WALDORF — More than 130 Charles County students, from kindergartners to high school seniors, spent Saturday, Oct. 24, hunched over chessboards at Thomas Stone High School for the Charles County Public Schools fall chess tournament.
The tournament drew 133 players, who faced opponents at or near their own grade level, CCPS said. One champion was named in each of 13 grade divisions and received a trophy; every other player went home with a medal.
The field grew from last fall, when 123 students competed in the same event at Thomas Stone, and several of this year’s champions are familiar names from a year ago.
The tournament runs twice a school year, once in the fall and again in the winter, and is coordinated and hosted by the CCPS office of gifted and talented education. Felix Cummings served as tournament director. Roland and Maria Thorpe of the Waldorf Chess Club helped with pairings and scoring.
The champions
| Division | Champion | School |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Jenson Paul | William B. Wade Elementary |
| First grade | Ezinne Onodugo | Home school |
| Second grade | Xandon Oubre | William B. Wade Elementary |
| Third grade | Chinenye Onodugo | Home school |
| Fourth grade | Wyatt Kennedy | Dr. James Craik Elementary |
| Fifth grade | Alexander Trout | William B. Wade Elementary |
| Sixth grade | Eze Onodugo | Home school |
| Seventh grade | Tessie Castellon | Glymont Middle |
| Eighth grade | Gabriel Niklas | John Hanson Middle |
| Freshman | Jose Rosa | North Point High |
| Sophomore | Ta’mari Savage | North Point High |
| Junior | Lilyana Forrest | North Point High |
| Senior | Christian Sullivan | Thomas Stone High |
Repeat winners
Three of the 13 titles went to the Onodugo family, home-schooled students who also swept three divisions last fall. Ezinne Onodugo won kindergarten a year ago and took first grade this time. Chinenye Onodugo moved from the second-grade title to third, and Eze Onodugo from fifth to sixth.
Ta’mari Savage of North Point High School also repeated, adding this year’s sophomore title to last fall’s freshman crown. North Point won three of the four high school divisions this year, and William B. Wade Elementary School produced three champions, the most of any single school.
The rest of the champions are new. Last fall’s title winners came from Billingsley, C. Paul Barnhart and Wade elementary schools, Glymont, Theodore G. Davis and Matthew Henson middle schools, and North Point, Thomas Stone and Westlake high schools.
The CCPS gifted and talented office will host the winter tournament later in the school year. The school system has not yet announced a date.
