Jacob Mikanowski is a freelance journalist from California. Jacob was the leading scorer at the 2000 HSNCT as a player for the A team of State College Area High School (State College, Pennsylvania), one of the most storied high school quiz bowl programs in history.

How did you get involved with quiz bowl?

I think I started in eighth grade. The high schoolers participated in a computerized national trivia contest (it came on a floppy disk and had timed questions — I’m forgetting the name). I sat in a few times and I was hooked. [Editor’s note: This was the Knowledge Master Open, which ran from 1983 to 2013.]

What are your favorite memories of quiz bowl?

A lot of great road trips to places like Cleveland, Ohio and Greenville, South Carolina, which might not be the most thrilling destinations in and of themselves but were made thrilling by great company.

Do you have a have a favorite buzz?

I remember getting Louis Farrakhan on a wild buzz from “This Calypso singer.” One of my teammates burst out laughing over the ridiculous guess, which they were sure was wrong.

How did you first hear about NAQT?

Probably from sitting in on practices with the Penn State quiz bowl team. Someone brought out packets that were faster and more fun than what we were used to, but still gave you a lot to chew on. Pretty soon it felt like they were everywhere—and with good reason!

How did your team get invited to HSNCT?

Were there invites in the dinosaur age of the late ’90s?

What do you remember about your HSNCT attendance?

Less and less with age, I’m afraid. But a dramatic final match against Governor’s School (now the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies) cuts through the mists of time.

Who was your fiercest competition?

As a public school we played with a bit of a chip on our shoulders, so every private school was a target. But so were magnet schools. And schools from cities. And from out of state. Also local rivals. We weren’t there to make friends!

But honestly, [now-NAQT member] Jeff Hoppes was a legendary opponent when I was in high school, who became a teammate (and good friend) in college.

What was the transition like from playing high school quiz bowl to playing collegiate quiz bowl?

Pretty easy. I had a good friend from my high school days on the team already, and had played in college tournaments before. Still, there were some sharks out there. You never had to face an Andrew Yaphe in high school.

Back in your playing days, what did you think HSNCT would be like now?

The world looks quite different than how I imagined it would twenty years ago. The continued excellence of the HSNCT is an oasis of stability in an otherwise topsy-turvy world.

What has life been like since your HSNCT win?

Very nearly beyond belief.

What do you wish you knew in your playing days that you know now?

How to do an oil change. Basic plumbing. The later Roman Emperors.

Do you have any advice to share with players and/or coaches?

For both, that quiz bowl should be fun. Passion succeeds where drudgery never will.