Hopatcong Academic All-Stars to Compete on TV

An all-star academic team from Hopatcong High School earned a spot as a finalist in The Challenge, a tri-state bowl. A match against Manalapan High School will air Tuesday at 5:30 P.M. on MSG Varsity.

“These students are extremely bright and determined to win,” said Theresa Chillianis, General Manager of MSG Varsity in a press release.  “We wish Manalapan High School and Hopatcong High School good luck in their upcoming match.”

Stamatiki Clapsis, Alexandria Rossy, Felicity Meyer and Kelcey Brennan beat representatives from Cardinal McCarrick High School of South Amboy in an earlier round. Teacher Heather Delbagno served as the team's advisor, while senior Grace Marchena was an alternate.

The show’s 14th season kicked off on Oct. 31. The episodes were filmed at Penn Studio in New York in front a live audience and are aired throughout the school year.

The Challenge began on Long Island and has grown to include 184 schools from five distinct New York regions, Nassau, Suffolk, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Westchester/Lower Hudson Valley, and neighboring states, New Jersey and Connecticut. Schools are chosen based on a lottery system.

The teams advance through a series of elimination rounds which take place over months. One school is named regional champion, winning $2500 for their school. The regional champs go on to compete against one another in a Tri-State Showdown. The Tri-State Champion receives $10,000 in prize money and, on an individual level, $500 is awarded to each student competing in the final Challenge Championship.