Eight local students have been named semifinalists in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship program. The students are Daniel Townsend, from Laurel High School, and Sebastien Anderson, Taryn Harris, Caitlan Moore, Maurice Shelton, Matthew Shirley, Randi Williams and Amber Youhouse-Clark, all from Eleanor Roosevelt High School. These scholars will compete for one of 800 National Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $2.8 million to be awarded in the spring.