Photo Credit: Trevor Long
On Saturday, April 15, Fossil Ridge High School’s Science Olympiad teams 1 and 2 took first and fourth place, respectively, at the state competition in Golden, Colorado. Out of 23 events, team 1 had great success in 18, winning 12 gold and 3 silver and bronze medals. Team 2 medaled in 6 events, receiving first place once, second place three times, and third place twice. This is the third time Fossil’s Science Olympiad team has won the state competition, and the first time they will be going to nationals back-to-back. Of the team, Science Olympiad sponsor Dan Dannahower said, “We have many talented science-minded students in the club who work very hard to prepare for these competitions. Once again, their hard work and dedication has paid off.”
Some of the events the team took first place in include Anatomy, Astronomy, Chemistry Lab, Forensics, Hovercraft, and Ecology. In these events, students are tested on their science knowledge through actual multiple choice tests, labs, and projects where they have to build and test devices. Most students who join Science Olympiad plan on pursuing a science career in the future, though any student with an interest or curiosity about science is welcomed. Gracie Finnegan, sophomore, said, “I am excited to compete at a higher level and spend time with my friends away from school.” Members of the team will be traveling to Dayton, Ohio on May 19 and 20 for the Science Olympiad National Tournament. The team placed seventeenth in the nation at the event last year and hopes to continue their trend and do even better this year.
