More than 60 Illinois high schools sent some of their brightest students to Eastern Illinois University for the Sectional level of the Illinois Academic Challenge competition which was held on Thursday, March 22nd. Individual students and schools competing in this event qualified for the Sectional level of competition by placing either first or second at Regional Competitions held in February.

The Academic Challenge is an academic tournament with competition for individuals and schools. Students demonstrate their abilities in two of the following areas: biology, chemistry, computer fundamentals, engineering graphics, English, mathematics and physics. The exams have been compared to the Advance Placement tests that qualify high school students for college credit, and were drawn up by college professors from various universities around the state.

After a brief opening ceremony by Associate Dean Godson Obia from the College of Sciences, participants began testing at 9:20AM. Individual awards and team trophies were presented by Dean Obia, and Dr. Leonard Storm, Chair of Pre-Engineering. The awards ceremonies were held in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King University Union beginning at 1:15PM.

Division 1500 and division unlimited teams advancing to Eastern included: Champaign Centennial, Champaign Central, Charleston, Danville, East Richland, Effingham, Decatur Eisenhower, Mt. Zion, Rantoul, and University High of Champaign.

Division 700 teams advancing to Eastern included: Central A & M, Clinton, Georgetown Ridgefarm, Hoopeston, Monticello, Newton, Robinson, Shelbyville, Teutopolis, and Unity.

Division 300 teams advancing to Eastern included: Atwood Hammond, Bismarck Henning, Chrisman, Heritage, Maroa Forsyth, Neoga, Niantic Harristown, Oakwood, Oblong, Palestine, and Windsor.

Eastern's Sectional competition is sponsored by Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering based at the University of Illinois and Eastern's Pre-Engineering Studies Committee. This is the 20th year that Eastern has co-sponsored the competition.