Danville High’s young investors take honors in Stock Market Game
A team of investors from Danville High School captured first place in the Alabama Stock Market Game that ended Dec. 3
Competing against 326 teams from throughout the state, seniors Evan Cleghorn, Lacey Evans and Taylor Hayes came out on top with a portfolio value of $127,861.28. They claimed a $150 cash prize and a backpack for each team member.
The team started with $100,000 in the virtual stock market, then bought and sold stocks for 10 consecutive weeks. Another Danville High team finished in eighth place with a portfolio value totaling $113,175.83. Its members were Jorden Barnette, Ashley Boackle and Shay Terry. Each team member received a backpack.
Thirteen teams from Danville High participated in the competition with economics teacher Paul Wilson serving as their advisor.
Second and third place winners in the North Upper Division were teams from Spain Park and Sardis, respectively, with portfolios in the $119,000 range.
In the North Lower Division, teams from perennially strong Hartselle Junior High School came in second, third, fifth and eighth.
The second place team of Wes Tanner, Walker Thompson, Cody Tapscott and Brent Smith finished with a portfolio totaling $114,675,20. They claimed a $125 cash prize as a result of their investments in EBay and Netflix among others.
John Holt was a solo third place winner thanks to a 42 percent gain he made by investing on the NASDA in Arctic Cat Inc., a company that manufactures snowmobiles and ATVs. and a 27 percent gain with Under Armour. He took home a $100 cash prize.
Finishing in fifth place was the team of Weston Baker, Matt James and Andrew Nuss, with a portfolio of $112,000. They received a $50 cash award.
They competed against 453 teams and gifted teacher Elisa Harris advised them.
The Stock Market Game is sponsored by Sterne Agee and is presented by the Alabama Council on Economic Education.
“This year the winning portfolios were extremely diverse as a still volatile market continued to present challenges to the students,” said ACEE Executive Director Steve Rapp. “The Spock Market Game provides a terrific opportunity for students to apply classroom math and research skills to the real world.
