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HYDE PARK – Thirty-eight students from schools in the Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union attended the 38th Annual John Balch Memorial Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships at Lamoille Union High School in Hyde Park, Saturday, March 29.
Craftsbury Schools seventh graders swept the top three spots for their grade, with Devin Allen winning the state championship. Jonah Wohlberg and Hollis Allen finished in second and third place. They all contributed to the Middle School Championship earned by Craftsbury with sixth graders Finn Nunery and Linden Fox and eighth graders Max Royan and Oakley Crawford.
Craftsbury Schools’ Julius Lebow’s play earned a second place award. Wolcott Elementary School sixth grader Alice LaChance finished third.
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The tournament is open to K-12 students from Vermont who compete for state championship titles.
OSSU students who placed this year are: Second Grade, Julius Lebow, Craftsbury Schools, 2nd Place; Cyrus McCarty: Wolcott Elementary School, 4th Place; Jude Warfisch, Wolcott Elementary School, 5th Place.
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Also Third Grade, Joseph Ciecierski, Craftsbury Schools, 6th Place; Fourth Grade, Madison Colpron: Hardwick Elementary School, 5th Place; Lawrence Fox, Craftsbury Schools, 5th Place; Abe Wohlberg, Craftsbury Schools, 8th Place; Jasper Valcour-Greenia, Craftsbury Schools, 8th Place. Fifth Grade places included Deeno Courchaine, Craftsbury, 5th Place; Jesse Lebow, Craftsbury Schools, 6th Place; Maleigha Sargent, Craftsbury Schools, 6th Place; Carson Bailey, Craftsbury Schools, 7th Place; and Sixth Grade, Alice LaChance, Wolcott Elementary School, 3rd Place; Oscar Razionale: Hardwick Elementary School, 4th Place; Finn Nunery, Craftsbury Schools, 5th Place; Linden Fox, Craftsbury Schools, 5th Place.
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Other placements included Seventh Grade, Devin Allen, Craftsbury Schools, State Champion, 1st Place; Jonah Wohlberg, Craftsbury Schools: 2nd Place; Hollis Allen, Craftsbury Schools: 3rd Place; and Eighth Grade, Max Royan, Craftsbury Schools, 5th Place; Oakley Crawford, Craftsbury Schools, 7th Place; High School. Andrew Royan, Craftsbury Schools, 7th Place; Ada Allen, Craftsbury Schools, 8th Place.
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The tournament is named in honor of John Balch, a promoter of scholastic chess in Vermont, who passed away in 2004. He taught chess to hundreds of Vermont youth.
