Academic Quadrathlon

What is Academic Quadrathlon? The Academic Quadrathlon is a competition held at the local, regional, and national levels. Teams of four are made up of university undergraduate students. Winning teams move up to the next level of competition to be held January 2026 in Arkansas. The national winning team is determined at the American Society of Animal Science national meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, July 19-23, 2026.

How does it work? Teams participate in four events: Laboratory Practicum, Written Exam, Oral Presentation, and Quiz Bowl.
In the Laboratory Practicum, the team demonstrates its ability to perform physical skills. Work at each station lasts 15 minutes and involves the entire team. The work at each station usually involves a species such as beef or swine or a disciplinary area such as nutrition or meats. We will be travelling to the animal units on plantation road for hands-on experiences. The Written Exam will a 30-minute time limit. The questions may involve any area related to animal production and products. Each team works on one exam, dividing the questions as they wish. In the Oral Presentation, the students may choose from a list of topics related to animal agriculture. They have a set amount of time to prepare the presentation. This is an exercise in cooperative problem solving. In the Quiz Bowl, questions may be on any topic that relates to animal agriculture and that are answerable in a short period of time. Each round is made up of "toss up" questions. After a series of "toss up" questions, teams can earn the chance to get extra points on a "bonus" question. Toss up questions must be answered individually. For bonus question, individuals may confer with their team. Quiz games will be organized as double elimination tournament. 

Who can be on a team? Any current undergraduates (including those that graduate in December) from ANY major! Expand your team knowledge with a wide range of animal species experience.

How to enter: Get your team together, or part of your team, or sign up as an individual to be assigned to fill in holes on teams.

Want to learn more? Contact the VT Academic Quadrathlon Coordinator - Erin Poteat at elpoteat@vt.edu - with any questions.