Eight area middle schools have declared their winners in the Grundy County and La Salle County Challenge Site’s 2013 “You Be the Chemist Challenge.”

Each school's first place winner and runner-up advance to the dual county competition held Monday, Feb. 11, at Seneca Elementary School-South Campus.

The scholastic bowl-style competition with a scientific/chemical twist is a national contest with 22 states competing this year. Illinois has eight challenge sites on its own, plus, this year, offered open registration for students to qualify through taking an exam in Naperville on Jan. 15.