ADAMS TWP — Two members of the Mars High School IQ team brought good news to the school board Tuesday evening.

The students, senior Claire Staresinic, 17, and recent graduate Rebecca Devorak, 18, told the school board they reached the semifinals for the television game show “Hometown High Q” in Pittsburgh.

“I think this year, we far exceeded our expectations for how we would do in the competition,” Staresinic said.

The trivia show features high school teams of three members competing for prize money, starting with 81 schools.

After that, the field is narrowed to 27 teams, then nine and then one champion.

Staresinic and Devorak along with their teammate Andrew Diefenbacher, 18, were one of the nine teams that made it to the semifinals. They lost to eventual tournament winners, Knoch High School, in a three-school match.

“I’m very proud of all three of us,” Staresinic said. “We worked really well together.”

The team members also acknowledged alternate members of the IQ team Tuesday evening as well as their adviser and high school teacher, Shaun Babka.

The team won a $1,500 consolation prize. Team members said the money will go to the school library, which plans to use it for www.turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection website aimed to help students with their writing.

“This doesn’t just benefit the library,” Staresinic said. “It will help students in grade nine through 12 in all their classes.”

Board members praised the team’s efforts.

“You have all made us very, very proud,” school board President Dayle Ferguson said.