CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Morgantown High School Team 1 was declared the 2023 West Virginia Academic Showdown grand champion at the West Virginia Culture Center on Friday.

According to a West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) release, 10 teams representing five West Virginia regions competed during the championship of the high school academic competition, which tested each team’s knowledge in math, history, sports, fine arts and more.

Morgantown High School Team 1 is the 2023 Academic Showdown Grand Champion.
George Washington High School is the 2023 Academic Showdown Runner-up.

“What an experience for our team to be named the 2023 Academic Grand Champion,” said Carter Herron, Morgantown High School Team 1 captain. “We do regional quiz bowl tournaments, and those made us feel more prepared for this event. We have learned a lot of skills together as a team and have grown to be a great team, but even better friends as a result. It’s also nice to see academics supported to this degree.”

This year’s prize money was provided by the WVDE, West Virginia Legislature, American Electric Power and Microsoft®, and was awarded to:

  • Morgantown High School Team 1, Monongalia County: $10,000 with each team member receiving $2,500
  • George Washington High School, Kanawha County: $8,000 with each team member receiving $2,000
  • Morgantown High School Team 2, Monongalia County: $5,000 with each team member receiving $1,250
  • James Monroe High School, Monroe County: $4,000 with each team member receiving $1,000
  • Huntington High School, Cabell County: $3,000 with each team member receiving $750
  • Berkeley Springs High School, Morgan County and Wheeling Park High School, Ohio County: $2,500 with each team member receiving $625
  • Ripley High School, Jackson County: $2,000 with each team member receiving $500
  • Winfield High School, Putnam County and Spring Mills High Schools, Berkeley County: $1,000 with each team member receiving $250
  • Team Alternates: Alternates are awarded half of the amount according to their team’s final standing
  • Carter Herron, Academic Showdown Most Valuable Player (MVP): $1,000
  • All-Tournament Team: $3,000 with each team member receiving $500
2023 West Virginia Academic Showdown championship bracket (Courtesy of WVDE)

Matthew Leasure, Berkeley Springs High School; Patrick Ward, George Washington High School; Cameron Mays, Huntington High School; Madisen McMillion, James Monroe High School; Steven Tian, Morgantown High School Team 1; and Sawyer Rudy, Morgantown High School Team 2 were named the All-Tournament Team.

“This is an awesome feeling. The competition was tough, but we enjoyed it,” said Patrick Ward, team captain of George Washington High School. “I’m going to use this prize money to pay for college.”

“This is an opportunity for students to be celebrated for their academic prowess and be introduced to options of higher education here in West Virginia,” said West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education Sarah Armstrong Tucker. “These universities welcomed students and their families into their hallowed halls and provided important information about academic offerings, financial aid and college preparation.”

Event highlights can be found on the WVDE website.