Belvidere North
| Belvidere North | |
| Location: Belvidere, Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Coaches | Laura Stites |
| State Championships | none |
| National Appearances | HSNCT: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 |
| Program Status | active |
| School Size | 1439 |
| NAQT Page | link |
Belvidere North High School is a public high school in Belvidere, Illinois. It competes in Class AA, the "large school" division, of the Illinois High School Association’s State Championship Series. The Blue Thunder also compete in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC-10) & are previous contestants on Bergstrom Stateline Quiz Bowl.
Belvidere North is perhaps best known for being the team that got the closest to ending Auburn's streak of IHSA Sectional titles & IHSA top-4 finishes in the 2013 Class AA Rockford Auburn Sectional championship, 400-370. Among the stronger large-school Northern Illinois quiz bowl programs, the Blue Thunder emerged as a contender in the early 2010's seeing building success at the NAQT Illinois State Championship & NAQT HSNCT. Led by Dylan Minarik they finished 5-5 at the 2011 HSNCT, 7-5 at the 2012 HSNCT, and finished at 10-3 at the 2013 HSNCT after going 9-1 in the prelims.
Since then the team saw a resurgence coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, with top-4 finishes in the IHSSBCA Kickoff, IHSSBCA Turnabout, & SCOP Varsity tournaments held online. The following year, the team exacted some revenge winning the Bergstrom Stateline Quiz Bowl over Auburn, but would finish in the Sweet 16 to the Knights once again at Sectionals.
Notable Team Accomplishments
- IHSA Regional titles: 2022-2A, 2013-2A, 2012-2A, 2011-2A
- Bergstrom Stateline Quiz Bowl: 2022
- IHSSBCA Kickoff Champions: 2012, 2011, 2010
- IHSSBCA Turnabout Champions: 2012
- Winnebago SCOP Varsity Champions: 2021
- NAQT Midwest Championship: 2013 - 4th, 2012 - 4th
- IHSSBCA NAQT Illinois State Championship: 2013 - 3rd, 2012 - 7th, 2011 - 8th
- NAQT High School National Championship Tournament: 2016 - T271st, 2015 - 261st, 2014 - T243rd, 2013 - T13th, 2012 - T33rd, 2011 - T114th