Koby Deitz and Alex Nielsen, both rising sophomores, became the first Charles Wright students to compete at the national level in National History Day earlier this month.  The week-long contest was held at the University of Maryland at College Park, just outside of Washington, DC.  Deitz and Nielsen competed in the group exhibit category against nearly 100 other state-winning entries and they finished in the top half of their division. 

More than 600,000 students participated in History Day this year across the US, at Department of Defense schools in Europe, and at American schools in China, and in the end 12 of the 53 Washington students at nationals placed in finals.  Washington had gold medal winners in performances and papers and the state ended up tied for third in the overall medal count.

Deitz and Nielsen’s exhibit on the founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, Abe Saperstein, was one of 12 selected for a special showcase in Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.  Koby and Alex did a great job explaining the history of the Harlem Globetrotters to all the families visiting the museum.  Several museum staff members, including the Director, came by and were very impressed with their work.