The computer bowl team from La Plata High School won third place at the 2015 Southern Maryland Regional Computer Bowl held March 7 at North Point High School. As the third-place winners, the team received a school plaque and trophy, and each member received a $75 gift card.
The team competed among nine teams from high schools in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties. Team members include students Cody McGinnis, senior; Reid Hancock, junior; Aaron Hipkins, sophomore; and Douglas Kalmus, freshman. The team coach is Richard Williams, a computer teacher at La Plata. Teams compete in two rounds of competition.
In the first round of the competition, students complete a written test about computer history, hardware and software. In the second round, teams of up to three or four students create computer programs to solve specific problems, using programming languages such as Java and Visual BASIC.
Each year, student teams in the tri-county area compete in the event. The competition was sponsored by SMECO, the College of Southern Maryland, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s County public schools. Judges for the competition were from Booz Allen Hamilton, the College of Southern Maryland and Naval Air Systems Command.