(02/20/2020) Five Anoka-Hennepin seniors have been named National Merit finalists and are in the running for one of the 7,500 scholarships rewarding up to $2,500 for college.

The students: Blaine High School senior Ryan McGregor; and Champlin Park High School seniors Sarah Magner, Jack Nightingale, Connor Preston, and Georgiana Stammer.

About 7,500 students nationally were named National Merit finalists. The finalists are now in the running to earn one of two scholarships. Some 2,500 finalists will be named National Merit Scholars and will receive a one-time $2,500 National Merit Scholarship, and about 5,000 finalists will receive college and corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 per year.

Anoka-Hennepin’s National Merit finalists had to score in the top one percent in the state on the Preliminary SAT test, which was administered last year when the students were juniors. More than 1.5 million juniors in more than 21,000 high schools took that test, according to officials.

To become a finalist, the student and their high school needed to submit a scholarship application with information about the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment and any honors and awards.

Last year Blaine High School’s Alexis Wagenfeld earned the title of National Merit Scholar, and a number of other district students earned college and corporate-sponsored scholarships.

National Merit Scholars, as well as college and corporate-sponsored winners, will be named in the spring.