WPBS-TV Announces WHIZ QUIZ Season 44 Champions
Dec 18, 2024 01:18PM ● By Nicole Petrus
WATERTOWN, NY (December 17, 2024) – WPBS-TV is excited to announce the completion of production for the 44th season of its local quiz show Whiz Quiz. Congratulations to the 2024 Whiz Quiz Champion, Hugh C. Williams from Canton, New York and the 2024 International Winner, Lisgar Collegiate Institute from Ottawa, Ontario.
This exciting season continues WPBS-TV’s tradition of showcasing young academic talent from both sides of the border. Hosted by Mel Busler, Whiz Quiz is a quiz bowl-style competition that brings together over 30 high schools from across the North Country and Canada. Competing students test their knowledge in a variety of subjects including Math, Geography, Literature, and the Arts. Filming for the show takes place each fall, and the program airs on WPBS-TV from October through December. Full episodes are available for streaming at watch.wpbstv.org.
In the 44th season of Whiz Quiz, 32 American high schools competed in the single-elimination tournament. The U.S. champion title was claimed by the team from Hugh C. Williams High School (Canton, NY), consisting of Lexi Stuntz, Sophia Tartaglia, Ciaran O’Brien, David Cheng, and alternates Aurora Casserly and Eliza Creurer. Under the guidance of Advisor David Dufrane, the team showcased exceptional academic skills to secure their victory over Thousand Islands Central School District. The hour-long U.S. Championship match aired on WPBS-TV on Friday, December 13th at 7:00 pm.
The production of Whiz Quiz Season 44 culminated with a festive banquet and awards celebration on October 28, 2024, at WPBS Studios. During the event, the Season 44 Champion, Hugh C. Williams High School, was presented with the Glenn Gough Championship Trophy and a scholarship prize of $3,175. Thousand Islands Central School District, who secured second place in the competition, received a scholarship prize of $2,000. The gathering marked the successful conclusion of another exciting season, honoring the academic achievements of all the participating teams.
WPBS thanks all of their sponsors for making Whiz Quiz the longest running, local academic quiz production in the North Country. Production funding for Whiz Quiz season 44 was provided by Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, St. Lawrence Lewis BOCES, Jefferson Community College, Samaritan Medical Center, and NRCIL. Scholarships for winning Whiz Quiz teams are provided in part by National Grid, Stewart Shops, Bowers and Company CPAs, The Sunrise and Noon Rotary Clubs of Watertown, The Clayton Rotary Club, The Antwerp Masonic Lodge #226, The Waddington Masonic Lodge #393, The Dexter Masonic Lodge #1072, The Gouverneur Elks Lodge #2035, The Carthage Elks Lodge #1762, The Lowville Elks Lodge #1605, The Watertown Elks Lodge #496, and The Boonville Elks Lodge #2158.
All Season 44 matches are available to stream anytime online at watch.wpbstv.org. For more information about Whiz Quiz, please visit www.wpbstv.org/whiz-quiz.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 600,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and inspire diverse communities with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of relevant public service media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and cultures. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Download the free WPBS Mobile App to follow WPBS on the go.
In the final game of Whiz Quiz Season 44, the Canadian team from Lisgar Collegiate Institute (Ottawa, ON) triumphed in the International Championship match, defeating U.S. Champions Hugh C. Williams High School. The Lisgar team, consisting of Tristan Scarlett, Jamie Drysdale, Gilbert Cormie Waters, and Gavin Chiu, was led by Advisor Ruth Crabtree. The exciting International Championship match aired on WPBS-TV on Monday, December 16th at 7:30 p.m.
