in the annual inter-schools quiz competition for the third time in four years.

The team of five pupils finished a massive 50 points ahead of runners-up CedarBridge Academy, when they finished three hours of arduous quizzing with an impressive 250 marks. It was one of the highest scores every recorded in the annual quiz, which was held for the 15th time on Saturday night and hosted at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel and screened live on television across the Island. Despite, the Warwick team finishing way ahead of their opponents, it was a close run competition for the remaining five places. The CedarBridge team received an enormous cheer and round of applause from the packed audience when they were announced second with 200 points.

In joint third place were Saltus Grammar School and Sandys Secondary Middle School with 195 points, and in fourth place was Clearwater Middle School just slightly behind with 190 points.

Last year's winners, Mount St Agnes Academy, came in last with 170 points.

Once the competition was over and the prizes had been presented, the winning team from Warwick Academy were slowly beginning to come back down to earth.

Warwick students come top of the class After being under the spot light and under constant pressure live on air, they said they were glad it was finally over.

All of the contestants had been preparing for the quiz since October last year, putting scores of extra hours of home work in to brush up on their general and current affairs knowledge of Bermuda. Warwick team captain, Ashley Robinson, 14, said she was glad the hard work had paid off.

She said: "I'm very proud of my team. We all had to work extremely hard for the last five months, learning the answers to the preparation questions and reading The Royal Gazette.

"But now I think we're glad it's over. However, I think we did all really enjoy it.'' The other members of her team were Alex Wentworth-Ping, 13, John McKenna, 14, Nicholas Charlton, 13, Russell Butler, 13, and the reserve was Justin Brangman, 12.

The winning school was presented with two computers and a shield, while it's team members and coach received the promise of a meal on a cruise ship, Millennium coins and a $50 voucher each.

CedarBridge Academy received one computer and its team members were also presented with coins.

The two schools in third place each received $500 worth of book tokens.

But all of the pupils who took part in the competition, organised by the Youth and Sports Ministry and sponsored by businesses across the Island, were presented with a number of prizes.

Youth and Sports Minister Dennis Lister said: "I think we should all be proud of what we have seen here tonight.

"I want to congratulate not only the winners. You are all winners tonight.

"You put in the time and took the effort to get here tonight. Now go on to higher heights.'' Throughout the competition, parents gasped, cheered and even held their heads in their hands as the tension mounted and the end drew ever closer.

For months, parents had lived and breathed the competition with their children as they practised, revised and brushed up their knowledge of current affairs.

One woman, who did not wish to be named for fear of embarrassing her son who was in the competition, said she appreciated all the hard work that had gone into the contest.

And when her son's team did not win, she said she felt "crushed''. She added: "I feel for him so much. Whenever he was asked a question, I remembered the times that we revised in the car and just hoped that he knew the answer.

"They are so young and I think they have all done terrifically well to put themselves forward. It isn't an easy quiz.'' Another woman said she was pleased to see CedarBridge Academy come in in second place, even though her child was not a member of the top two teams.

She said: "It's really good to see CedarBridge do well. It has had a lot of bad press and I can fully understand why people are so pleased for them.'' The competition was in five parts covering sports, geography, history, arts and music, general knowledge and current affairs.

Compe nre for the night was chairman of the contest committee and director of the Youth and Sports Ministry Anthony Roberts, who said every year it just got bigger and better.

He added: "I thought that the contestants were extremely well prepared and I thought that reflected in both the semi-finals and the final.

"What we are all about is teaching the students about their past, the present and the future. They are the future citizens and they need to know about the historical past and the people who have shaped our country and are currently doing so.

"It has been an excellent competition.'' Awards were also handed out to contestants who had particularly shone throughout the semis and the final.

Silver bowls were presented to Ashely Robinson and Nick Charlton, from Warwick, who got perfect personal scores on Saturday, along with Shanna Kay Knight, from Sandys, and Malik Weeks, from Clearwater.

Julia Gibbson, of Mount St Agnes, John McKenna, of Warwick, Elise Johnston and Gaynette Edwards, both of Clearwater, and Cameron McDonald, from Saltus, were presented with awards for having perfect scores during the semi-finals. Prizes were also presented to the teams who won each of the five individual sections of the competition and a special commemorative plaque was handed to Sandy's for recording 14 appearances in the contest, which is a record on the Island.

And all money raised on the night, $520, was donated to the Sunshine League for the homeless, at the request of the children who took part.