It was indeed a tough act to follow.
But while there was no championship result this winter, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Academic League Team produced a sound season.
Bridgewater-Raritan’s Academic League Team placed third in the varsity standings out of 10 schools in Somerset County with its 7-2 record.
This finish came one year after Bridgewater-Raritan won the Somerset County Academic League championship. Bridgewater-Raritan shared the 2024 county title with Montgomery High School as each school ended with an 8-1 record.
Bridgewater-Raritan’s junior varsity Academic League team also placed third in the JV standings with a 7-2 record this winter. A year ago, Bridgewater-Raritan's JV team also ended with a 7-2 record and placed second overall.
Dr. Eleni Arapaki, who is the Academic League Team Advisor at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, was pleased with the production of her varsity group despite falling short of repeating as the Somerset County champion.
“We are incredibly proud of both teams' consistent performance, and we also recognize the evolving landscape of the league,” Dr. Arapaki said. “The competition has become even more intense. Last year's championship victories set a high bar, with the Varsity team ranked first and the JV team second. Our teams faced the challenge of maintaining that level of excellence.”
She explained how difficult the competition is.
“For those unfamiliar, the Academic League is not about slam dunks or touchdowns. It's a battle of wits, a fast-paced quiz bowl that tests students' knowledge across a wide range of subjects, from literature and history to math and science. It's a competition that demands quick thinking, deep understanding, and collaborative spirit.”
The competition in the Academic League is broken into two parts of the trivia-type game, each with 14 categories. Students are asked the questions by their school’s team advisor and coaches. The questions cover various subjects such as literature, sports, entertainment, sciences, history, arts and government. Each of the 10 high schools that compete in Somerset County serves as a host for one of the weekly competitions during the winter season
Each school that competes in Somerset County serves as a host once
"It's been an incredible season," Dr. Arapaki said. "To have both teams perform at such a high level, and with such consistency, is truly exceptional! It speaks volumes about the dedication and talent of these students."
She revealed that “the varsity team, led by the senior captain Gran Beck, and the junior varsity team, captained by sophomore Rohan Venugopal, demonstrated a remarkable ability to work together under pressure. Both teams did above and beyond by reaching almost perfect scores. There were a lot of close matches, and it really came down to the ability of our teams to stay calm and focused.”
Dr. Arapaki reviewed what was a highly competitive season.
“The Somerset County schools boasted several strong contenders. Each match was a nail-biter, with teams trading points until the very last question. The two losses suffered by both Bridgewater-Raritan teams were against the top two schools in the league, Montgomery High School and Hillsborough High School, highlighting the high caliber of competition.”
"It's not always about winning," Dr. Arapaki said. "It's about the resilience and determination these students display. They faced adversity, learned from their setbacks, and continued to perform at a high level. That's what truly matters."
Here are the rosters for both Bridgewater-Raritan High School Academic League teams.
Varsity
Name, Grade
Grant Beck 12
Foteini Gallou 12
Ethan Pear 11
Jasmine Young 10
Junior Varsity
Name, Grade
Arjun Agarwala 11
Joshephine Ethier 10
Constantinos Gallos 9
Navneet Kalatheeswaran 11
Ronit Naik 11
Anika Seshan 11
Rohan Venugopal 10