Waltham High quiz bowl team competes in first national tournament 

The Waltham High School quiz bowl team made school history over Memorial Day weekend, competing in its first-ever national championship tournament in Atlanta.

The team participated in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ High School National Championship Tournament, one of the country’s largest academic competitions, featuring 320 schools and 1,593 individual competitors from across the U.S.

Waltham finished with a 4-6 record during regular competition, narrowly missing additional victories in two close matches, before posting a strong 3-1 record in the consolation rounds. The Hawks ultimately placed 217th overall in their national debut.

Three Waltham students placed in the 400s individually among nearly 1,600 competitors, an impressive accomplishment in a field filled with some of the nation’s top academic teams. But the individual standings do not fully capture the strength of the group.

In quiz bowl competition, points scored after toss-up questions are credited to the team rather than individual players, highlighting the importance of teamwork. All six students contributed significantly throughout the tournament.

The Waltham team was led by senior captain Willow Bhargava and included juniors William McBrine, Suzara Khadka, Sai Ramesh, Kevin Groot-Fekkes and Josie Proskoczilo.

The WHS Quiz team is coached by Valor High School teacher Michael Russo and Waltham librarian Reba Tierney. “I’m so proud of our students,” Tierney said. “It’s our first national tournament, and they did great under pressure.”

The team and coaches also expressed special thanks to the many members of WHS and the community who supported the effort to travel to Atlanta. Community generosity and encouragement helped make the national tournament experience possible for the students, they said.