BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Bakersfield High School's Virtual Enterprise team was awarded first place Thursday morning in a national competition held in New York City with a team from Centennial High School taking third.

The teams placed in the "Business Plan" category of the US Network of Virtual Enterprises and Merrill Lynch National Business Competition, reported Sandi Banducci, Principal of the Regional Occupational Center.

The competition began on Tuesday with 18 teams from South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Tennessee and California.

BHS is only the second California school to take first place in the Business Plan category in the competitions five year history.

Centennial took first in 2006.