Whiz Kids of the Week: Danielle Champion and Turayo Tijani

Danielle Champion and Turayo Tijani -- from Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. and Charles H. Flowers high schools, respectively -- were among the big winners in the county's first Scholastic Olympics at Watkins Regional Park last week. 

The Scholastic Olympics is an academic competition for 10th-12th grade students focusing on four areas: spelling, math, American history, and speech/oratorical. Students are awarded monetary prizes, medals and plaques based on their placements in the competition.

Champion, a sophomore, placed second in the spelling competition and third in the speech/oratorical competition. Tijani, a senior, placed second in the math and American History competitions, and first in the speech/oratorical competition.

The competition was organized by Emmanuel Williams, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and Tamara Henry, a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, in partnership with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Aunt Bertas Kids-In-Need Education Foundation, Inc.

"Congratulations to all of the students who participated in this academic competition," Schools Superintendent William R. Hite, Jr. said in a statement. "This competition highlights and promotes the achievement of our students in core subjects in a fun and exciting way."