Academy for Science and Design Meets Manchester Central High

Granite State Challenge - Round One

(DURHAM, February 12, 2024) - The Academy for Science and Design faces Manchester Central High on Granite State Challenge on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 7:30 pm on NHPBS.

Playing for the Academy for Science and Design are captain and senior Chris Stemporzewski along with seniors Vidya Nandakumar and Daniel Ryckman, junior Pranav Grover, and team alternates juniors Danny Sargent and Edward Emerson. The team is coached by social studies teacher Shawn Kraus. The Academy for Science and Design is a public charter school located in Nashua and enrolls around 190 students.

Playing for Manchester Central High are team captain and senior Akshay Manchanda, senior Colleen Stankiewicz, junior Nick Barbee, and freshman Declan Manning, joined by team alternates junior Tri Vu, and freshmen Lucas Astorino and Taylor Morin. The coach for the team is music teacher, Edward Doyle. Manchester Central enrolls around 1,532 students.

The winner of the game will move on to the quarterfinals where they will meet defending champs Merrimack High, who defeated Belmont High in the first game of the season. The quarterfinal game will air Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 pm on NHPBS. The next first-round game, airing Thursday, February 22, at 7:30 pm on NHPBS will be between Dover High and Souhegan High.

Hosted by Bow High School teacher and former Granite State Challenge coach (Bedford High), contestant (Belmont High), and Granite State Challenge crew member, Jon Cannon, Granite State Challenge features some of New Hampshire's brightest high school students as they demonstrate remarkable teamwork, quick thinking, and smarts to beat the clock and buzz in first on this iconic New Hampshire game show. The game emphasizes quick recall of math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts facts - along with questions about current events, entertainment, sports, and New Hampshire.

You can follow your favorite team, test your knowledge with GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE online quizzes, and more at the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE web page, or try your hands at daily brainteasers on the GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE Facebook page.

GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is funded by lead sponsor Unitil with additional funding from NEA New Hampshire, Safety InsuranceD.F. Richard Energy, and HRCU.

Major funding provided by Unitil

Additional funding is provided by NEA New HampshireSafety Insurance, Bangor Savings Bank, and Aroma Joe's.


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GSC Fun Facts:

  • Granite State Challenge premiered on January 30, 1984
  • 21 NH high schools have taken home the GSC Championship Trophy
  • Londonderry High School took the first championship title.
  • Merrimack High School took the 2023 title.
  • Over 6,500 students have participated in GSC.
  • Over 135, 000 questions have been asked on GSC.

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