Omaha Central, Aurora high schools win Nebraska Economics Challenge

Teams from Omaha Central and Aurora high schools were the division winners in the Nebraska Economics Challenge March 29 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the Adam Smith Division, an Omaha Central team of Ellen Danford, Sarah Ferguson and Ben McGuire defeated another Central squad of Erin Crnkovich, Alek Erickson and Delaney Kunz in the final Quiz Bowl round. The teams were two of nine Central teams entered in the challenge, all coached by Vicki Deniston-Reed.

In the David Ricardo Division, an Aurora team of Connor Jensen, Evin Lackore, Emily Larson, Cam Moyer and Eric Ratzlaff, coached by Dave Long, won its Quiz Bowl final against a Lincoln Northeast team of Cara Nickolaus, Johannes Pohlmann, Leah Jensen, Tony Lehl and Trevor Wissink, coached by Carol Mathias.

The state champion teams will advance to the April 29 regional online competition. The winning teams from the regional Economics Challenge competitions will receive individual savings bonds and an all-expense-paid trip in May to the National Economics Challenge to be held in New York City.

In the competition at the Nebraska Champions Club, students divided into two divisions and competed in four rounds. The first three rounds consisted of an assessment of their knowledge of topics related to macroeconomics (the study of the economy as a whole), microeconomics (the study of the economic behavior of individuals, businesses and industries) and international economics. They individually answered multiple-choice questions and the team score was comprised of the top three individual scores on each team. The teams with the highest scores in each division advanced to the final Quiz Bowl round.

Students competing in the challenge are taking an economics course in their respective high schools. Other participating high schools included Ashland-Greenwood, Bellevue East, Bellevue West, Elba, Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer, McCook, Southwest (Indianola), Twin River and Waverly.

The Nebraska Economics Challenge is sponsored by the Nebraska Council on Economic Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the economic literacy of Nebraska's students. This goal is achieved primarily through economic education programs, courses and workshops for educators across the state. The Federal Reserve Bank of Omaha-Kansas City Branch, the National Council on Economic Education and Goldman Sachs co-sponsored the event. The Nebraska Economics Challenge will again be offered to all Nebraska economics teachers and their students next year.