The question: What national tournament that strives to promote history education throughout the United States, and around the world and help to prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s voters and leaders was recently held at Monsignor Donovan High School in Toms River?

The answer: The National History Bowl, of course!

The Southern New Jersey regional National History Bowl and Bee took place at the Ocean County high school Nov. 17.  This is the second year that Monsignor Donovan has hosted the regional bowl and bee.

The National History Bowl, a competition for teams, and the National History Bee, an individual academic contest was founded by David Madden, a former 19-day champion on Jeopardy, published art historian, genealogist and former quiz bowl player himself while a student in Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood, and Princeton University.  Madden had plans on becoming a history teacher when he established the National History Bowl and Bee.

Monsignor Donovan’s academic teams have competed in both the bowl and bee for the past three years and, the past two years, the team has qualified to compete in the national competition in Washington to be held in April 2013.

In addition to Monsignor Donovan, St. Joseph High School, Metuchen; Bergen Academics, Hackensack; Ranney School, Tinton Falls, and High Tech High School, Lincroft, also participated.  The A team from High Tech High School in Lincroft was awarded first place in the Varsity division that consisted of 11 teams of local area high school students.  The B Team from Ridgewood High School earned first place in the Junior Varsity division.

According to the Southern New Jersey History Bowl Director, Will Mantell, St. Joe’s A finished the prelims 5-0, while Ranney B, High Tech A, Bergen Academies, and Ridgewood A all put up strong 4-1 records. In the playoff semifinals, third-seeded High Tech A having added star player Pat LeBlanc after lunch upset second-seeded Ranney B, while top-seeded St. Joe’s A handily beat Bergen. In the finals, High Tech A took a commanding lead in the second quarter and never looked back, defeating St. Joe’s A 320-230.

Senior Daniel Detoro of Monsignor Donovan High School qualified for the National History Bee and will be representing the high school at the competition in Washington in April.

Textbook company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will be providing monetary prizes for the top teams and students. Other prizes, including the History Bowls and Bee Cups, plaques, book prizes, MVP awards, sportsmanship awards and scholarships may be awarded as well.

So for now, the young history buffs will no doubt be “brushing up” on their history facts to prepare for the national team and individual competitions in April.