Science Olympiad regional crowns were awarded at a recent team competition at the University of Texas at Austin.
In Division C (high schools) Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) A team outperformed 10 other teams and won the meet by a 15-point margin.
William P. Clements A from Sugar Land, TX, took second place. The rest of the field, in order of final ranking, were William P.
Clements B, LASA B, Austin Area Homeschoolers, The Hockaday School, Harmony Science Academy-North Austin, Westwood High School of Round Rock, TX, Bellville ISD, Cedar Creek High School and Harmony Science Academy-Waco.
In Division B (middle schools), the two squads from Beckendorff Junior High in Katy, TX, had a close battle for the top spot but it went to the Green team by a mere two points over its Orange team counterpart.
Other competitors, in order of final ranking, included Kealing Middle School A, Austin Area Homeschoolers A, Austin ACES Science, Dailey Middle School A, Saint Andrew’s Middle School A, Kealing Middle School B, Harmony School of Excellence Houston 1, Harmony School of Excellence Houston 2, Bland ISD, Harmony Science Academy – Waco, Austin Area Homeschoolers B, Longfellow Middle School, Saint Andrew’s Middle School B, Harmony Science Academy – San Antonio Red, Dailey Middle School B, Harmony Science Academy – Lubbock and Harmony Science Academy – San Antonio Blue.
On March 23, just days before the regional meet, the 2014 Division B national champions from Beckendorff Junior High
represented Science Olympiad at the 2015 White House Science Fair and the team was honored by President Barrack Obama.
University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) Director Terry Quinn, Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science (TIDES) Director Erin Dolan, UTIG Geoscience Education Program Manager Kathy Ellins, and UTIG doctoral students Enrica Quartini and Marie Cavitte presented the medals at the regional competition.
The 2015 Science Olympiad National Tournament takes place on May 15-16 and is hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.