College team proves up to the challenge

Oxford lost to Cambridge in this year's Boat Race but the team from Magdalen got ahead of rivals Gonville & Caius College in the BBC2 quiz show and finished on 190 points to Cambridge's 160.

The victory, which was screened on Easter Monday, meant Magdalen became the first institution to win the TV competition three times.

The final was the first all-Oxbridge final since Trinity College, Cambridge, beat New College, Oxford, in 1995.

Magdalen's team captain Freya McClements, from County Derry, Northern Ireland, who is reading modern history, said: "When we meet Cambridge in any sort of contest there's always an added tension.

"I think both teams tried to ignore that because we need to concentrate and focus on getting to the buzzer first."

Although the two teams were level at one stage on 65 points, the Cambridge students never held the lead. The questions, set by academics, featured subjects as diverse as medieval history, saints and asteroids.

Best-selling writer Bill Bryson, who presented the trophy, told the team: "You realise that the difference between a successful buzzer and the rest is a nanosecond."

Miss McClements' Magdalen team-mates were Dave Cox, from Ipswich, studying mathematics, Matt Holdcroft, from Bristol, studying classics, and Josh Spero, from London, also studying classics.

Magdalen beat Nottingham, Sussex, the Royal Northern College of Music and St Andrews en route to the final.

Gonville & Caius beat Reading, Strathclyde, St John's College, Oxford, and London Metropolitan.

Magdalen College President Anthony Smith was not available for comment.

Gonville & Caius were led by Edward Wallace, who is reading pure mathematics.

He revealed that presenter Jeremy Paxman was less challenging in the flesh than he was on television.

Mr Wallace added: "After the show we went to a nearby restaurant and he was there with the crew. He sent over a few bottles of wine."