Bishop Brady High School Wins Granite State SuperChallenge

Engaging Minds | Connecting Communities | Celebrating New Hampshire

(DURHAM, April 21, 2011) – This was the first Granite State SuperChallenge match for both Con-Val Regional High School and Bishop Brady, and the teams played like champions. After sparring for an hour, each ceding the lead to the other, Bishop Brady pulled ahead in the final minute to defeat Con-Val Regional 570 to 545 for the Granite State SuperChallenge title. "The evenings, afternoons and the 'day in between Saturday and Sunday' we spent studying and preparing for this really paid off for us," said Bishop Brady team member Zach Higham. "We've been working really hard." This was the first year Eric Dyment coached the Bishop Brady team. “The kids are gifted and each member brought their own set of skills that contributed to the overall strength of the team,” said the rookie coach. “The camaraderie and graciousness we experienced during the season from the other teams made this a memorable experience for us.” Bishop Brady High School principal Trevor Bonat congratulated the kids, saying “The entire Bishop Brady community was behind the team and we couldn’t be more proud of them.” The victorious Bishop Brady Giants included seniors Nick Amadeo, James Kiefner, Zach Higham, Connor Houghton, Tom Arena, and junior Anupa Murali. They were also coached by Jim Miller. Con-Val Regional coach Molly Flower Eppig said of her team, “This is the farthest any Con-Val team has ever gone on Granite State Challenge. We’re very proud of them!” The Con-Val team included seniors Alice Hale, Ethan Beihl, Karissa Vincent, Mara Zrzavy, and junior Will Welch. After going point-for-point during the first half of the match, the two teams found themselves tied heading into the fourth round. At the end of the sixth round, Bishop Brady held a five-point lead which they stretched to 25-points in the final 60 seconds of play. Both teams erupted into high-fives after a hard-fought match. Granite State Challenge returns in September for its 29th season. Tune in and follow your favorite teams' progress. The popular quiz contest begins with 32 Granite State high school teams battling toward the coveted SuperChallenge title. There are four single-elimination rounds leading to the final contest in the spring. If you missed a match and want to see how your favorite team fared, watch Granite State Challenge online at www.nhptv.org/gsc and on YouTube, or download it from the Granite State Challenge website or iTunes as a video podcast. Granite State Challenge brings New Hampshire's top high school academic teams head-to-head in spirited competition. The contest emphasizes quick recall of factual material in all major disciplines – math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts – along with a smattering of pop culture trivia and New Hampshire topics. Long-time host Jim Jeannotte asks the Challenge questions to the teams; co-host Lori Warriner interviews team members prior to the game. Funding for Granite State Challenge is provided Public Service of New Hampshire, the Community College System of New Hampshire, Irving Oil, and the NHHEAF Network Organizations.

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Granite State SuperChallenge Winners Bishop Brady High School from L to R: James Keifner (senior), Anupa Murali (junior), Nick Amadeo (senior), Zach Higham (senior), Connor Houghton (senior), and Tom Arena (senior).

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Granite State SuperChallenge Runner Up Con-Val Regional High School from L to R: Alice Hale (senior), Ethan Beihl (senior), Karissa Vincent (senior), Mara Zrzavy (senior), and Will Welch (junior).

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