021     Vermont
2019 Plymouth Regional (NH) Essex Vt., 70-42
2018 Plymouth Regional (NH) Hanover and South Burlington Vermont
2017 Plymouth Regional (NH) Essex Vt., 67-44
2016 Essex Plymouth Regional (NH) Vt., 32-28
2015 Burlington Plymouth Regional (NH) N.H., 41-30
2014 Bishop Guertin (NH) Burlington N.H., 38-36
a
Scholars' Bowl Online Tournament
Held Online in May of 2020 after the Corona Virus Pandemic Forced the Cancelation of the State Finals
Season First-place team  Second-place team  Finals score
2020 South Burlington Champlain Valley 230-190
a
Fall Hanover Round Robin
Held in October at Hanover High School
Season First-place team  Second-place team 
2008 Spaulding Hanover 
2007 Phillips Exeter (N.H.) Hanover 
2006 Hanover  Burlington 
2005 Hanover  Essex     
2004 Hanover A Hanover B 
2003 Essex Hanover 
2002 Hanover  Seton Hall (N.J.) 
2001 Burlington Hanover 
2000 Hanover Salem (N.H.)
1999 Keene (N.H.)  Mt. Anthony 
1998 Hanover Burlington 
1996 St. Johnsbury Burlington
a
Spring Hanover Round Robin
Held in March at Hanover High School
Season First-place team  Second-place team 
2005 Hanover  Portsmouth Christian (N.H.)     
2004 Hanover A Hanover B 
2003 Hanover  Phillips Exeter (N.H.) 
2002 Hanover  Burlington 
2001 Burlington Hanover 
2000 Burlington Lebanon (N.H.)
1999 Salem (N.H.)  Burlington 
1998 Burlington Winnisquam (N.H.) 
1997 Burlington Hanover
1996 Colchester Burlington 

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