Nov. 29, 2016 Sparta Independent Press release - Sparta Chess Team Shines at State Championships

Sparta Chess Team shines at state championships

Sparta — The Sparta Chess Team entered seven teams in the NJ Grade Level Championships recently held at Lincroft, NJ. All seven teams placed in the top three. Over 380 players participated.

The fifth and eighth grade teams placed first, bringing Sparta's total to 23 championships. The fifth graders were led by Vaiden Pollard, Ayush Iyer, and JC Langeraap all with three wins. Langeraap boosted his national ranking by 350 points this fall. Other team members include Griffin and Chloe Brawer, Ian Bellush, Ashton Welber, and Christian Posada. This is the third consecutive win by the fifth grade team.

The eighth grade team was led by Akshat Iyer, and assisted by Timothy Lee, and Cole Potter.

The kindergarten, ninth, and eleventh grade teams placed second in their events. Sofia Manjorin, Niko Rendina, and Joey Potter all received individual recognition in the kindergarten event. The eleventh grade team had another intense battle with their perennial rivals, Christian Brothers Academy. Cameron Flores scored 3.5 points, and reached the highest national ranking in SHS history. Chris Hakkenberg, Alex Schimpf, and Anthony Esposito each had three wins. Jonathan Lee and Karthik Selvaraj each had three wins to pace the ninth grade team.

The third and fourth grade teams placed third. The Mohawk Ave team was led by Aneesh Iyer, and Eric McCall each with 2.5 points. Other team members include Ben Muth, Riley Richardson, and James Killen. Rowan Mendel led the fourth graders with 3 points, and was assisted by Leah Andrini, and Kristopher Carneiro.

The Sparta Chess Club is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization, and would appreciate any and all donations. Please make checks payable to Sparta Chess Club and send to Tom Murray, 15 Birch Pkwy, Sparta NJ 07871.