PHOENIX  Those who want to stop Ben Quayle from going to Congress had better start studying his old lacrosse game films.

Mr. Quayle, who managed a slim win in a crowded field for the Republican nomination for Congress on Tuesday in a district that encompasses northern Phoenix and the upscale Scottsdale and Paradise Valley suburbs, played high school lacrosse while his father, Dan Quayle, was vice president. He went on to play for Duke.

Old coaches and teammates said he was often considered a lightweight because of his lean, unassuming physique. But as rivals rolled their eyes, Mr. Quayle would scoot past them.

“I was definitely not a star player but I worked hard,” Mr. Quayle said in an interview.

That is what happened this week when Mr. Quayle, 33, a political neophyte, defeated nine Republican challengers, some of them veteran politicians, to win the nomination for the Third Congressional District. Some of those rival camps were still staring in disbelief at the results on Wednesday.