Dozens of 8th and 9th graders from around the state will descend upon the State Capitol Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for their own version of March Madness. The 90 students are semifinalists in the 2012 Arizona EGUMPP Grammar Bowl. They will compete on the floors of the Senate and House, sitting at the desks of the Members. The students will complete a 90 minute, six-part grammar test. In the end, 24 students will move on to the finals.

Senate Education Chair Rich Crandall has been a key force behind the Grammar Bowl. “These are impressive young people, and they’ll be putting on quite a show at the legislature,” said Senator Crandall.

The EGUMPP Grammar Bowl moves on to Grand Canyon University for the Finals on April 14.

The Grammar Bowl is sponsored by EGUMPP (Electronic Grammar Usage Mechanics Proficiency Program), a web-based solution for learning grammar, usage, punctuation, and writing mechanics. EGUMPP was developed by Bob Safran, a publisher and business school owner who realized his incoming students had poor grammar skills.