(L- R) SC Council on Economic Education President Helen Meyers with Dreher High winning students Austin Hamlin, Nicholas Adkins, Noah Fram, Phillip Cross and their coach Karen Brown. Dreher High School's "Dreher 2 team" and Ridge View High School's "First Semesters" took home top honors in the SC EconomicsChallenge, sponsored by the SC Council on Economic Education. Nineteen student teams met in Columbia on March 28 to compete.

Nicholas Adkins, Phillip Cross, Noah Fram and Austin Hamlin made up the winning Dreher 2 team in the Adam Smith Division. Ironically, they defeated fellow Dreher High students Artem Aleshim, Lucian Brown, John Cuenin, and Laura Hubbard for the state championship.

All eight Richland One students were coached by teacher Karen Brown. Lexington/ Richland 5 Dutch Fork High School students Tudor Oroian, Carley Samek, Eric Savage, and Graham Temples finished in third place. They were coached by teacher Ron McGinty.

The Adam Smith Division is restricted to students enrolled in courses labeled Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, honors, differentiated, or college level. Any two- semester economics course also falls in this division.

(Front row, l- r) Ridge View students Kristiaan Fish and Janece Gough. (Back row, l- r) SC Council on Economic Education President Helen Meyers, Bianca Young, John Knotts, and teacher Kur t Stiglbauer. Kristiaan Fish, Janece Gough, John Knotts, and Bianca Young from Ridge View High School came in first in the David Ricardo Division. They were coached by teacher Kurt Stiglbauer. The four Richland Two students competed for the state championship title against Lexington High School students Ray Cormandy, Joseph Kyle, Anna Parker and Kelsey Smith. The Lexington 1 students were coached by Jane Kennedy. Third place went to Kristina Allen, Jack Caswell, Tammy Timney and Robert Weeden from Myrtle Beach Christian Academy. The "Saints Three" team was coached by teacher Vicki Marcis.

The David Ricardo Division is restricted to students enrolled in a one- semester or less high school economics course not labeled as AP, IB, honors, differentiated, or college level.

The EconomicsChallenge is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge of economic literacy by competing with other students from across the state.

The 2009 first place teams in each division won a laptop computer for each team member and a $100 gift card. Second place winners received $250 gift cards; third place winners, $100 gift cards. The teachers coaching the teams won the same prizes as their students. To learn more about the EconomicsChallenge and other resources offered by the SC Council on Economic Education, visit www.sceconomics. org.