Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech
Location: Blacksburg, VA
Current President or Coach	President: Michael Chuber (2013–present) Advisor: Mike Hundley (2012–present)
National championships	none
NAQT Page	link

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public land-grant university located in Blacksburg, Virginia. Its quizbowl team, the Academic Competition Organization at Virginia Tech (VT-ACO), participates in ACF, mACF, NAQT, and various other kinds of tournaments.

History

VT-ACO was established during fall semester 1995 by undergraduate students Jeff Ford, Dennis Loo, and Jason Thweatt. In the words of the club's constitution, its founding mission was to "promote greater campus participation in College Bowl and other academic invitational tournaments by overseeing the administration of the intramural College Bowl tournaments, sponsoring other campus activities, and selecting teams for intercollegiate play."

Despite being newcomers on Virginia's collegiate quizbowl circuit, VT-ACO thrived during its early years. In only its second year of operation, the organization made it to the 1997 NAQT ICT. In 1998, Tech sent teams to that year's ICT as well as the College Bowl NCT, where they would make a second appearance the following year.

One of the greatest successes in the recent history of the team was during the 2007 ICT at the University of Minnesota. They finished 14th out of the 32 schools in Division II. Their top three players were Sarah Mahood, Martin Davis, and Michael Hundley, with respective PPTHs of 2.41, 0.69, and 0.65. Mahood was the fourth highest scorer in the division. They returned to ICT the next year, this time less successful, placing 24th with a 3-10 record.

In 2010, former Maryland player Dan Goff transferred to Tech from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Elected VT-ACO's president the following year, he helped to bring the team back after a three year period of declining membership and relative inactivity. Founding member Jason Thweatt, who returned to Tech in 2002 as a professor and advisor/coach for VT-ACO, left the team in 2012.

Team members

VT-ACO yearbook photo, 1996

VT-ACO yearbook photo, 2007

Current roster

• Omar Abu Realh, '14
• Hank Alexander, '16
• Bailey Angle, '17
• Alex Apollonio, '16
• Max Chewning, '15
• Michael Chuber, '16
• Matt Fleischer, '17
• Brian Mongilio, '15

Former players

• Landis Atkinson, '11
• Eliot Brenner, '99
• Jeff Ford
• Dan Goff, '13 (President, 2011–2013)
• Michael Hundley
• Waldon Jue, '01 (President, XXXX–2001)
• Dennis Loo, '99
• Sarah Mahood, '07 (President, 2004–2007)
• Emily Neal, '10 (President, 2007–20XX)
• Harry White, '13
• Tim Work, '04 (President, 2003–2004)
• Joseph Sanderson, '04 (President, 2001–2002)
• Jason Thweatt, '97
• Doug Turnbull, '04 (President, 2002–2003)

Hosted Tournaments

Date Name Level Champion Runner-up Stats Question Set 11/17/2013 DRAGOON Mid-Atlantic Mirror Collegiate Virginia A Maryland A Stats 2013 DRAGOON 09/28/2013 Collegiate Novice IV Mirror Collegiate Virginia A Thomas Nelson CC Stats 2013 Collegiate Novice 07/06/2013 Missouri Open East Coast Mirror Open Evan Adams Nate Bougher Venu Katta Cody Voight Matt Weiner Stats Missouri Open 04/13/2013 VT Spring Invitational 2013 High School Guilford A Guilford B Stats Prison Bowl 2013 09/29/2012 Collegiate Novice III Mirror Collegiate Washington & Lee Virginia B Stats 2012 Collegiate Novice 04/21/2012 VT Spring Invitational 2012 High School Christiansburg Cave Spring A Stats NAQT IS-112A 02/04/2012 2012 NAQT SCT Region 5 Collegiate Virginia A - DI North Carolina B - DII Georgia Tech A - DI Georgia Tech B - DII Stats NAQT SCT-12 NAQT SCT-12DII 10/15/2011 Fall Novice Tournament III Mirror High School Cave Spring A Christiansburg B Stats 2011 Fall Novice 02/22/2008 2008 College Bowl RCT Region 5 Collegiate Georgetown Davidson Stats CBI RCT-08 02/09/2008 2008 NAQT SCT Mid-Atlantic Collegiate North Carolina - DI Wake Forest - DII VCU - DI Virginia Tech - DII Stats NAQT SCT-08 NAQT SCT-08DII 10/07/2006 Tech Triumph HS Tournament High School Northside NAQT IS-54 2005 2005 College Bowl RCT Region 5 Collegiate Wofford Davidson Stats CBI RCT-05 11/19/1999 1999 NAQT CCT Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Virginia Tech Rhodes Stats NAQT CCT-1999 10/30/1999 NAQT IS-16 02/20/1999 1999 College Bowl RCT Region 5 Collegiate Georgetown Davidson CBI RCT-99 External links Official Website VT-ACO on Facebook Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at College Bowl Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at NAQT