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St Andrews, recently named best university in the UK, continued a good year last night with a win sending them through to the next round of University Challenge.
The final score was St Andrews, 140, Gonville and Caius, 120.
Quiz master Jeremy Paxman said the two universities had combined ages of well over a millennium, but the players were among the youngest in the series.
This was particularly true of Gonville and Caius, where the average age of the student body overall is 20.
Three of the St Andrews team also looked in the same age bracket. Yet it was to be the oldest member of the team who played a crucial role in their victory.
Representing St Andrews were: Alec Csukai, from Wokingham, Berkshire, studying astronomy and astrophysics; Simon Gibbons, Misterton, Nottinghamshire, masters in sustainable development; Joseph Cryan (captain), Lune Valley, Lancashire; and Sofya Anisimova, Moscow, reading for a PhD in military history.
For Gonville and Caius: Zoe Zhang, London, reading history and German; Jasper Maughan, Sevenoaks, Kent, studying Ukrainian, Russian and German; Abigail Tan (captain), Brentwood, maths; and Stefan Ivanov, from Bulgaria, physics.
First on the scoreboard were St Andrews, courtesy of Simon Gibbons, the oldest member of the team, who correctly identified the RSPB from its founders Emily Williamson and Eliza Phillips. The bonus round was on famous photographers, but no points were scored.
Gonville and Caius took the second starter for ten (on Wordle) but came a cropper with a bonus round on names of places in England and Scotland. Asked to name a town between Edinburgh and Dunbar ending with “ington” they answered Warrington. The correct answer was Haddington.
IT’S MAE MARTIN #UniversityChallenge pic.twitter.com/ymYeI8Ld6s
— University Challenge (@UniversityChal1) October 10, 2022
With a quarter of the half hour quiz gone, the teams had scored just 10 points each.
St Andrews’ Cryan won the next starter, on Barbados, and team mate Gibbons followed this with the picture round. Three correct bonus questions later, St Andrews were ahead, 50 points to 15.
Ivanov dragged Gonville and Caius back into the game, only for the team to have another poor bonus round, this one on the films of cult director John Waters.
Ivanov rallied again, and by the half way point the teams were neck and neck on 45 points.
St Andrews’ Anisimova won a starter on Russian film director Andrei Tarkovsky. In the bonuses, on semi-autobiographical television series, Csukai’s guess on Idris Elba proved correct, as was Anisimova’s insistence on Mae Martin as the answer to the third bonus question.
St Andrews had pulled ahead, 85 to 45, only to hit a bad stretch. They lost five points on an incorrect starter answer and struck out on a trio of bonus questions on physics.
A late rally by Caius and Gonville hiked their score to 120, with St Andrews just ahead with 130.
Wow what a jumper! Csukai is the clear winner of this weeks #universityknitwear on #universitychallenge @univofstandrews pic.twitter.com/frxx1dAno7
— Jenny L (@crewlewisjen) October 10, 2022
That fella in the jumper on #UniversityChallenge won't feel the benefit.
— Tony Adams sock garters. (@lushattic) October 10, 2022
With time running out the next starter for ten was to prove the clincher. Gibbons swooped to conquer for St Andrews and a moment later the gong was struck, leaving St Andrews the winners.
Through to the next round! Well played team! 🙌
— University of St Andrews (@univofstandrews) October 10, 2022
St Andrews 140
Gonville and Caius Cambridge 120 #UniversityChallenge #EverToExcel pic.twitter.com/OwkgrYhhk3
Next week: University of Sheffield v University College, London.
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