WATERTOWN, NY; December 11, 2023 – WPBS-TV has completed production of the 43rd season of local TV program Whiz Quiz, and is pleased to announce the 2023 Whiz Quiz Champion: Potsdam Central School from Potsdam, New York and the 2023 International Winner: Frontenac Secondary School from Kingston, Ontario.
Hosted by Joleene DesRosiers, this quiz bowl-style tournament invites over 30 schools from across the North Country and Canada to participate. Competing high school students from both sides of the border showcase their knowledge in areas like Math, Geography, Literature, and the Arts. Filming takes place annually in October and November and the program airs on WPBS-TV October through December. Full episodes are available at watch.wpbstv.org.
“There is no higher priority at WPBS than education. We continually strive to do more to support students and families across our region and Whiz Quiz, now in its 43rd year, is a cornerstone of those efforts. We are delighted to support the academic excellence and hard work of these students who represent the future of our communities, and we thank the parents, teachers, educators, volunteer judges and sponsors who make Whiz Quiz possible,” said Mark Prasuhn, President & General Manager of WPBS.
In Season 43 of Whiz Quiz, 32 American high schools competed in the single elimination tournament. The Potsdam Central School team (Anant Bansal, Max Galluzzo, Jason Liang, Taha Ait Maatallah and alternates Liam Myers and Elif Cetinkaya), led by Advisor Mary Michalek, demonstrated the academic knowledge necessary to win the U.S. championship match against Thousand Islands Central School District. The hour-long U.S. championship match aired on WPBS-TV Tuesday, December 5th at 7:00 pm.
During the final game of the competition, the Canadian high school team from Frontenac Secondary School (Reese Berman, Masa Chau, Owen Healey, Jacksen MacLean), led by advisor Michelle Lee, won the International match against the U.S. Champions, Potsdam. The match aired on Wednesday, December 6th at 7:30 pm. All Season 43 matches are available to stream anytime online at watch.wpbstv.org.
The annual Whiz Quiz banquet and celebration will be held on January 24, 2024 at the Clayton Opera House to award the teams. The Season 43 Champion, Potsdam Central School, will receive the Glenn Gough Championship Trophy and Scholarship Prize of $4500.
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 is provided by Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, St. Lawrence Lewis BOCES, Samaritan Medical Center, and Laura Whitney-State Farm Insurance. Scholarships for winning teams are provided in part by National Grid, EDF Renewables, Stewarts Shops, The Sunrise and Noon Rotary Clubs of Watertown, the Antwerp Masonic Lodge #226, and the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge #916. Additional support provided by Jefferson Community College and Dunkin’ Donuts.
For more information about Whiz Quiz, please visit www.wpbstv.org/whiz-quiz.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 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, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
