Idaho State University announces Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad winning teams
April 4, 2017
POCATELLO – Holy Spirit Catholic School earned first place in the team competition and teams from Alameda Middle School earned second and third places at the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad hosted by the Idaho State University Department of Physics in April.
Six teams of seventh- through ninth-grade students from Alameda Middle School, Hawthorne Middle School and Holy Spirit Catholic School in Pocatello competed with home-made water rockets, egg carrying vehicles, hovercrafts, and wood towers .
Students competed in a forensics challenge and tested their knowledge and experimental skills in five other fun 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 over all events were presented with trophies and a $150, $100, or $50 cash award to support science education courtesy of the Pocatello Kiwanis club.
The winning team from Holy Spirit Catholic School consisted of Jamal Chouffani, Abigail Hancock, Tristin Hunter, John Kaiser, Athena Klos, Marko Milovanovic, Sofia Milovanovic, and Bodhi Moldenhauer.
The second-place Alameda team consisted of Suzi Barrera, Cortney McCausey, Grace Morrissey, Samuel Morrissey, Andrea Rasmussen, Wyatt Scow, Katelyn Thorson, and Seth Woods.
The third-place Alameda team consisted of Jaymyn Griggs, Connor Hollenbeck, Daniel Jensen, Dakota Peck, Tyler Peck, Easton Roberts, and Connor Thorson.
The Holy Spirit Catholic School team was coached by Virginia Jones, and all Alameda Middle School teams were coached by Deborah Henrie. The Hawthorne Middle School team was coached by Michael McFadden.
All teams were encouraged to compete in the state competition in Nampa on April 8.
The Idaho champion team will be invited to compete in the National Science Olympiad at Indiana University in May.
The 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, geosciences, biology, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science, the ISU Circle K Club, and volunteer scientists and engineers from the Idaho National Laboratory.
More information on the Science Olympiad program is available at www.soinc.org. For more information on the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad, contact physics Professor Steve Shropshire at shrostev@isu.edu, or (208) 282-2212.