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University Challenge results, 1998


These are the results of the series which began on 10th September 1997 and concluded with the final on the 21st April 1998.

First round
Edinburgh190180Jesus, Cambridge
Birkbeck, London245195Cardiff
Exeter175180Robinson, Cambridge
Magdalen, Oxford225185King's, London
Sheffield145265Aberdeen
Christ Church, Oxford155175Open
Liverpool130220Newnham, Cambridge
Queen's, Belfast30070St Bartholomew's, London
Magdalene, Cambridge21590St Catherine's, Oxford
St John's, Oxford130175LSE
Oxford Brookes230135Warwick
New Hall, Cambridge35335Nottingham
Second round
Exeter140275Jesus, Cambridge
King's, London215230Nottingham
Newnham, Cambridge120320Edinburgh
Birkbeck, London215170Robinson, Cambridge
LSE24540Oxford Brookes
Cardiff275105Aberdeen
Magdalene, Cambridge140155Queen's, Belfast
Open235265Magdalen, Oxford
Quarter Finals
Jesus, Cambridge220250Nottingham
Edinburgh205275Birkbeck, London
LSE225115Queen's, Belfast
Cardiff80375Magdalen, Oxford
Semi Finals
Nottingham205240Birkbeck, London
LSE85265Magdalen, Oxford
Final
Birkbeck, London195225Magdalen, Oxford
Mastermind vs University Challenge
Mastermind205260Magdalen College, Oxford
University Challenge vs College Bowl
UK155300US

The 1998 champions were thus Paul O'Donnell, Phil Jones, Sarah Fitzpatrick, and Alex de Jongh, students of PPE, Physics, Modern History and English, and History respectively, and Magdalen thus became the first team to be awarded the trophy two years in succession. The trophy was presented to them by zoologist Richard Dawkins.

When asked whether he was a fan of University Challenge, Prof Dawkins stated that it is his favourite programme, and added:
I'm conducting a campaign at Oxford with my colleagues to make them abolish the A-Level as the criterion for admitting students, and substitute it with University Challenge. I'm very serious about this; the kind of mind you need to win University Challenge - it's not the knowledge that matters - but it's the retentive mind to pick things up wherever you are that you need at university too.

This year there were two special programmes. The first was between the four finallists of the final series of Mastermind this year, Clare Ockwell, Andrea Weston, Colin Cadby, and Anne Ashurst, and the 1997 champions Magdalen College, Oxford.

The second was a match between the 'four most outstanding contestants from last year's series' from University Challenge and its US equivalent College Bowl. Representing the UK were Martin Heighway (Open), Stephen Pearson (Manchester), Cormac Bakewell (Queen's, Belfast), and Colin Andress (Magdalen, Oxford). College Bowl sent Eric Tentarelli (Cornell), Robert Margolis (Texas at Dallas), John Harris (Virginia), and Mark Staloff (Harvard).

Winners are given in bold, and the four highest scoring first round losers in italics.