The buzzer sounds and the red light flicks on as the student presses the button in their hand as fast as possible. This scene is incredibly familiar for many students who have either participated in Quiz Bowl or watched others compete.

The St. Mark’s Quiz Bowl team has proved itself to be one of the best teams in the country for years on end. Just last year, the A Team won High School Nationals. But there was one issue: their A Team consisted of only seniors, meaning that they would have to go through a rebuilding phase the  next year.

This year, the team has a unique facet that allows them to showcase a variety of knowledge and talents. One student is competing from each grade in Upper School: freshman John Paul Hanks, sophomore Tony Lu, junior Andy Li, and senior Surya Dinesh. This range of grades provides a promising future for the Quiz Bowl club.

“The range in grades provides a lot of fluidity for the A Team,” sophomore Tony Lu said. “The team could switch people throughout the year, which means I have to be ready to work with new people.”

This variety in the roster also proves difficult for answering questions.

“I need to be ready to switch subjects at a moment’s notice,” Lu said. “I might have to study questions that I am not used to answering and be prepared for anything that comes my way.”

The Quiz Bowl team hopes to continue their dominant run over the past few years, and although the seniors from last year’s team are gone, the future is bright for the school’s Quiz Bowl program.