Stevenson wins school’s first national scholastic bowl

Students from Adlai E. Stevenson High School bested more than 300 of the top high school quiz bowl teams from across the country to win the 2026 High School National Championship Tournament — a first for the school.

The Lincolnshire school’s two teams were among 20 from Illinois and 320 across 36 states competing in the interscholastic bowl held Saturday in Atlanta. Teams of four students each answered questions about science, math, history, literature, mythology, geography, social science, current events, sports, and popular culture. The matches feature a blend of individual competition and team collaboration.

Stevenson’s A team began with a nine-game winning streak in the preliminary rounds, while its B team finished with a 6-4 record, qualifying both for the playoffs.

After 17 grueling games, Stevenson’s A team emerged as the best to take home the championship trophy. Its members were senior Monit Karmakar, and juniors Spencer Manning, Charan Shreekumar and Ani Srinivasan.

This win is one for the record books, said Brian Oberhauser, Stevenson’s scholastic bowl head coach.

“The team has won state in years before at IHSA, but not a national title,” said Oberhauser, who has been at the school four years. “It’s just been a very special few days.”

The A team members are standouts in many ways, each honing a unique talent. Monit’s strength is literature; Charan is good with geography; Spencer’s biggest skill is social studies; while Ani is knowledgeable about all things science, Oberhauser said.

Yet their best quality is teamwork, he added.

“They are so team focused,” he said. “They have worked so hard and they are so great at being able to recall information quickly. This year, I knew it was going to be really spectacular. They are so good at it and they are always thinking about ‘let’s get the win for Stevenson.’”

Stevenson’s B team — made up of sophomores Sanjay Devabhaktuni, Reuben Gonsalves and Nicholas Tsirline, and junior Ethan Wang — finished in 97th place.

Among Illinois high schools, William Fremd of Palatine’s A team placed 13th; Glenbrook South in Glenview was 33rd; the Aurora-based Illinois Math and Science Academy came in 65th place; Barrington’s A team finished 127th; Barrington’s B team was 147th; Fremd’s B team ranked 190th; and Barrington’s C team placed 313th.