Elizabeth Perkins

Westminster Middle School Science Olympiad Team Wins City Competition, Advances to State

Westminster Academy Science Olympiad participants once again proved themselves as some of the best in the city during this year’s competition. The middle school team earned the highest overall marks for all events and was awarded first place in the city. As a result, they will proceed to the state competition on April 6 in Nashville. Many of the Westminster students placed in the top 4 of their individual events, going up against seasoned competitors on 22 other teams representing local middle and high schools.
The competition, which was held at Southwest Community College, places an emphasis on hands-on learning and group participation. The events cover a broad range of topics including: earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, engineering, forensics; and they fall into one of three categories: knowledge based, lab based, or testing of prebuilt models (such as towers or hovercrafts).
“This is the second year that Westminster has participated in Science Olympiad and our students have risen to the task of exploring what the competition looks like and how to prepare for the events.” said Sarah Dormois, one of the Westminster Academy coaches.

Middle School First place winners, Elastic Launcher Glider: Sophia Pereyra, Ruth Marino

The individual and team results were as follows:

Middle School Division
FIRST PLACE OVERALL – awarded a state competition slot

  • First place, Herpetology: Heath Taylor and Carnes Herrin
  • First place, Heredity: Joyce Wang
  • First place, Dynamic Planet: Camille Smith, Braden Robbins
  • First place, Fossils: Braden Robbins, Barrett Welchons
  • First place, Circuit Lab: Sophia Pereyra, Ruth Marino
  • First place, Roller Coaster: Mitchell Read
  • First place, Elastic Launcher Glider: Sophia Pereyra, Ruth Marino
  • First place, Write it Do it: Camille Smith, Rachel Taylor
  • First place, Experimental Design: Joyce Wang, Sam Besh, Barrett Welchons
  • First place, Crime Buster: Braden Robins, Joyce Wang
  • Second place, Road Scholar: Mitchell Read
  • Second place, Game On: Scratch programming: Sam Besh, Barrett Welchons
  • Second place, Thermodynamics: Sam Besh, Mitchell Read
  • Third place, Disease Detectives: Jack Dougherty, Branden McElroy
  • Third place, Density Lab: Braden Robins, Camille Smith
  • Third place, Potions and Poisons: Jack Dougherty, Heath Taylor
  • Third place, Boomilever: Jack Dougherty, Heath Taylor

High School Division
FOURTH PLACE OVERALL

The judge called this battery buggy “one of the most ingenious designs he’d ever seen”.
  • First place, Herpetology: Gibby Fakes
  • First place, Write It Do It: Mae Mae Reneau and Emma Hays Gibson
  • First place, Wright Stuff: Daniel Rhodes, Eliot Walker
  • Second place, Boomilever: Josiah Bratton, Max Baker
  • Second place, Water Quality: Gibby Fakes
  • Second place, Fermi Questions: William Tusant, Josiah Bratton
  • Third place, Thermodynamics; William Tusant, Grayson Nelms
  • Third place, Geologic Mapping: Daniel Rhodes
  • Third place, Mission Possible: Rube Goldberg: Ben Nelms
  • Fourth place, Mousetrap Vehicle: William Tusant, Grayson Nelms
  • Fourth place, Sounds of Music: Michelle Cole
  • Fourth place, Protein Modeling: William Tusant, Josiah Bratton
  • Fourth place, Forensics: Ginny Fisher, Caroline Cruse
  • Fourth place, Code Busters: Ben and Grayson Nelms
  • Fourth place, Dynamic Planet: Ben Nelms

Coaches
Sarah Dormois
Christopher Marino
Mary Cocke Read

Best wishes to the team at state on April 6!