American Academic Challenge
The American Academic Challenge was a national championship event for high schools that ran at least three times in the mid-90s (1993-1995) and was operated by sometime National Academic Championship staffer Brooks Sanders. It may have also occurred before or after that period, but such information is unknown.
This tournament trophy consisted of a one-foot-tall faux-stone pyramid topped by a large brass eagle that weighed forty pounds, and was clearly the best trophy ever handed out at a high school national.
The unique qualification method involved both submitting an application which described past tournament performance and writing an essay called "Give Back to America."
In 2015 Scott Blish announced that the AAC would be revived in 2015
The AAC was planned to have been revived in 2015 and was scheduled to take place in Chattanooga between 22 and 24 May. [1]
Known info about the AAC:
Year | Champion | Second | Third | Fourth | Location(s)/Field/Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | South Oldham | Chaska | William Tennent | someone from North Carolina | Nashville, TN |
1994 | William S. Hart | Eleanor Roosevelt | Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN; 16 teams; $1000 scholarship to each winning team member | ||
1995 | Walton | Maggie Walker | Eleanor Roosevelt | Nashville, TN |