Elias Smith, a standout student at Morris High School, will represent his school and the state of Oklahoma at the prestigious 2025 Individual Player National Championship Tournament (IPNCT) hosted by National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) this Sunday, April 6, in Rosemont, Ill.
Elias Smith, a standout student at Morris High School, will represent his school and the state of Oklahoma at the prestigious 2025 Individual Player National Championship Tournament (IPNCT) hosted by National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) this Sunday, April 6, in Rosemont, Ill.
Smith will compete against 259 of the top high school quiz bowl players from across the nation - and beyond in this elite competition that tests knowledge across a wide range of academic and cultural subjects. Students from 32 states, the District of Columbia and Guatemala will participate in the seventh edition of this tournament, which is considered the premier individual quiz bowl championship in North America.
Unlike traditional quiz bowl tournaments, which are played in teams, the IPNCT is a solo competition, challenging each player to rely solely on their own knowledge without the support of teammates. The questions span an extensive list of topics including science, math, history, literature, mythology, geography, social science, current events, sports and popular culture. Smith’s performance on Sunday will begin with five seeding rounds, which will determine placement in a competitive bracket. From there, top scorers will advance to elimination rounds to crown a national champion. Players will also have the opportunity to be recognized for their strength in individual subject areas.
The IPNCT is held in conjunction with the Intercollegiate Championship Tournament, where top college teams from the U.S. and Canada will face off the day before. The tournament venue is the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago, just outside the city in Rosemont, Ill.
The NAQT, founded in 1996, is widely recognized for organizing premier quiz bowl competitions across middle school, high school and college levels in North America. In addition to its national championships, NAQT provides high-quality questions for tournaments, leagues and televised events throughout the year.
Quiz bowl participation continues to grow, as it reinforces academic lessons and encourages students to develop new intellectual interests through friendly competition.
Tournament results will be posted live on NAQT’s website at www.naqt.com/go/ stats/16005, and updates will be shared on social media using the hashtag #ipnct.
Best of luck to Elias Smith as he takes his knowledge to the national level this weekend!
