St Marys won the year 5 and 6 competition last year, and one of last year's members, Kaia Bisher returned to help her side in its win over a field of 52 teams.
"I knew all the countries," she said.
The three winning contestants were "overjoyed and speechless" with their achievement.
Team member James McNeilly thanked his teachers for their help.
Charlotte Hay proudly said it was "hard work and practice" that helped them to their successful win with 92 points.
Competition for the top spot was very tight, with only three points separating first and third places.
Second was Opoho School, on 90 points and third equal were Grants Braes School 3 and Andersons Bay School 1, on 89 points.
Tahuna Intermediate 4 in the year 7 and 8 competition achieved the highest result in the history of the quiz, with a perfect score of 100 points.
"It was a really big shock," team member Jessica Todd (13) said.
However, confusion reigned when it was discovered straight after the prizegiving that two teams named Tahuna 4 had competed and the wrong team had been named the winner.
The real winning Tahuna 4 team will receive its prize today.
Tahuna 7 and Tahuna 1 were second equal with 97 points.
The Otago Daily Times Extra social studies quizzes are part of the newspaper's Class Act project, which celebrates the excellence of young people.
Extra! is a monthly educational publication produced by the newspaper for senior primary, intermediate and junior secondary school pupils.
- Tim Cossens
