Idaho State University announces Eastern Idaho Science Olympics winning teams

Seven teams of seventh- through ninth-grade students from Alameda Middle School, Grace Lutheran School, Hawthorne Middle School, Holy Spirit Catholic School and Sandcreek Middle School competed with homemade water rockets, egg-carrying vehicles, catapults and wood bridges. Students competed in a forensics challenge, and tested their knowledge and experimental skills in five other science events. One to three students from each team could compete in each event.  

Students earning first, second and third place in each event were presented with gold, silver and bronze medals. The teams with the highest composite ranking overall were presented with trophies and a $150, $100 or $50 cash award to support science education.

Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers.  

The Olympiad was made possible by faculty and student volunteers from the ISU departments of physics, biology, chemistry, mechanical engineering and volunteer scientists and engineers from the Idaho National Laboratory.  

Teams from Hawthorne Middle School in Pocatello earned first and second places in the team competition. The team from Holy Spirit Catholic School in Pocatello earned third place. 

 All Hawthorne Middle School teams were coached by Gail Dutton. The Holy Spirit Catholic School team was coached by Peggy Kaiser. The Alameda Middle School team was coached by Deborah Henrie, the Grace Lutheran School team was coached by Cristine Callelman, and the Sandcreek Middle School team was coached by Kim Williams and Melinda Christensen.  

All teams were encouraged to compete in the state competition in Nampa on April 2. The Idaho champion team will be invited to compete in the National Science Olympiad at Indiana University in May. 

The first-place Hawthorne team consisted of team members Tyson Burrup, Eben Curtiss, Jackson Dahlstrom, Craig Holm, Bryce Johnson, Connor O’Hearn, David Shore, Morgan Tanner, Treagan Watson and Braxton Wilhelm.  Second place went to the Hawthorne team with Makalyla Darrow, Courtney Langford, Anna Lefevre, Sam Morrison, Tanner Roberts, Brystene Smith, Jarret Smith, Brayden Stouse and Brevin Vaughan.  

            Third place winners of the Holy Spirit team are Cierra Anderson, Peter Behrend, Tristin Hunter, John Kaiser, Athena Klos, Jack Maheras, Nikola Milovanovic, Sofia Milovanovic, Bodhi Modenhaver, Benda Napier, Alejandria Saldana, Presley Shaver, Mavity Shaw, Hanna Veatch and Alex Wilhelm.

More information on the Science Olympiad program is available at www.soinc.org.  For more information on the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad, contact Steve Shropshire at shrostev@isu.edu, or (208)-282-2212.