Manchester Central High School Wins Granite State SuperChallenge

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(DURHAM, April 22, 2010) – And then there were two: Hanover High School and Manchester Central High School. The Hanover team aimed for their fourth Granite State SuperChallenge title while Manchester Central battled for their first trophy. The match went back and forth until the final buzzer, when Manchester Central emerged as the winner by a score of 505 to 495. “For folks that enjoy academic competitions, this was one for the ages. It was an excellent match, two good teams battling through to the final question,” said Hanover's coach Bill Murphy. “If you had been in the studio, you couldn't tell which team won," continued Murphy. "The kids from both schools were pumped up, congratulating each other, very happy. They all have a lot to be proud of.” The match went point-for-point, each team taking and then ceding the lead, question by question. Manchester incorrectly answered the last question of the final round, "Who wrote 'The Magic Flute'?" Hanover sophomore Jaden Gladstone tied the game with the correct answer (Mozart), compelling host Jim Jeannotte to pull the tie-breaking question — the first in SuperChallenge history — out of his pocket. Manchester Central got to the buzzer first, and claimed their first championship title. The victorious Manchester Little Green included seniors Ben Stergiou, Nihco Gallo, David Neider, Nick Ambrogi, Andrew Lavoie and junior Olivia Papp. They were coached by Sean Russell and Mike Hennessy. The Hanover team included seniors Nick O'Leary, Eleanor Reid, Aaron Watanabe, and Sucharita Jayanti and sophomores Gabriel Brison-Trezise and Jaden Gladstone. Granite State Challenge returns in September for its 28th 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.