Island Trees HS to Face Glen Cove in First Round of 'The Challenge'

The new season of MSG Varsity’s high school quiz show, “The Challenge”, will feature a first round match-up between Island Trees High School and Glen Cove  on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. on Cablevision’s Optimum, Channel 14.

Island Trees will compete against 31 other schools from Nassau County on Long Island during the Regional Rounds as they look to qualify for the Tri-State Championship Playoffs.  

The Island Trees High School team is represented by: Alexander Buhse, Kathryn Gundersen (Captain), Brinda Temburni, Tiana Grgas, (Alternates) Joseph Falco and Jack Gundersen. The academic advisor is Ludgero Medeiros.    

Back for his fourth season as host of “The Challenge” is Jared Cotter, host of “MSG Varsity’s Talent Show” and a popular semi-finalist from American Idol. 

“The Challenge” includes 192 high schools from the entire tri-state area — Long Island (with Nassau and Suffolk as two distinct regions), the Bronx, Brooklyn, Westchester/Lower Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Connecticut.  Long Island will be represented by 32 high schools from Nassau County and 32 high schools from Suffolk County. A new match-up can been seen every Sunday through Friday at 6:30 pm, on MSG Varsity, Cablevision’s Optimum Channel 14.   

Participating schools advance through a series of elimination rounds, with one school in each region being crowned regional champion and winning $2,500 for their school. The winning teams from each region go on to “The Challenge” Championship where they square off in a Tri-State Showdown.

 The school awarded the title of Tri-State Champion will receive $10,000 in prize money and each student participating in the final “Challenge” Championship game will receive $500.  

For more information on “The Challenge,” please log onto www.msgvarsity.com.

How do you think Island Trees will fare in "The Challenge?" Tell us in the comments below.