Chelsea High School Quiz Bowl wrapped up a record-breaking season at the NAQT National Championships in Atlanta. Both varsity and JV teams finished first and second in their leagues for the first time in program history.
Photo: (L-R) Leo Baushke, Alex Rogers, Gio Bickel, Eric Cameron, and Jack Jordan at Nationals. Photo provided by Eric Sing
The Chelsea High School Quiz Bowl team concluded a historic season by competing in the NAQT National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia over Memorial Day weekend. The team’s unprecedented season was full of records and program firsts.
For the first time in the program’s existence, they fielded two varsity and two JV teams in the Tri-County Quiz Bowl League. “We had our largest team ever this season with 21 students,” said coach Eric Sing. “Our league’s structure and schedule were such that we could field multiple teams in each division.” All teams enjoyed great success.
Varsity Blue (Alex Rogers, Eric Cameron, Jack Jordan, Leo Baushke, and Gio Bickel) finished 11-1 to win the conference for the 5th time in 6 years. Their only loss came at the hands of Chelsea Gold, who finished 8-4 and tied for second. This snapped Blue’s 27-game conference winning streak that dated back to November 2022.
“Watching these Chelsea vs. Chelsea games is very difficult for me,” said Sing. “You want both teams to do well. It was probably best for team morale that they finished 1-1 against each other this season”. This marked the first time any school had finished first and second in the league’s history. Not only did Varsity Gold (Zak Sing, Jack Orlandi, Doug Beachey, Charlotte Tierney, Justin Alford, Henry Fredenberg) finish second, but they, along with Blue, were the only team to beat every other team in the league.
The teams also competed in various regional tournaments throughout the season, accumulating a team record of 66 wins. Chelsea teams qualified for the State and National Championships, with Varsity Blue representing Chelsea in East Lansing and finishing 5th among Class B schools; Varsity Blue also traveled to Atlanta to compete in the NAQT National Championships, winning four games against the toughest competition in the country.
Junior Leo Baushke was named team MVP for his performance throughout the entire season. Seniors Jack Orlandi and Eric Cameron earned All-Conference honors. Cameron also earned First Team All-State for his performance at the State tournament, where he was a top-five individual scorer.
Junior Varsity teams also finished first and second in their league, with JV Gold (Caleb Grimm, Grace Krough, Henry Parker, Sophia Getty, Leo Anderson) finishing 10-0 and JV Blue (Sebby Valdina, Cece O’Rourke, Lyla Christie, Viv Gervais, Parker Westcott) finishing 7-3. This was Chelsea JV’s 3rd league championship in the last four years. Freshman Anderson was named JV MVP. Sophomore Grimm also received the inaugural Bulldog award for his outstanding commitment, attitude and performance this season.
Chelsea Quiz Bowl varsity reached the impressive milestone of 300 wins in just its seventh season. Since the founding of the Quiz Bowl club in 2018, Chelsea High School teams have qualified for State and National tournaments and have had at least one student earn All-State honors each year. “The outstanding success of our program over the years really comes down to the type of students we have,” said Sing. “Their commitment and dedication to learning inside and outside of the classroom sets us apart from other teams.”
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