Quiz Bowl Defends National Title

Last month, St. Mark’s Quiz Bowl teams traveled to Chicago to compete in the Small School National Championship and, once again, brought home the six-foot championship trophy. 

The A-Team, consisting of captain Surya Dinesh ’25, Andy Li ’26, Tony Lu ’27, and John Paul Hanks ’28, climbed to the finals with a 10-0 record in the preliminary rounds, and went on to take first place in the national championship after two victories against the undefeated #1 seed. Along with the first-place victory, Dinesh was named one of the tournament’s top players, and Lu was named one of the tournament’s “Rising Stars” for their incredible efforts. This is the team's second consecutive national title.

St. Mark’s B-Team, featuring Matthew Bybee ’25, Kevin Hong ’26, Chris Huang ’27, and Rishik Kapoor ’27, also had a 10-0 run in the preliminary rounds and ended up finishing 17th overall.

The C-Team, consisting of Marksmen Jeremy Mau ’25, Tejas Allada ’26, Aryaman Lahoti ’26, and Sebastian Garcia-Toledo ’28, finished strong with a 6-4 record, earning playoff eligibility and winning seventh place overall. 

“Quiz Bowl at St. Mark’s is about more than mastering facts—it’s about cultivating curiosity, camaraderie, and the ability to think under pressure. This tournament brought all of that to life,” said Paul Mlakar, Academic Team Head Coach for Upper School. “Our boys trusted each other, supported one another through mistakes, and lifted each other up in the toughest moments. To win back-to-back matches against the undefeated #1 seed required not just knowledge, but composure, resilience, and a deep sense of team unity. It was thrilling to watch, and a powerful reflection of the preparation, leadership, and love of learning that defines our program.”