By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Centre’s Cole Srajer and Max Svoboda will be getting a $2,250 check in the mail after taking fourth place in a state Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on April 24 at Kansas State University.

Their business, Cole’s Cards, qualified for state competition after placing first in county competition in March.

After making a preliminary presentation to a group of eight judges, they were selected to compete in the finals.

“We didn’t think we would win anything,” Cole said later. “We were kind of surprised. We were competing against 40 other teams.”

Cole said he had to leave to go to a baseball game before awards were announced, so Max accepted their trophies.

Their business teacher, Ashley Coirier, said the monetary award was $2,000 from Network Kansas for being a top-four finalist and $250 from Kansas Masons for qualifying for the event.

“Not too bad for a day’s work,” she said.

Cole’s Cards buys sports trading cards online and sells them at a markup. The business has grossed almost $9,000 since its startup last July.

The two students will graduate this spring. They plan to attend K-State next fall while continuing the business.