Quiz Bowl Ames, Iowa

Aneesh Shrotriya, 18, has always had an interest in learning new things. He has spent a large portion of his free time going down a rabbit hole to learn something new. When he was beginning his freshman year in high school, he was taking classes online because of the Covid 19 pandemic. In a search to find a community to connect to, he found quiz bowl.

Out of the thousands of people who attend Ames High Sch0ol Aneesh found a place that had around 20 people in it. The most important thing to him was the fact that all of these people shared an enjoyment of trivia, had a competitive spirit, and had the ability to relax and enjoy themselves.

When Aneesh reached his Junior year in high school quiz bowl was in danger of fizzling out. Due to a large portion of the club graduating and the previous club sponsor no longer able to host meetings, Aneesh had to work with his friends in an effort to rebuild the club. After not too long, quiz bowl was up and running. The club would meet after school in Mr. Landhauser’s room, and the team would place extremely well in various different Saturday tournaments against schools across the state.

Quiz Bowl is a place where anyone can enjoy and feel like they belong. It is somewhere you can pursue knowledge in a variety of subjects, engage in competition, and have a good time with friends.

“You guys ready to start,” says ANEESH SHROTRIYA, 18, a senior who is the leader of the Ames High Quiz Bowl team who has the most points scored in tournaments of any person who has ever competed for Ames High Quiz Bowl.

The matchups are shown for every round of the tournament. This lets the competitors and parents know where each person is competing, what room they are competing in, and what time the round will begin.

AIDAN KRUEGER and ANEESH SHROTRIYA both preparing for the final round of the 2024 solo challenge. In this image the moderators are explaining the rules for the round and wishing all the competitors the best of luck.

RADHA CHERY and SIRAY ZHU entering the room for the weekly Monday meeting in Mr. Landhauser’s room.

SAILESH SRINATH and MENGZE LI both enjoying themselves during a typical quiz bowl practice.

This is a buzzer set typically used in quiz bowl matches. When you think you have an answer to a question you buzz in and the box will make a sound and light up to indicate who buzzer in.