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The snow-packed roads kept some schools away, but more than 600 students braved the weather Saturday to attend the 25th annual regional Science Olympiad at Johnson County Community College.

The competition, which occurs in 47 states every year, is open to grades six through 12, and though students who participate come from all different schools, backgrounds and levels of experience, they usually have at least one collective thought in common: Science really is the spice of life.

“Cause it’s just so much fun,” said Lawrence Free State High School senior Ruth Byers of why she has participated in Olympiads since the eighth grade. “You go in, take a test and a lot of times, you get medals for your efforts.”

This year’s Science Olympiad kicked off at 8:30 a.m. and students from schools across northeast Kansas were in attendance, including those from Bonner Springs High School, Basehor-Linwood Middle School and Tonganoxie High School. Jackson Heights Middle School, Overland Trail Middle School, Seaman Middle School, Turner Middle School, Blue Valley High School, Blue Valley Northwest and Leavenworth High School either canceled or didn’t show up due to heavy snowfall that lasted all morning and most of the afternoon.

Saturday’s Olympiad was structured so that students could participate in many different science-related competitions throughout the day. Each school was allowed to send a team of 15 students and grade levels were divided into divisions B and C. Division B was for middle school and junior high students. Competitions available in this division ranged from meteorology to environmental chemistry to one competition related to amphibians and reptiles. In division C, high school students took tests related to cell biology, forensics and technical problem solving.

Some interactive events, such as one covering the study of trajectory, were available to both divisions. Students wanting to participate in trajectory were required to build a homemade catapult prior to the competition. During the competition, each team of two used their catapult to launch a tennis ball and collect data based on how high and how far the ball went. Bonner Springs High School sophomore Riley Mortensen said this was one of her favorite events of the day. Her catapult was one she built in an hour on the Wednesday before with partner Alan Smith, who is a BSHS junior.

“We watched all these kids with complicated catapults launch their tennis ball and they all missed,” Mortensen said. “And we got up there with our simple, to-the-point catapult and got it on the first try. It’s amazing, the power of simplicity.”

To prepare for the Olympiad, many students begin studying at the beginning of the school year. Each team has a coach as well, but regional director of the northeast Kansas Science Olympiad Dennis Bishop, who is also a coach for the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School team, said that his role as coach often becomes obsolete with these self-motivated students.

“You wind up getting (students) who are really enthusiastic about science and learning,” Bishop said. “The coaches don’t really do that much in the way of instruction.”

At the end of each Olympiad is an award ceremony, where medals are given to the students who receive the most points in each of the competitions. Medals up to sixth place are given out. Trophies are also awarded to the top three schools. While this is one of many highlights the students will experience throughout the day, Bishop said the real reward for him comes from how much knowledge all the participants are able to achieve just through preparing for the Olympiad.

“I have a Ph.D. in medicine and by the end of this competition, they know a lot more about science than I do,” Bishop said. “That’s exciting as a coach, to see them do that.”

The State Science Olympiad will be Saturday, April 4, at Wichita State University.

area school results

Division B

First place overall: California Trail Junior High

• Basehor-Linwood Middle School placed 17th out of 20 participating schools and received a silver medal and a fourth-place medal

• St. Joseph Catholic placed third and received five gold medals, three silver medals, three bronze medals, a fourth-place medal and two sixth-place medals

• Tonganoxie Middle School placed 11th and received two fifth-place medals and a sixth-place medal

Division C

First place overall: Olathe East High School

• Basehor-Linwood placed 16th out of 17 participating schools and received two sixth-place medals

• Bonner Springs High School placed 12th and received a gold medal, a fifth-place medal and a sixth-place medal

• Mill Valley placed third and received four gold medals, two silver medals, three bronze medals, two fourth-place medals, a fifth-place medal and five sixth-place medals

• Shawnee Mission Northwest placed 13th and received a fourth-place medal, a fifth-place medal and a sixth-place medal

• St. James Academy placed fourth and received three gold medals, two silver medals, four bronze medals, three fourth-place medals, three fifth-place medals and two sixth-place medals

• Tonganoxie High School placed 10th and received a silver medal, two fourth-place medals and a sixth-place medal

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