SANDPOINT — Sandpoint Middle School and Washington Elementary students took learning about garbage to a whole new level. Several teams competed in the Future City program, with three SMS students taking first place at state last weekend and earning an all-expense paid trip to the nation's capital.

Seventh-graders Kate Bokowy and Camille Neuder teamed up with eighth-grader Bennet White and created a futuristic city dealing with the future of garbage. The program theme was "Waste Not, Want Not." The team said they had about seven to eight other students helping with the project, however, they were the three who presented it to the judges.

"We won by half a point from the second team," Bokowy said. "Before the finals round, we were seven points behind them."

White said the team goal was to finish above fourth place and Neuder said waiting for the winning teams to be announced was one of the hardest parts of the weekend.

"That was a lot of adrenaline for me to handle," Bokowy said.

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