TOPEKA— Seven students came to Washburn University with a history project and left with a ticket to the nation’s capital.

On Saturday, April 28, students from across Kansas competed at the state’s National History Day competition. Facing the best that advanced from their respective regional competitions, the Lions displayed exhibits, websites, and documentaries on this year’s topic of “Triumph and Tragedy” in history.

Out of the hundreds of students that attended, only the top two for each respective category is to advance to the National History Day at the University of Maryland. Out of the seven Lions that qualified, every project was ranked first by the judges.

Junior Trevor Arellano teamed up with junior Sami Turner on creating a website chronicling Quantrill’s raid against Lawrence.

“Sami and I spent countless days and nights working on the website,” Arellano said. “We put everything into it and got first…”

The trio of juniors Henry DeWitt, Keaton Hoy and Cameron Bohmann may have not advanced to nationals, but their video documentary, The Gunfight at O.K. Corral, left the judges laughing at their reenactments of the wild west.

The national competition is set for this summer, and advisor Valerie Schrag is working to raise money to allow the group of qualifiers to go. The impressive size of that group prompted their recognition at an education board meeting.

“I’m honestly looking forward to going to Washington D.C. with Ms. Schrag,” Arellano said. “She’s amazing.”