Four Punahou seniors won Hawai‘i’s Chevron Academic WorldQuest Competition and will advance to nationals in Washington, D.C., this spring.

Jordan Kondo, Matt Ige, Colin Pating and Reece Tamashiro — all members of the Class of 2013 — came in first at the statewide competition held Nov. 17, 2012, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. The contest included a total of 288 students on 75 teams from 28 schools throughout the state.

The annual quiz bowl, featuring six rounds of competition, is presented in Hawai‘i by the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, a nonprofit that belongs to the World Affairs Councils of America network, dedicated to educating, inspiring and engaging Americans in international affairs and important global issues.

Students were tested on their knowledge in 10 broad categories, covering economic issues, energy policy, geography, current events and history. Teams fielded questions on everything from Pakistan to the Cuban missile crisis, demonstrating not only a grasp of the issues but also the ability to recall facts under pressure. It was an afternoon of quick minds and quick reaction times: Buzzing in first with the correct answer is all part of the competition.

The winning quartet — one of four Punahou teams in the running — earned a free trip to Washington, where they will represent Punahou and the state of Hawai‘i in the national competition on April 27, 2013.

Congratulations to all the competitors!