Some 230 students from 20 high schools in North and South Carolina recently participated in the Western Carolinas Regional Competition of the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad.

The following students earned first place in each county:

Abbeville: Graham Hope, Dixie High School
Anderson: Stephen Whaite, Wren High School
Buncombe: Dana McAfoos, Enka High School
Greenville: Charlene Hong, Riverside High School
Haywood: Zachary Pruett, Pisgah High School
Laurens: Lauren Frantz, Laurens District 55 High School
Oconnee: Shelley Watson, Tamassee-Salem High School
Pickens: Marianne Ligon, D.W. Daniel High School
Spartanburg: Heather Sprague, J.F. Byrnes High School

The following students earned a spot in the National Chemistry Olympiad, which was held at Clemson University on April 24. Their exams were sent to Washington, D.C. to be graded.

Amy Li: Riverside High School
Charlene Hong: Riverside High School
Ankur Kumar: Riverside High School
William Meier: Riverside High School
Heather Sprague: J.F. Byrnes High School
Keith Johnson: Pickens High School
Stephen Whaite: Wren High School
Lauren Frantz: Laurens District 55 High School
Will Culp: Christ Church High School (Greenville)
Ellison Johnstone: Christ Church High School (Greenville)
Sam Castle: D.W. Daniel High School
Marianne Ligon: D.W. Daniel High School
Dana McAfoos: Enka High School
Katheryn Billings: Easley High School
The Chemistry Olympiad is a multi-tiered competition designed to stimulate and promote achievement in high school chemistry. The local and U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad competitions are sponsored by the American Chemical Society. Each year, four students are chosen to represent the United States team at the International Chemistry Olympiad competition.

For more information about the Chemistry Olympiad, click on www.acs.org/olympiad.