Belmont rose through the ranks for a rematch against defending champion Boston Latin School on GBH’s televised academic competition
BOSTON (June 21, 2021) – Belmont High School has earned the Season 12 State Championship trophy on GBH’s High School Quiz Show®. Veteran competitor Belmont took on two-time defending champions Boston Latin School in a tight match, ultimately coming out ahead with a final score of 1070 to 1060 points in the season finale which premiered Saturday, June 19, 2021.
Belmont High School has competed on High School Quiz Show eight times over the series' history. Season 12 marks their first State Championship title. The team came out on top against 16 other Massachusetts high school teams in Boston public media producer GBH’s award-winning bracketed academic tournament. Participating schools received the highest scores in an online qualifying quiz earlier this year. Hosted by local media personality Billy Costa, High School Quiz Show teams of four went head-to-head, answering quick-paced questions that tested their knowledge in categories such as literature, math, history, current events and science.
“A well-earned congratulations to the Belmont High School team for winning the High School Quiz Show trophy during this extraordinary academic year. Their growth and adaptability to both the range of knowledge required for the game, and to the new remote production paid off ” said Hillary Wells, Executive Producer and GBH Director of Youth Media. “We are so proud to be able to honor all of the students and coaches whose dedication to academic excellence and teamwork showed clearly throughout the season.”
Belmont teammates Margo, Tor, Bennett and Nathan, all seniors, were coached by science teacher Stacy Williams. Their alternates were Jona (senior) and Kiril (junior). (Surnames can be requested through school staff. Contact Emily Balk for more information.)
The final match of High School Quiz Show Season 12 was dedicated to Alex Trebek, the former Jeopardy! host who passed away in 2020. The finale’s Category Round was Jeopardy!-themed in Trebek’s honor. The featured Celebrity Questions came from actors Kristen Bell and Bill Hader.
High School Quiz Show developed an innovative hybrid production model for Season 12 with students competing remotely and Costa hosting from GBH’s studios in Brighton, MA.
The 17 schools that competed on High School Quiz Show Season 12 are:
- Advanced Math and Science Academy (Marlborough, MA)
- Andover High School
- Belmont High School
- Boston Latin School
- British International School of Boston
- The Homeschoolers
- Hopkinton High School
- Lexington High School
- Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science (Worcester, MA)
- Needham High School
- Newton North High School
- North Quincy High School
- Sharon High School
- Wakefield Memorial High School
- Wellesley High School
- Westford Academy
- Weston High School
The Season 12 bracket can be found here.
The full season of High School Quiz Show along with past seasons can be streamed at WGBH.org and on YouTube.
High School Quiz Show is endorsed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and the Massachusetts PTA. Questions on the show are aligned with the Massachusetts high school curriculum standards in subjects that include literature, history, civics, science and math, as well as current events, and general knowledge. Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance. Additional funding is provided by the Museum of Science, Massachusetts Teachers Association, XFINITY from Comcast, Eastern Bank, Emerson College and Subaru of New England.
For more information, visit highschoolquizshow.org and follow the show on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. GBH’s television channels include GBH 2, GBH 44, GBH Kids and national services WORLD and Create. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at gbh.org.
