Bloom District 206 chess players win conference championship

The Bloom Township High School District 206 chess team has won its third conference championship in the past 10 years of competition.

The Blazing Trojans chess players, from Bloom High School in Chicago Heights and Bloom Trail in Steger, were victorious over Rich South High School to capture the title trophy in the recent Southland Conference event. The chess team will take its 7-3 season's record to the Illinois High School Association state tournament Feb. 10-11 in Peoria.

Bloom chess team coach Steven Had said the school previously won conference championships in the 2004-05 and 2006-08 seasons.

Two Bloom chess players, Jarred Stanton and Hollyn Fisher, won first place medals in the conference contest.

Earning second place for the championship squad were Bloom students Dariush Wilkowski, Philander Crawford and Jordan Allen-Wilson and Bloom Trail students Tanell Prempeh, Kevin Nguyen, Melissa Churchill and Mac Jones. Rolando Enriquez and Evan Maddox, of Bloom, had third place finishes.

Brandy Suderow is the Bloom Trail chess players coach.