One hundred and fifty scholastic chess players from 17 different teams competed at the Eighth Annual Wakarusa Valley chess tournament at Wakarusa Valley School on Nov. 15. First-place team trophies went to Southwest Junior High and Quail Run in the K-9 and K-6 sections, respectively. Quail Run and Central Junior High also claimed second-place team trophies, in K-3 and K-9, respectively. SWJH’s Sam Stephens won the first-place individual trophy in K-9, as well, with a perfect 6-0 record.

Lawrence-area medal winners in K-9: Yang-Yang Li, SWJH, fourth; Eddie Wilson, CJH, fifth; Andrei Elliott, SWJH, eighth; Aaron Simon, West Junior High, ninth; Laura Nielson, South Junior High, 12th; Sam Beaulieu, CJH, 13th; Zack Curran, CJH, 15th; Venkata Malladi, SWJH, 16th; Nicholas Shaheed, SWJH, 17th; Owen McFadden, SJH, 19th; and Eddie Loupe, SWJH, 20th.

In K-6: Apramay Mishra, Sunflower, second; Roscoe Bradt, Cordley, third; Josh Kallenbach, Quail Run, fifth; Wynn Feddema, Quail Run, seventh; Robert Newman, Wakarusa Valley, 12th; Kaustubh Nimkar, Sunflower, 16th; Aimee Nielson, Wakarusa Valley, 29th; Tom Brooks, Quail Run, 30th; James Faith, Wakarusa Valley, 32nd; and McCarthy Fitch, Cordley, 35th.

In K-3: Ting-Ting Shi, Quail Run, third; Jackson McCabe Maher, Cordley, seventh; Eileen Huang, Quail Run, 11th; Colin Bradt, Cordley, 14th; Omar Ruth, Wakarusa Valley, 18th; Klara Hinson, Wakarusa Valley, 26th; Cole Burenheide, Quail Run, 30th; Claire Feddema, Quail Run, 31st; and Mia Waters, Wakarusa Valley, 33rd.

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Spencer Wilson, Eudora, was selected to participate in an international program through Harding University, Searcy, Ark.

Wilson, a junior accounting major, was among 28 students to spend the fall semester in Vinã del Mar, Chile.

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U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., announces area nominees for appointments to U.S. Service Academies. Roberts followed the recommendations of his Academy Screening Board. Decisions are based upon the board’s personal interviews with applicants, written applications, grade point average and standardized test scores. Once nominated by Roberts, the applicants must meet the requirements of each academy. Final decisions will be announced in the spring.

Local nominees include:

• Nicholas Barkley, Baldwin City, Air Force Academy.