Merrimack High Meets Trinity High

(DURHAM, April 29, 2024) - Merrimack High meets Trinity High in the first Granite State Challenge semifinal game on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 7:30 pm on NHPBS.

Playing for Merrimack High are captain and senior Kishan Sreenivasan joined by seniors Liam Clark and Trey Grant, and junior Erin Murray. The team alternates are junior Shelby Pennington and sophomore Avis Clever. Merrimack is coached by chemistry teacher Dr. Sara Campbell and Gifted and Talented Coordinator Sally Agel. Merrimack enrolls around 1,094 students. Merrimack High defeated Belmont High and the Academy for Science and Design on their way to the semifinals. Merrimack High School is the defending Granite State Challenge Champion and was also the championship team in 2020 and 2021. They are hoping to win their fourth championship.

Playing for Trinity High are the team captain and senior Hayden Becker, senior Matt Salafia, and juniors Desmond Lee and Tyler Welch. The team alternates are senior Rob Mokua and sophomore Long Nguyen. The coaches are social studies teacher Andrew Lavoie and math teacher Louis Sievers. Trinity High is a parochial school located in Manchester and enrolls around 300 students from Manchester, Bedford, Goffstown, Hooksett, and surrounding towns. Trinity High defeated Dover High and Souhegan High on their way to the semifinals. 

The winner of the match will face the winner of the next semifinal game between Plymouth Regional High and Hopkinton High airing on Thursday, May 9, at 7:30 pm on NHPBS. The championship game will air on Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 pm on NHPBS.

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 Insurance, D.F. Richard Energy, and HRCU.

Pressroom Contact

Carla Gordon Russell
Director of Communications
crussell@nhpbs.org
(603) 868-4339