From standby to standout: Stevenson student wins national quiz bowl title

Spencer Manning arrived at the scholastic bowl tournament April 12 in Rosemont as a standby, unsure if he would compete. He left as a national champion.

The Adlai E. Stevenson High School junior defeated more than 300 high school students from across the United States to win one of the country's premier quiz bowl competitions: The 2026 Individual Player National Championship Tournament.

“It was a very stressful morning,” said Manning, who checked in with two other standby competitors about 7:25 a.m. that Sunday to see if he would compete. Thirty minutes later, and five minutes before the 8 a.m. start time, they learned they were in.

“It was a huge relief,” said the Vernon Hills teen, who also participated a day earlier in the team competition, which Stevenson won.

Organized by the National Academic Quiz Tournaments, the IPNCT tests students' knowledge of history, literature, science, fine arts and other academic subjects.

Manning, who also participates in the history bee and runs track at the Lincolnshire high school, is no stranger to top-level competition. Last year, he placed third in the individual tournament.

Within academic quiz bowl circles, Manning, 17, is something of a phenom.

“People know who he is,” said Stevenson’s head scholastic bowl coach Brian Oberhauser, adding that he is unsurprised by Manning's success.

“Since I met Spencer, he has been nothing but impressive,” he said.

Opponents share Oberhauser's opinion. He recalled a match during Manning’s freshman year when a rival team coach approached Oberhauser and asked if his players knew the questions in advance. One player was answering queries before the moderator finished asking.

“Oh, that's Spencer,” replied another student.

According to Oberhauser, had Manning not been able to take part April 12, he would have stayed and cheered on his fellow competitors.

“His goal is for the team to be as successful as possible. He's not a prima donna,” said Oberhauser, who describes Manning as energetic, engaged and multifaceted.

He's also a good sport, said the coach, noting that Manning is the first to shake the hands of opposing team members after a match.

Manning credits the team's success to members' camaraderie and the friendships they’ve developed outside scholastic bowl competitions.

In addition to vast general knowledge, most players have areas of concentration: Manning's specialty is history, a lifelong interest.

He began participating in history bees and scholastic bowls in middle school. By the time he entered Stevenson, he already knew some of the team members.

“They're a great group of people,” he said. “I found a community there.”

The team practices once a week after school, but Manning, who specializes in 19th-century American history, prepares daily.

“Every day I read some sort of history book, whether it's for my classes or general interest,” he said.

Though he’s unsure if he'll participate at the college level, he says the scholastic bowl has helped him develop skills he'll use for the rest of his life.

“One is learning how to learn: how to effectively put new things in your brain, which is helpful not just for school but for lifelong learning,” he said.

“Another is thinking on your feet,” he continued. “After you buzz in, you only have a few seconds to get your answer out.”

“It also teaches you how to communicate information,” said Manning, who frequently writes practice questions for himself and others.

The challenge of preparing and remembering the information required to compete in a quiz bowl is also the reward.

“That's the joy,” said Manning, “getting to learn new things along the way and showing it off in competition.”