Madison players conquer new titles at State Chess Championship
All eight teams from Rainbow Elementary School stand with their first- and second-place trophies at 2016 State Chess Championship. CONTRIBUTED
MADISON – Madison players dominated the 2016 State Scholastic Chess Championship and swept every team award in the primary and elementary school sections.
Indian Springs School in Pelham hosted the tournament on March 19-20. “Madison sent a record number of 17 teams to compete. Madison City Chess League (MCCL) provided coaching services for all Madison teams,” league executive director Ranae Bartlett said.
Geon Park, a third-grader from Rainbow Elementary School, was crowned Primary State Champion.
Discovery Middle School and Rainbow (for the third consecutive year) defended state champion titles with a perfect team score of 4 points. For the first time, Rainbow won the top team award in the primary (K-3) division, also with a perfect score of 4 points.
In the primary section, Madison players, who are all Rainbow students, won four of five individual awards — a first for the Madison league. Geon Park was champion in first, Zachary Calinsky, third; Luke Chynoweth, fourth; and Xavier Bruni, fifth.
“We had won before in K-6 and junior high,” Bartlett said, “but primary is a first for us.”
Coaches Bill Nash, Ed Mullin and Bartlett held extra practices during Spring Break for their youngest K-3 teams. “It showed,” Bartlett said. Every K-3 team that attended those practices (Rainbow, MCCL Primary Club and Mill Creek Elementary School Primary Team) all placed at the state championship.
In individual competition, 234 students competed in seven sections by age and rating. For the elementary section, award winners were Rochelle Wu; first; Mohak Agarwalla, second; Jenson Wilhelm, third; Hudson Markin fourth; and Victor Lundy, fifth.
For junior high, award winners were Arden Markin, first; Sijung Wu, second; Michael Guthrie, third; Zachary Snow, fourth and Josh Lin, fifth.
Kane Stone from Liberty Middle School won second place in K-8 Under 800 section. In primary (K-3) club section, MCCL team members Vallabh Busetty, Oviya Gowder, Pulak Agarwalla, and Swetha Jakka won second place. Will Stevenson and Mullin were coaches.
For more information, email mccl.director@gmail.com or visit madisonchess.com.
