Missouri Quizbowl Alliance
The Missouri Quizbowl Alliance (MOQBA) is an organization that promotes the proliferation of good quizbowl in the state of Missouri through hosting tournaments, certifying other tournaments and performing outreach activities. In addition, MOQBA sponsors the Missouri NASAT team and awards a Student Involvement award.
Current Members
- Jeffrey Hill, President & Webmaster
- Alex Dzurick, Secretary
- Christina Carter
- Matt Chadbourne
- Charles Dees
- Spencer Fish
- Phil George
- Jason Loy
- Paul Nelson
- Sean Phillips
- Sam Ruesing
- Nick Rupel
- Abdullah Shoaib
- Alex Smith
- Joey Spicer
- Chris Zhang
Formation (2008-2009)
MOQBA was founded in September 2008 to unify the efforts of good quizbowl advocates in and near Missouri to improve Missouri quizbowl. The organization was publicly announced on October 31, 2008. The name and idea were modeled after similar efforts in other states such as Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas.
The founding members - Jeffrey Hill, Alex Dzurick, Matt Chadbourne, Charles Dees and Paul Nelson - formed the group in recognition of the fact that high school quizbowl in Missouri has not kept up with the national trend; questions are still mostly one-liners and generally written poorly. Additionally, restrictions imposed by MSHSAA significantly limit teams from becoming part of the national circuit. MOQBA's objective thus became to finally advance the status of quizbowl in Missouri. In its first year, MOQBA focused on increasing awareness of good quizbowl formats and promoting tournaments that adhered to the principles of good quizbowl.
MOQBA certified six tournaments in the 2008-2009 season: the Missouri Fall Academic Tournament, Missouri S&T Fall Tournament, Tiger Bowl, WUHSAC XI, the NAQT Missouri Qualifier, and the Missouri S&T Spring Tournament.
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 season, the number of MOQBA certified events doubled, adding a Kansas City area mirror of the Dunbar Academic Fall Tournament at Liberty, a third tournament at Missouri-Columbia, two tournaments at Missouri State, and St. Louis area tournaments at Parkway Central and Villa Duchesne. Additionally, MOQBA helped to organize a mirror of the 2009 Fall Novice set at North Kansas City. The 2010 NAQT Missouri Qualifier was the first tournament formally hosted by MOQBA, on March 20 at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
MOQBA hosted the MOQBA Pre-Nationals Tournament a week before HSNCT; unfortunately, due to the organization's understanding of a new MSHSAA rule at the time the tournament was planned and announced, participation by Missouri teams was limited to those that had qualified for a national tournament during the regular season. It was discovered in the weeks before the tournament that the applicable rule (Section 4-C of the 2009-2010 Academic Competition Manual) appears to allow any team to participate in a single non-MSHSAA-hosted tournament between Districts and Memorial Day weekend [1], so future iterations of the tournament do not have this restriction.
MOQBA sponsored Missouri's team at the 2010 NASAT, which consisted of Sabrina Fritz, Grant Gates, Ikshu Neithalath, and Nick Rupel, and was coached by Paul Nelson. The team finished 12th of 16 teams with a record of 5-11.
Throughout this season, MOQBA emphasized increased Missouri participation at HSNCT and NSC through its website, a national bids thread on the Missouri Academic Competition Message Board recognizing teams that qualified for these tournaments, and increased exposure at MOQBA certified events. Thirteen Missouri teams attended the 2010 HSNCT, while Holden attended the NSC.
2010-2011
There were eighteen MOQBA certified tournaments on the 2010-11 calendar, of which ten were certified the previous season. New tournaments at St. Louis University, Jefferson City, Savannah, Oakville, and Ladue debuted as MOQBA certified events, and the long-running North Kansas City Varsity tournament will be MOQBA-certified for the first time. Novice tournaments at Rock Bridge and St. Charles Community College were also certified.
MOQBA hosted the 2011 NAQT Missouri Qualifier on March 5 at Missouri-Columbia. At the qualifier, MOQBA presented its first ever MOQBA Award for Outstanding Student Involvement, an as-needed award that recognizes extraordinary contributions by students. The inaugural award was presented to Sam Haynes (see below).
In May 2011, MOQBA received the Benjamin Cooper Young Ambassador Award from PACE "in recognition of their work both in tournament direction and personal advising to younger, newer players leading to the recent incredible improvement of the independent circuit in Missouri."
MOQBA sponsored the NASAT team at the 2011 tournament, consisting of Craig Chval, Sabrina Fritz, Ikshu Neithalath and Ben Zhang.
MOQBA Award for Outstanding Student Involvement
The Missouri Quizbowl Alliance established the MOQBA Award for Outstanding Student Involvement to recognize contributions made by students to improve quizbowl in the state of Missouri. The award is presented on an as-needed basis at the NAQT Missouri Qualifier.
Honorees
- 2011: Sam Haynes of Jefferson City High School for establishing and directing the Bill Currie Memorial Tournament. [2]
Former Members
- Charles Hang (2009-2010)