A team from Northern High School took first place in this year's Southern Maryland Regional Computer Bowl. Team members from left are Evan Siefring, Kyle Dearstine, Eric Butler, Bryan Ek, and coach Eric Stroh. (Submitted photo)
WALDORF, Md. (March 30, 2009)—More than 90 young computer experts enjoyed a fast-paced challenge of their literacy and programming skills during the 20th Annual Southern Maryland Regional Computer Bowl, held March 7 at Theodore G. Davis Middle School in Waldorf.
Twenty-three teams from 11 high schools in Southern Maryland took part in the Computer Bowl. In the first round of the competition, students took a written test of their computer literacy. In the second round, teams of three to four students created computer programs to solve specific problems.
A team from Northern High School won first place with team members Eric Butler, Kyle Dearstine, Bryan Ek, and Evan Siefring, coached by Eric Stroh. Another team from Northern High School placed second, with members Rob Jenkens, Mary Beth Kery, Keegan Lee, Ben Williamsz, and coach Eric Stroh. Huntingtown High School placed third, with team members Dallin Hilton, Robbie Jackson, David Lavezzo, and Bryant O'Brien, and coach Tom Currier. A team from Chopticon High School won fourth place, with Dylan Everhart, Ryan Hoole, Brandon Miller, and Jon Shircliffe, and coach Jackie Richmond.
Northern High School took second place in this year's Southern Maryland Regional Computer Bowl. Team members from left are Rob Jenkens, Mary Beth Kery, Ben Williamsz, Keegan Lee, and coach Eric Stroh. (Submitted photo)
Winners received plaques, trophies, and U.S. Savings Bonds. Booz Allen Hamilton awarded MP3 players to each of the students in the top four teams. Members of the first-place team also received performance awards from the College of Southern Maryland.
Huntingtown High School took third place in this year's Southern Maryland Regional Computer Bowl. Team members from left are Dallin Hilton, Robbie Jackson, Bryant O'Brien, and David Lavezzo, and coach Tom Currier. (Submitted photo)
George Matisick, a community volunteer who is retired from St. Mary's County Public Schools, has assisted with developing the test and programming questions for the past 20 years. He described how the competition has changed over the years. Addressing the competing students, he said, "For the first High School Computer Bowl, held in 1990, students used Apple II computers or personal computers with no hard drive. Everything was done in memory, and students used Applesoft BASIC or GW BASIC to solve the problems. So you can see how technology has improved." Each team in the competition is now equipped with two laptops supplied by Charles County Public Schools, using programming languages such as Java and Visual BASIC.
A team from Chopticon High School took fourth place in this year's Southern Maryland Regional Computer Bowl. Team members from left are Brandon Miller, Jon Shircliffe, Ryan Hoole, and Dylan Everhart. The team was coached by Jackie Richmond. (Submitted photo)
Employees from Booz Allen Hamilton served as judges for the competition. This year's judges were Tina Denq, Mike Hammett, Raneene James, Greg Kaleta, Judy Kaleta, Chad Kilgore, Justin Olesky, Doug Sanborn, and Kristina Thomas.
Sponsors for the Computer Bowl are Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, the College of Southern Maryland, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the public school systems in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties.