Andrew Salij
Andrew Salij is a member of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) quiz bowl squad. As a high school freshman, Salij played Junior Varsity for Riverside Brookfield High School, and there he played in NAQT's Metro Suburban League, where he placed 6th in his division. Going into sophomore year, Salij increased his quiz bowl involvement as he transferred to IMSA. Andrew Salij played on IMSA C and IMSA B teams throughout the year, under the guidance of Dr. Noah Prince. Currently, Andrew Salij is a rising junior who plans on continuing his quiz bowl tradition into the coming years.
Years at Riverside Brookfield
Andrew Salij began his quiz bowl career as a freshman at his local public school Riverside Brookfield. There, he played on the Junior Varsity team, being the second scorer behind the local legend Chris Olszewski. During his time at RB, Salij did not play much quiz bowl, though, as his team only attended Illinois Masonic, IHSA, and NAQT events, and as a freshman Salij was not to participate in the former two. Still, Salij's freshman year instilled a passion for quiz bowl, as Salij gained newfound confidence in his skills as he played as a history specialist.
Entering IMSA Going into sophomore year, Andrew Salij transferred to the selective public school IMSA. At IMSA, he learned what good quizbowl was, for until then he has previously only played in a semi-competitive district. At the first practice, Salij became exposed to quiz bowl giants such as Saieesh Rao, Anton Karpovich, and Siva Gangavarapu. He was awe-struck by their prowess, and from that point on he swore to become good.
Sophomore Year As a sophomore, Andrew Salij notably led IMSA C in scoring on numerous occasions, and near the end of the year he played on IMSA B, taking the the place of Waleed Ali, who was moved up to IMSA A.