News

Neck and neck battle in School's Challenge Quiz preliminaries

Members of the Gaynstead Schools' Challenge Quiz team (left to right), Andre Murphy, Dujon Dunn, Grace-Ann Howell and Barrington Fearon.

IT WAS A east versus west showdown when St. Andrew-based Gaynstead High met Westmoreland's Petersfield High in the second match of the preliminary round in TVJ's Schools' Challenge Quiz competition.

From the onset, the match seemed interesting as the teams traded pole positions often and at times were virtually neck and neck. In round one, during which questions are alternately posed to each team, Petersfield had the upper hand. Of the 15 questions posed to them, they answered 10 correctly.

Meanwhile, Gaynstead only got six of their 15 questions correct.

Upperhand

In round two, where teams are given three alternate one-minute time periods to answer questions, Gaynstead grabbed the upper hand. At the end of the section, they had 21 points to Petersfield's 20. However, prior to the start of the last section, Petersfield lost a point after the judges deemed that the answer they gave for a question on another term for joules was incorrect. They responded calorie. The real match-up began in round three. In that round teams are required to answer questions thrown out to both by ringing in first. Neither team answered the first two questions posed. Then Gaynstead got off the mark by answering the next question correctly. With two minutes and 50 seconds left in the match, the teams were tied at 23 all. Some 20 seconds later, they were locked again at 25 all. With nine seconds left in the match, Petersfield took the lead with 33 points, two more than Gaynstead. However, they were stopped dead in their tracks, when with two seconds to go, Gaynstead correctly answered the question, 'What is the stage name of popular entertainer Orville Burrell?' They responded, 'Shaggy', and the end of time buzzer sounded. Both teams were tied at 33 points.

This prompted quizmaster Francois St. Juste to announce that the teams would go into sudden death, and the first team to answer a question correctly, would win.

As the sudden death round began, both teams refused to answer. Then came a sports question, 'Who won the Under-20 World Cup?' The all female Petersfield team pressed the buzzer first and seemed poised to move into the first round. However, Renae Donalds responded, "Spain." The correct answer was Brazil, and they lost two points, thus securing victory for Gaynstead. The showdown then became between Donalds and her captain, Naema Dawes. Dawes angrily repeated, "I told you Brazil." The other members of that team were Patricia Cameron and Camille Dunn. The Petersfield team left the studio rather dejected shortly after.

Meanwhile, the Gaynstead team was shocked speechless. Repeated attempts to get a comment from Barrington Fearon, their captain, were futile, as he kept mopping sweat from his forehead and sighing. His teammates, Grace-Ann Howell, Dujon Dunn and Andre Murphy were also tongue-tied.

See tomorrow's STAR for the report on the St. George's College versus Black River High game.