St. Louis Senior High School has secured a place at the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) national championship after producing a remarkable comeback victory in Contest Two of the Ashanti Regional Qualifiers.

The Kumasi-based school recovered from an early deficit to finish with 53 points, sealing automatic qualification after a closely contested battle in which several schools held the lead at different stages.

Jachie Pramso SHS finished second with 45 points, followed by Kumasi Girls' SHS on 42 points. Esaase Bontefufuo Senior High Technical School scored 37 points, while Jacobu Senior High Technical School ended the contest with 15 points.

The victory marks a return to the national stage for St. Louis SHS after the school narrowly missed out on the 2025 championship, having been eliminated during the regional qualifiers.

Speaking after the contest, the team's coach expressed appreciation for the victory but admitted the team had aimed for a more convincing winning margin.

"We thank God for the victory, but we wanted a much bigger margin. We know we can do better, and we'll work harder ahead of the national championship," the coach said.

The contestants also expressed confidence ahead of the national championship, signalling their intention to make a strong impact when the competition begins.

While St. Louis SHS claimed the only automatic qualification slot from the contest, Jachie Pramso SHS and Kumasi Girls' SHS remain in contention for qualification as potential best-performing losing schools.

Their chances of reaching the national championship will depend on how their scores compare with those recorded by other non-winning schools across the regional qualifiers.

With momentum on their side, St. Louis SHS will now look to improve on its previous best performance at the NSMQ, having reached the semi-finals in 2023, as it prepares for another shot at Ghana's most prestigious academic quiz competition.