The Carleton College Academic Quiz Team is pleased to announce the fifth annual Carleton Academic Tournament (Snow CAT) to be held on January 19, 2008 on the Carleton College campus. The top finishers will qualify for the NAQT High School National Championship Tournament (HS NCT) to be held in June 2008.
We are pleased to be running this tournament for the fifth year in a row and hope to have excellent turnout again this year. We'd love to see a local high school bring home the national championship next June and, better yet, meet some seniors who might be joining Carleton's collegiate team for 2008-2009.
Location:
The tournament will be held in Olin Hall and nearby buildings (depending on the size of the field) on the Carleton campus in Northfield, Minnesota. Maps are available on the college website. The introductory meeting (and check-in) will be in Olin 149. It is recommended that teams park in the lot next to Nourse Hall or on First Street between Winona and Maple.
Schedule:
Teams may check in between 8:30 and 9:00 on Saturday, January 19, in Olin 149. At this time they will pay and receive a copy of the rules (also available online on the NAQT website), a copy of their schedule for the day, and other pertinent information about the tournament.
From 9:00 to 9:30 there will be an introductory meeting (also in Olin 149) to go over the rules, format, and schedule. Coaches, players, and parents will have an opportunity to ask questions. Teams are also encouraged to ask questions in advance, over e-mail, to make the meeting go as smoothly as possible.
From 9:30 to 12:30 each team will play six preliminary rounds. The teams with the best overall records will advance to the playoffs.
From 12:30 to 1:30 teams will have a lunch break. Teams that have been eliminated may depart, or they may stay to watch the playoffs, scrimmage against each other, or explore the campus.
From 1:30 to 3:30 the top teams from the preliminary rounds will meet each other in the playoffs.
At 3:30 there will be an awards presentation in Olin 149. This will be kept brief and teams will be able to leave immediately thereafter.
Eligibility and Qualification:
All high schools (public, private, magnet, charter, religious, etc.) are eligible to compete in this event and no prior qualification is necessary. Teams from home school collectives are also welcome. If you have a special situation, feel free to
e-mail the eligibility committee in advance for a ruling.
Schools are encouraged to enter multiple teams, but please note that players must play for the same team throughout the tournament.
Staffing:
The tournament will be staffed entirely by current players on the Carleton academic quiz team, alumni/ae, and collegiate players from other institutions. Coaches will not be required to assist with the running of the tournament and will be able to watch their team(s) throughout the event.
Format:
The format of the tournament will be determined by the number of teams that register, but all participants are guaranteed at least six games.
Scrimmages:
Teams that do not qualify for the playoffs after the first six rounds may return after lunch for more games played on a "for-fun" basis. These will be organized starting at 1:30. Teams may mix-and-match for the scrimmage rounds, play against their coaches, play against staff, or play in any other combination that they find enjoyable.
Registration:
Please e-mail Richard Leavelle if you are interested in attending or in receiving updates on the tournament.
The base registration fee is $80 per team. There is a $10 discount for a bringing a working lockout system. There is a $10 per-team penalty for waiting to register until after January 15, 2008. The registration fee includes one printed copy of the questions used at the tournament. Please note that the questions will not be distributed until the conclusion of the tournament; teams that opt to leave early may pay to have their sets shipped to them.
Teams will pay when they check in at the tournament site. Please make checks out to "Carleton Academic Quiz Team."
Prizes:
The top four teams overall will receive team trophies, and the members of the winning team will receive individual trophies. The top team from a small school (non-selective admission policy and fewer than 500 total students in grades 10-12) will receive a trophy. The top eight individual scorers will receive All-Star awards as will the top freshman and sophomore scorers.
Question Security:
This tournament will use questions provided by National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC. We are using Invitational Series #72. It is the responsibility of participating teams to make sure that they have not attended (and do not plan to attend) another tournament anywhere in the country that is using the same packet set. Teams can find explanations of their responsibility in maintaining question security on NAQT's website. Teams can also look up the sets assigned to past and future tournaments. Teams with questions about question security should contact NAQT.
Lodging:
There are several motels in Northfield for any teams that need to stay overnight. I suggest:
Country Inn Motel: (507) 645-2286 or (800) 456-4000
Super 8 Motel: (507) 663-0371 or (800) 800-8000
AmericInn: (507) 645-7761 or (800) 634-3444
Preparing for the Tournament:
The NAQT format is a tossup-bonus format similar to the old "GE College Bowl" television show. This format predominates at the college level, so if your players enjoy the game and would like to continue playing after they graduate, familiarity with it will stand them in good stead.
We recommend reading the rules, but the basics of gameplay are as follows:
NAQT sells practice questions for teams that would like to prepare more fully for the event. These are tournament questions from previous years so they are exactly like what you will be competing on at this event. NAQT recommends "A" level Invitational Series sets for new teams. There are also sample packets available that are identical in style and distribution to the questions that we will be using.
Teams may also be interested in checking out the free You Gotta Know articles that give brief overviews of answers that come up very frequently (for example, "You gotta know these French kings"). They may also be interested in frequency list study guides, which were NAQT's best-selling preparatory material last year.
Further Questions:
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact Richard Leavelle.
