Liz McCormick Published

Second Annual W.Va. Academic Showdown To Be Held March 31

George Washington High School students stand on stage at the West Virginia Culture Center accepting an award.
George Washington High School of Charleston won the first West Virginia Academic Showdown in March 2022.
Daniel Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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Matchups for the finalists in the second annual West Virginia Academic Showdown were announced last week. Ten teams from nine high schools from across the state will compete for first place at the end of the month.

The five matchups include:

  • James Monroe High School versus Winfield High School
  • Morgantown High School Team 1 versus George Washington High School
  • Spring Mills High School versus Wheeling Park High School
  • Huntington High School versus Morgantown High School Team 2
  • Ripley High School versus Berkeley Springs High School

The matchups were announced by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) in an online drawing. 

The finale will feature double elimination at three venues within the Culture Center in Charleston on March 31 at 9 a.m., according to the WVDE.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) will stream the finale on its YouTube channel and broadcast it live on the West Virginia Channel

The Academic Showdown held its inaugural competition last year where George Washington High was crowned the grand champion

The event is made up of 9th-12th graders and covers a variety of subjects – from literature and math to religion and mythology and even pop culture.

The program is the result of a partnership between the WVDE, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, WVPB, and the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History.

According to the WVDE, in its second year, the competition has more than doubled in participation with 71 teams competing in five regionals.