The National Merit Scholarship Corp. has named nine local students among more than 1,600 black American high school seniors who have been designated semifinalists in the 46th annual National Achievement Scholarship program.

The scholars now have an opportunity to continue competing for approximately 800 Achievement Scholarship awards worth some $2.6 million to be offered next spring.

The Indiana students are Ronald M. McMillian, Merrillville High School; Austin Sims, Michigan City High School; and Christopher Reba, Munster High School.

In Illinois, the students are James C. Jackson and Amber Simonton, both from Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, and Tiffany Ford, Samantha Gordon, Nelson Nwumeh and Taylor Redick, all of Homewood Flossmoor Community High School.