Meet the semi-finalists

Florida's Paxon Advanced Studies faces Pennsylvania's Dallas High School.

Florida

Pennsylvania

Battle of the northeast: Barrington High School in Rhode Island facing Maryland Home Schoolers from Frederick.

Rhode Island

Maryland

Meet the PA host team

"We're from Dallas -- that's PA, not Texas," said Pennsylvania team captain Decklan Cerza at the coach and captain orientation Saturday night. The PA team from Dallas High School in the north east part of the state (near Scranton, for fans of NBC's The Office) made a short 2.5-hour drive to get to Philadelphia for the 2012 event. Other state champions came from as far as Honolulu, Hawaii!

Thanks for having us, PA! Wonder where we'll be in 2013 ... ?

Dallas High takes PA title in Harrisburg

By Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Program Assistant

Coordinated by the Office of the Attorney General in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania state LifeSmarts competition was originally scheduled for February 23. However, due to unexpected weather conditions resulting from “Snowpocalypse 2010” in the northeastern region of the country, the event was rescheduled to March 2.

Extreme weather didn’t stop the nine top-placing Pennsylvania LifeSmarts teams from packing their bags and heading to the capitol city of Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania competition was full of energy and excitement, from students, coaches, and volunteer staff, including members of Attorney General Tom Corbett’s staff. “We have such a great team [of volunteers] here,” said Nina Correale, who works in the Public Protection Division of the PA Office of Attorney General. “Everyone loves this program.”

Seven intense matches of competition led to a final match between Elizabethtown Area High School and Dallas High School. The teams were tied right through the end of the match, with Dallas High School winning the match by a single point.

State coordinator Donna Reinaker and her staff of volunteers ensured that all PA participants had a fun and educational experience. “I am a huge fan of LifeSmarts, and have told the Attorney General that LifeSmarts should be mandatory in high school,” said Brian Roche, consumer reporter for WGAL News 8, in his remarks as Question Master for part of the competition. “This stuff is going to stay with you for the rest of your life. This is why I come back every year.” Check out WGAL’s coverage of the competition here.

Linda William, Chief Deputy Attorney General and Director, was impressed by the breadth of knowledge required by teens in the program. “The questions are fantastic,” Williams said. “One question asked when you should discuss the possibility of a trade-in when buying a car. How great was that?”

As the Pennsylvania State Champions, the Dallas High School team and their coach, Kevin West, have earned the chance to represent their state at the LifeSmarts National Championship in Miami Beach, FL next month, competing against other state champion teams from across the country. We wish them luck, and look forward to seeing them in Miami Beach next month!

Update: State Champs Eliminated

This just in: these teams have been eliminated. Sorry, guys!

• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• Texas
• Washington
• Indiana
• Alabama
• New Mexico
• California
• Ohio
• Delaware
• Oklahoma
• Wisconsin
• Pennsylvania
• New York
• North Dakota
  

Random Bits from LS Nationals

"After four years, the grid makes sense." - South Carolina captain Brian Cauble, who's been to the national LifeSmarts Championship four years straight.

The Florida state champs from Marathon High School are from the Florida Keys. They reported yesterday that this is their first time seeing snow.

The team from Kansas started off their journey with an *interesting* experience, reported their captain at Saturday's orientation session. "On the way to the airport this morning, our Suburban hit a deer."

In honor of the state's role in the founding of Arbor Day, Nebraska brought small potted evergreens in little plastic tubes to share as a gift with the other teams. Last year's champion coach Ann George was spotted running up to her room to put the little guys in water.

Garrett Graham, captain of the Pennsylvania team from North East High (which happens to be located in the very westernmost part of the state), introduced his coach, Jeanne Lamb and added that his team's assistant coach couldn't be with the group because he's stationed in Baghdad.

First team on the dancefloor at the Saturday night mixer: California. First dance move: moonwalk.