diff --git a/tig-protocol/src/contracts/benchmarks.rs b/tig-protocol/src/contracts/benchmarks.rs
index a182e61d..ce2fd21f 100644
--- a/tig-protocol/src/contracts/benchmarks.rs
+++ b/tig-protocol/src/contracts/benchmarks.rs
@@ -169,23 +169,28 @@ pub async fn submit_benchmark<T: Context>(
     }
 
     // random sample nonces
+    let median_idx = (solution_quality.len() / 2) as u64;
+
     let config = ctx.get_config().await;
     let mut rng = StdRng::seed_from_u64(seed);
     let max_samples = config.challenges[&settings.challenge_id].max_samples;
     let mut sampled_nonces = HashSet::new();
+    sampled_nonces.insert(median_idx as u64);
     for _ in 0..25 {
         if sampled_nonces.len() == max_samples {
             break;
         }
-        let nonce = rng.gen_range(0..precommit_details.num_nonces);
+        let nonce = rng.gen_range(median_idx..precommit_details.num_nonces);
         if sampled_nonces.contains(&nonce) {
             continue;
         }
         sampled_nonces.insert(nonce);
     }
 
-    let average_solution_quality =
-        solution_quality.iter().sum::<i32>() / (solution_quality.len() as i32);
+    // Calculate median solution quality
+    let mut sorted_quality = solution_quality.clone();
+    sorted_quality.sort_unstable();
+    let average_solution_quality = sorted_quality[median_idx as usize];
 
     ctx.add_benchmark_to_mempool(
         benchmark_id,
diff --git a/tig-protocol/src/contracts/opow.rs b/tig-protocol/src/contracts/opow.rs
index 91388e74..898eca17 100644
--- a/tig-protocol/src/contracts/opow.rs
+++ b/tig-protocol/src/contracts/opow.rs
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn update(cache: &mut AddBlockCache) {
         let challenge_data = active_challenges_block_data.get_mut(challenge_id).unwrap();
         let mut player_code_nonces = HashMap::<String, HashMap<String, u64>>::new();
         let mut player_nonces = HashMap::<String, u64>::new();
+        let mut qualifier_qualities = HashMap::<String, HashSet<i32>>::new();
 
         for frontier_idx in 0..max_frontier_idx {
             for (settings, &quality, &num_nonces) in
@@ -133,11 +134,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn update(cache: &mut AddBlockCache) {
                     .or_default() += num_nonces;
                 *player_nonces.entry(player_id.clone()).or_default() += num_nonces;
 
-                challenge_data
-                    .qualifier_qualities
+                qualifier_qualities
                     .entry(race_id.clone())
                     .or_default()
-                    .push(quality);
+                    .insert(quality);
             }
 
             // check if we have enough qualifiers
@@ -182,6 +182,15 @@ pub(crate) async fn update(cache: &mut AddBlockCache) {
                 break;
             }
         }
+
+        challenge_data.qualifier_qualities = qualifier_qualities
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|(race_id, qualifier_qualities)| {
+                let mut qualifier_qualities = qualifier_qualities.into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>();
+                qualifier_qualities.sort_by(|a, b| b.cmp(a));
+                (race_id, qualifier_qualities)
+            })
+            .collect();
     }
 
     // update influence