Vermont-NEA Scholars Bowl 2022 finals

The team from Champlain Valley Union High School (from left Keaton St. Martin, Ben Fox, Jake Potter, coach John Bennett, Elias Leventhal, assistant coach Kiran MacCormick, Evan McMahan, Aidan Devine, Ava Rohrbaugh, Kai Jenkins-Mui) captured the 2021-22 Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl championship, scoring a 385-315 victory over South Burlington High School in the championship match at Montpelier High School on March 26th.

MONTPELIER -- The Champlain Valley Union High School team claimed the state high school academic championship on Saturday, March 26th, winning the Vermont-NEA Scholars' Bowl at Montpelier High School.

CVU defeated South Burlington High School in the championship match, 385-315, taking command midway through the last of three rounds of competition and fending off SBHS' bid at a list-ditch comeback. The match capped an exciting day of competition that featured teams from 11 schools across the state.

Champlain Valley reached the finals with a 535-85 win over Montpelier in the quarterfinals and 400-255 victory over Hanover in the semifinals.

The competing team for CVU included seniors Evan McMahan, Aidan Devine, Ben Fox and Jake Potter, juniors Kai Jenkins-Mui, Ava Rohrbaugh and Keaton St. Martin, and Elias Leventhal. John Bennett coaches the team, with assistance from Kiran MacCormick.

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. CVU has won the tournament twice, with its other title coming in 2007.

South Burlington, which was seeking its first state championship, reached the last round with a 470-200 semifinal victory over defending champion Essex. The quarterfinal round saw Essex top Middlebury, 425-125, and Hanover oust Burlington, 445-205.

Burlington won the Medlar Cup, the tournament's second-chance competition, with victories over St. Johnsbury and Montpelier.

Medlar Cup Quarterfinals
St. Johnsbury 235, BFA-Fairfax 210
Lyndon 235, BFA-St. Albans 210

Medlar Cup Semifinals
Burlington 380, St. Johnsbury 220
Montpelier 390, Lyndon 160

Overall Quarterfinals
Essex 425, Middlebury 125
CVU 535, Montpelier 85
Hanover 445, Burlington 205