Four high school seniors, three from Wesleyan School in Peachtree Corners and one from Norcross High school, have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship program.

They are: Ryan Ward, Norcross High; and Nathan Grice, Elizabeth Lockett and Takim Williams, Wesleyan School.

They are among the 16,000 students nationwide in the running for more than 8,000 National Merit Scholarships, totaling more than $34 million.

The group will be whittled down to finalists in February. Scholarship winners will be announced in April.