June 01, 2025
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BBCHS Scholastic Bowl team scores high marks at nationals

By Shaw Local News Network
The BBCHS Scholastic Bowl team poses with an award after an IHSA Class 2A Scholastic Bowl regional hosted at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School on March 10, 2025. BBCHS went 3-0 to win their first regional championship since 2017.

The BBCHS Scholastic Bowl team poses with an award after an IHSA Class 2A Scholastic Bowl regional hosted at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School on March 10, 2025. BBCHS placed 221st out of 336 teams who competed in a national competition from May 22 -25, 2025. (Photo Provided by Michael Dorsam)

Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School joined the top high school quiz bowl teams in the nation last weekend to compete in the 2025 High School National Championship Tournament in Atlanta.

Bradley-Bourbonnais finished the preliminary rounds with a 4-6 record, which placed them at 221st out of 336 teams competing.

Bradley-Bourbonnais was one of 23 Illinois teams competing at the national championship.

The team was captained by Quinn Meadows and Gavin Quinlan, who were joined by Robbie Busick, Nick Coradetti, Libby Johnson, Mikayla Keast, Pine Kimery, Emily Lyle, Stella McMullen, Saloni Patel, Jiya Rana, Jack Schelling, Max Schmit, Xavier Schultz and Kylee Stone.

Quinlan finished 290th out of about 1,700 players in individual scoring. Schultz placed 414th, and Meadows finished in 490th.

The team was coached by Michael Dorsam, who was assisted by David Williams.

Dorsam said the team raised $7,500 to take the trip to Atlanta, while the rest of the cost was covered by the school district.

He said the team was slated to hop on a charter bus to Atlanta about two hours after the high school’s May 22 graduation ceremony.

Quiz bowl is a competitive, academic, interscholastic activity for teams of four students. It is the national version of the game that is often locally called Scholastic Bowl, according to a National Academic Quiz Tournaments news release.

Quiz bowl teams use buzzers to answer questions about science, math, history, literature, mythology, geography, social science, current events, sports and popular culture.

The matches feature a blend of individual competition and team collaboration, since no individual player is likely to be an expert in all subject areas. Participation in quiz bowl both reinforces lessons from the classroom and encourages players to develop new intellectual interests.

There were some tense moments in the competition. Bradley-Bourbonnais suffered a heartbreakingly narrow loss to BASIS Silicon Valley from San Jose, California, 235-210, during round nine; defeated Owensboro, Kentucky, by the narrow margin of 265-260 during round 10; suffered another narrow loss to Livonia Churchill, Michigan, 185-160, during round 12; suffered yet another narrow loss to Meyzeek Middle from Louisville, Kentucky, 200-190, during round 13; and defeated Troy, Michigan, 175-150, during round 19.

Bradley-Bourbonnais was on the brink of elimination when it defeated Archbishop Mitty B from San Jose, California, in round 14 to stay alive. Unfortunately, the team lost to Ithaca, New York, ending its shot at the playoffs.

The tournament champion was the A team from Livingston High School of Livingston, New Jersey.

The 2025 High School National Championship Tournament’s field featured 336 teams from 37 states, the District of Columbia and Guatemala.