Brain Game Season Draws To A Close Spring Champions Feted at Exploris Banquet

After another school year's fall and spring semester, WRAL-TV's popular quiz show Brain Game, has wrapped up a season of competition. The finalists for the spring groupings met at Exploris on Tuesday, May 28, 2002, along with their coaches and the WRAL-TV crew.

Exploris President & Founder Anne Bryan appeared on WRAL-TV's 5pm News with Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel. WRAL's Gil Hollingsworth ran the camera.

Raleigh Charter School reigns as champion of the spring semester of Brain Game 2002. The team consisted of (left to right) James Kotecki, Chris Chilton & Matt Schultz.

Fishel also interviewed Raleigh Charter School Principal Dr. Tom Humble (center) & Team Coach Eric Grunden on the 5:30pm newscast.

Enloe High School won the fall semester championship and Raleigh Charter School took home first place honors for the spring. The winning schools received a computer from IBM, and the individual team members received a Brain Game hat, a monogrammed Brain Game jacket and a certificate of participation.

Brain Game Producer Kevin Shand announced the top 9 teams for the spring semester.

The show's host and WRAL-TV's Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel introduced the spring champions during the evening newscast and then joined the teams for an IMAX film, "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure," in Explorisis' new state-of-the-art theater following a banquet in their honor. Brain Game Producer Kevin Shand also had a hand in the evening's activities, and a representative from IBM presented the winners' computer.

Brain Game pulled strong Nielsen ratings during the 2001-2002 school year season. The spring championship garnered a 5.0/14 rating when it aired on Saturday morning, May 25. Brain Game won its time period several times, including a decisive win with a 4.8/12 rating for the spring semifinal on Saturday, March 18, a 4.0 rating/11 share on Saturday March 16 and a 5.9 rating/15 share on Saturday, February 9.

The first semester championship game on Saturday, January 19 pulled a 5.4 rating/13 share. On November 24, 2001, the show did an amazing 6.5 rating/14 share.

POSTED: June 5, 2002