MS quiz bowl sends 2 teams to National Championship
University School of Nashville's Middle School quiz bowl team wrapped up its season with a strong showing against the nation's best over a two-day tournament in Chicago.
By Richard Rosenthal, MS Latin Teacher & Quiz Bowl Coach and Christine Park, Eighth Grade English Teacher
After placing first and second against the best teams in the state at the Tennessee Quiz Bowl tournament, two Middle School quiz bowl teams flew to Chicago to compete against the best in the United States (and from as far away as South Korea and the Northern Mariana Islands) at the National Academic Quiz Tournament 2023 Middle School National Championship.
Ayla Acra '27, Basil Broemel '28, Liam Mooney '28, and Ruchika Ramachandran '27 got USN off to a great start by winning their first match while Charlie Blau '27, Lucia Gellert '27, Karsen Puzniak '27, and Aaron Raney '27 had a first-round bye. When the two teams met up for lunch, they discovered they had enjoyed enormous success, with both teams going 3-1. NAQT rewards this success by giving the teams increasingly difficult competition in the afternoon and both teams ended the first day at 4-4. Against such stiff competition, it is impressive to go 4-4. To have two teams go 4-4 from our school demonstrates the extraordinary depth of the USN's Middle School team.
The teams continued their success on the second day. When they were reunited they discovered that both teams had gone 3-1. The players thank the many parents who joined them, helped keep them fed, cheered their many fast buzzes.
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After placing first and second against the best teams in the state at the Tennessee Quiz Bowl tournament, two Middle School quiz bowl teams flew to Chicago to compete against the best in the United States (and from as far away as South Korea and the Northern Mariana Islands) at the National Academic Quiz Tournament 2023 Middle School National Championship.
Ayla Acra '27, Basil Broemel '28, Liam Mooney '28, and Ruchika Ramachandran '27 got USN off to a great start by winning their first match while Charlie Blau '27, Lucia Gellert '27, Karsen Puzniak '27, and Aaron Raney '27 had a first-round bye. When the two teams met up for lunch, they discovered they had enjoyed enormous success, with both teams going 3-1. NAQT rewards this success by giving the teams increasingly difficult competition in the afternoon and both teams ended the first day at 4-4. Against such stiff competition, it is impressive to go 4-4. To have two teams go 4-4 from our school demonstrates the extraordinary depth of the USN's Middle School team.
The teams continued their success on the second day. When they were reunited they discovered that both teams had gone 3-1. The players thank the many parents who joined them, helped keep them fed, cheered their many fast buzzes.
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Read MoreDue to technical issues with our website vendor, registration has been postponed to open 5 p.m. Saturday, January 17, 2026 at usn.org/summer.
Click here to preview the camps USN will offer in 2026 and plan for warmer days. Led by USN faculty and coaches as well as local professionals, flexible morning and afternoon sessions allow either whole or half-day experiences. Opt into lunch, after care, and bus service from West Nashville and East Nashville to our Edgehill Campus.
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.