Cheyenne’s PODER Academy Wins the 2014 Colorado State Chess Tournament

The PODER Academy public charter school earned a first place team trophy at the 2014 Colorado State Chess Tournament on Saturday, February 15, and Sunday, February 16, 2014.

The charter school from Cheyenne had to compete against approximately 200 other students from all over Colorado, with the majority of competing schools being defined as middle class/affluent schools.

The school walked away from the tournament with a first place team trophy in the K-3rd grade division.

Chess Director Kyle Hayes stated, “We weren’t even sure we were going to compete in this tournament. Being from Wyoming, we thought it might be best to skip this tournament. But we told the kids, "Let’s go for it," and we are glad we did. We beat the best chess players in Colorado, and we are very proud of that.”