With just one senior graduating and a roster full of talent returning, the future of UAIS Quiz Bowl isn’t just bright—it’s buzzing.

This year, the Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies (UAIS) Quiz Bowl team, coached by William Dobbie, has capped off a record-breaking season with standout performances at both the state and national levels.

In April, the team repeated as Class B State Champions and then went on to place 11th at the Small Schools National Championship Tournament (SSNCT) in Chicago—competing in the open division against top private, charter, and magnet schools.

Over Memorial Day weekend, UAIS made history at the NAQT High School National Championship Tournament (HSNCT) in Atlanta, finishing 33rd out of 336 teams - the highest national placement in the team’s 15-year history. UAIS was also Michigan's highest finishing team out of the 19 teams that competed at the HSNCT.

Leading the team was UAIS junior Benjamin Edmunds, who earned All-Star honors at both nationals, placing 2nd in scoring at the SSNCT and 5th at the HSNCT. Edmunds also secured the #1 spot on the Class B All-State Team and will return next year with a strong returning roster.

Quiz bowl allows student teams to compete head-to-head to answer questions from all areas of knowledge, including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, popular culture, sports, geography, and history. Students use a "buzzer system" that lets them interrupt the reading of a question when they know the answer.

-Natalie Rubel