In addition to running the tournament, PACE awards the Benjamin Cooper Academic Ambassador Award each year at the opening ceremony of the NSC. The award is chosen by PACE members to honor "a high school academic competition team member, advisor, or organization whose character best promotes the spirit and honor of quiz bowl competition." It is named for Ben Cooper, who, as the captain of the It's Academic quizbowl team at Georgetown Day School, worked with the PACE founders to provide a player's perspective on the plans for the inaugural NSC. Ben Cooper died in an automobile accident just before the start of his senior year. In 2004, PACE expanded its recognition program to include a "Young Ambassador" Award to recognize individuals from high school or college quizbowl programs (or alumni) for "valuable and significant contributions to the high school academic competition community". These awards are essentially the only national awards given in recognition of contributions to high school quizbowl.
Beyond running the NSC, PACE offers advice and staff assistance to high schools and colleges who run high school quizbowl tournaments. PACE does not supply questions for regular season tournaments or offer a collegiate competition program.
| Date |
Location |
Champion |
Runner-Up |
Cooper Award |
Young Ambassador Award |
| June 19-20, 1998 |
Case Western Reserve University |
State College Area High School of State College, PA |
Henry Ford II High School of Sterling Heights, MI |
Sue Ikenberry, coach at Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC, on behalf of Ben Cooper |
| June 19-20, 1999 |
University of Pennsylvania |
State College Area High School of State College, PA (2) |
Rockville High School of Rockville, MD |
Joe Hermiller, coach at E.L. Bowsher High School in Toledo, OH |
| June 3-4, 2000 |
Furman University |
State College Area High School of State College, PA (3) |
Eisenhower High School of Shelby Township, MI |
Rick Barry, James Garrick, and Hodges Lewis, operators of Academic Competition Enterprises |
| June 16-17, 2001 |
Bowling Green State University |
State College Area High School of State College, PA (4) |
Georgetown Day School of Washington, DC |
Robert C. Grierson, editor of Scholastic Visions, the newsletter of the Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association |
| June 15-16, 2002 |
The George Washington University |
Richard Montgomery High School of Rockville, MD |
Catholic Central High School of Redford, MI |
Douglas Tyson, coach at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School of Washington, DC, and Sue Altman, producer of It's Academic, on behalf of the entire It's Academic program |
| June 14-15, 2003 |
Case Western Reserve University |
Paul M. Dorman High School of Roebuck, SC |
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology of Alexandria, VA |
Carolyn Hawkins, coach at Cookeville High School of Cookeville, TN |
| June 12-13, 2004 |
University of Maryland |
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies of Richmond, VA |
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology of Alexandria, VA |
Paul Cain, coach at Ysleta High School of El Paso, TX |
Matt Weiner, Virginia Commonwealth University and David Bykowski, formerly of Furman University & University of Michigan |
| June 11-12, 2005 |
Valencia Community College |
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology of Alexandria, VA |
State College Area High School of State College, PA |
Sue Korosa, coach at Copley High School of Copley, Ohio |
Thomas Egan, coach at Maine South High School, formerly of the University of Illinois |
| June 17-18, 2006 |
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics |
Raleigh Charter High School of Raleigh, NC |
Richard Montgomery High School of Rockville, MD |
Bob Weiser, coach at Solon High School, Ohio and Dr. John Barnes, coach at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, VA |
Eric Grunden, coach at Raleigh Charter High School, Raleigh, North Carolina |
| June 9-10, 2007 |
University of Michigan |
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies of Richmond, VA (2) |
Martin Luther King Magnet at Pearl High School of Nashville, TN |
Julie Gittings, coach at State College Area High School in State College, PA |
Evan Silberman, It's Academic co-captain at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA |
| May 31 - June 1, 2008 |
George Mason University |
Walt Whitman High School of Bethesda, MD |
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology of Alexandria, VA |
Award revoked on 2-25-09. |
Lee Henry, coach at Brindlee Mountain High School in Alabama and Chris Sewell |
| May 23-24, 2009 |
George Mason University |
Charter School of Wilmington of Wilmington, DE |
State College Area High School of State College, PA |
Eric Huff, coach for Paul M. Dorman High School in Roebuck, SC |
Christian Carter, player from Minneapolis South High School & webmaster of quizbowlpackets.com |
| June 5-6, 2010 |
George Mason University |
State College Area High School of State College, PA (5) |
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies of Richmond, VA[1] |
R. Robert Hentzel, President of National Academic Quiz Tournaments |
Sarah Angelo, player and tournament director at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, VA |
| June 4-5, 2011 |
Northwestern University |
State College Area High School of State College, PA (6) |
Hunter College High School of New York, New York |
Matt Weiner, Virginia Commonwealth University |
Charlie Dees, Jeffrey Hill, Paul Nelson, and Christine Whelehon, on behalf of the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance[2] |