Merrimack Faces Belmont In 1st Granite State Challenge Of 2024

DURHAM, NH — Belmont High School meets defending champion Merrimack High in the first game of the 42nd season of the Granite State Challenge.

The program airs at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 on NH PBS.

Merrimack and teams from 31 other New Hampshire schools took a qualifying test as a team back in November 2023 to secure one of 14 spots in Round One. Four additional teams competed in two wildcard games in December 2023 to secure a spot in Round 1. Belmont defeated Concord High School in the Wildcard Round.

Playing for Belmont are Captain and senior Jonathan Holmes joined by seniors Leanna Rowley, Kayleigh Thompson, and Ryder Dutton. The team is coached by science teacher Kevin Charleston and math teacher Craig Wilkins. Belmont High School enrolls around 400 students from Belmont and Canterbury.

Playing for Merrimack are Captain and senior Kishan Sreenivasan, who is joined by seniors Liam Clark and Trey Grant, and junior Erin Murphy. Chemistry teacher Sara Campbell and Gifted and Talented Coordinator Sally Agel coach Merrimack. Merrimack enrolls around 1,094 students.

The winner of the game will move on to the quarterfinals, where they will meet the winner of game two between The Academy for Science and Design and Manchester Central High, airing at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 on NHPBS.

Hosted by Bow High School teacher and former Granite State Challenge coach (Bedford High), contestant (Belmont High), and Granite State Challenge crew member, Jon Cannon, Granite State Challenge features some of New Hampshire's brightest high school students as they demonstrate remarkable teamwork, quick thinking, and smarts to beat the clock and buzz in first on this iconic New Hampshire game show. The game emphasizes quick recall of math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts facts — along with questions about current events, entertainment, sports, and New Hampshire.

You can follow your favorite team, test your knowledge with Granite State Challenge online quizzes, and more at the Granite State Challenge web page, or try your hands at daily brainteasers on the Granite State Challenge Facebook page.

Granite State Challenge is funded by lead sponsor Unitil, with additional funding from NEA New Hampshire, Safety Insurance, D.F. Richard Energy, and HRCU.

Submitted by New Hampshire Public Television.