The middle school Science Olympiad team competed in the Indiana University Regional Tournament last Saturday, on February 17, at Indiana University Northwest.
The team was comprised of six students: Freshman Maxwell Schroader, eighth graders Conrad Brownd, Devin Martin, Dylan Belsky, Lily Buckmaster, and seventh grader Simon Amezcua. As a team of six, they competed against other full-strength teams of fifteen. Despite this, they took home fourteen medals in total and became Griffith’s most successful Science Olympiad team to date, representing our school well. To qualify for the state competition, the team needed 105 points and just barely missed the margin by two points.
Being on the team required dedication and determination. Practices began back in September, and there were multiple meetings a week. Each team member specialized in only a few topics to become an expert on their subjects. Even though the competition season is finished now, they will continue to meet each week in order to practice their skills. “We’re going to finish what we started,” said Mr. Farnell.
Some of the team’s notable projects were the “Ball Launcher,” the “Marble Coaster” and the “Wheeled Vehicle.” They also competed in knowledge-based topics, such as Wind Power, Anatomy and Physiology, Meteorology, Crime Busters, and Experimental Design. In total, the team took on 22 topics out of the 23 available.
The Science Olympiad, founded in 1984, is the nation’s most significant team-based STEM competition and poses numerous challenges based in different branches of science. This year, the topics were Life, Personal & Social Science | Earth and Space Science | Physical Science & Chemistry | Technology & Engineering | Inquiry & Nature of Science.
In 2019, the Science Olympiad was brought to Griffith. Mr. Farnell coached the team in all of its competition years: 2019-2020, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and now 2023-2024. He spoke about why he enjoyed coaching: “It gives us a chance to do science and engineering that isn’t limited by what we do in the classroom, so we’re able to be more creative, solve unexpected problems and have more time to delve into detail…a key thing is that these students are motivated and want to be here, to learn.”
Some teammates had years of experience since sixth grade, while others were new to the competition. However, they all unanimously agreed that the Science Olympiad was a positive experience, and that they would continue to compete in the future. “You can basically bring your ideas and make them real,” Devin Martin said.
For any student interested in any STEM-related field, the Science Olympiad is a great opportunity to gain knowledge and put it into practice. STEM, being one of the most important fields of study in the world, is a good path to pursue for the future. Currently, Griffith only has a middle school Science Olympiad team, but they are looking to form a high school team for the 2024-2025 competition season.
Let’s commend our Science Olympiad team for their dedication and success.
