ACADEMY OF SCIENCE & DESIGN TOPS KENNETT HIGH ON GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE

(DURHAM, February 15, 2014) - In a close first round match of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE, the Academy of Science and Design squeaked out a win over Kennett High School by a score of 240-220. The game was tied going into the closing rounds of the match, and in the bonus round both teams answered all the questions correctly. The game remained tight until the last seconds of the game.The Academy of Science and Design, a charter school in Nashua, was represented by captain Aditya Patel, Carolyn Marquis, Alexander Jaferey, and Jesse Haye, and coached by Andrew Myers and Douglass Belley. The Kennett Eagles of North Conway were represented by captain Ben Zimmer, Talia Vaughan, PJ Benson, and Liam Van Rossum, and were coached by David Freedman and Jocelyn Judge.David Freedman, coach of the Kennett team, couldn't be prouder of his kids. "I was impressed by this team’s composure, sportsmanship and competitiveness. The spirited effort they put forth in each of our preparation phases and competitions was truly laudable."Watch this and all the matches online >>The Academy of Science and Design now advances to the second round of Granite State Challenge. The popular quiz contest began the season with 16 Granite State high school teams battling for the coveted SuperChallenge title and brainy bragging rights.It takes a winning combination of knowledge, teamwork, grace under pressure, and a quick buzzer reflex to play Granite State Challenge. The show brings New Hampshire's top high school academic teams head-to-head in lively competition. The game emphasizes quick recall of material in all major disciplines - math, science, social studies, language and fine arts - along with a mix of questions about current events, entertainment, sports, and regional topics. Host Jim Jeannotte poses the Challenge questions to the teams; Lori Warriner interviews team members.The winner of the Granite State SuperChallenge receives $1,000, a trophy and a champion banner for their school; the runner-up school receives $500 and a trophy. The SuperChallenge winner will compete for the Governor's Cup against the winner of the WGBH Boston High School Quiz Show at the end of the season.Watch Granite State Challenge Saturdays at 6 p.m. on NHPTV PRIME, and at other times on NHPTV PRIME and NHPTV EXPLORE; watch online anytime.Ready to play Granite State Challenge online? Join others in the group, play with your friends on Facebook, or take the quiz on your own. Take the interactive online quiz now!Granite State Challenge is generously funded by lead sponsor Unitil, a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England. Additional funding is provided by NH NEA, Heinemann, DF Richard, Markem-Imaje, Pax World Mutual Funds, and Measured Progress. The GSC 2014 champion banner for the winning school was donated by the NHHEAF Network Organizations.

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