Hardly any nails were left on fingers at the conclusion of the years 9 and 10 Otago Daily Times Extra! Otago current events quiz last night, as two Dunedin secondary schools battled it out for academic supremacy.
Taieri College 1 and Otago Boys' High School 1 were neck-and-neck throughout the 90-minute quiz, and each finished the 10-round competition with 97 points out of 100.
The tie was broken only after an intense quiz-off, in which questions were asked about Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Australian rugby league.
Otago Boys' High School pupils Gianni Munro, Will Bryant and Sam Hewson came out on top.
It was the second success in the competition for Will and Sam. The last time was in 2012, when they were part of the years 5 and 6 winning team.
''It's pretty exciting, especially after we got two questions wrong quite early on and we lost our confidence a bit,'' Will said.
''But we never lost hope. That's the secret to our success: don't ever give up.''
Quiz co-ordinator and Extra! editor Ivan Behrnes said it was a very close competition.
''This is the best standard I've seen for years 9 and 10 in Otago.''
More than 60 teams competed, he said.
Results: Otago Boys' High School 1 1; Taieri College 1 2; King's High School and Bayfield High School 7 equal 3.
