Hurstpierpoint College has progressed through the first heat of the 2010-11 Schools’ Challenge competition, a national ‘University Challenge’ style general knowledge quiz for schools, with a 190 point victory over Ardingly College.
Thanks to a great performance by the Hurst team, comprising two Sixth Formers, Hattie Sykes and Ollie Meredith, and two Middle School pupils, Kit Holliday and Lydia Webb, Hurst got off to a flying start. The team worked their way through the questions at a great pace and, despite a spirited mid-contest fightback by Ardingly, Hurst used the closing stages of the quiz to widen the gap still further finishing on 550 points to Ardingly's 360.
It truly was a team effort, with the two Middle School members answering well in the ‘junior’ rounds. Hurst gained the advantage due to two major factors: Hattie Sykes' impressive speed of reaction on the buzzer and the team's ability to answer almost all of the bonus questions, which ranged from the literary:
"The Snark was a Boojum, you see.” Which writer created both creatures?”
to the sporting:
“Which exhibition Basketball team was established by Abe Saperstein in 1926?”
The team was well supported by many Hurst pupils who came to cheer their friends on that evening . The audience was certainly in awe of the general knowledge displayed by such a bright group of students and the College is looking forward to the next round against another local school.
Photograph to follow ...
17 May 2012