Proving that last year’s performance was certainly no fluke, a team of Huntington Middle Schoolers won the 33rd annual Los Angeles Regional Science Olympiad at Antelope Valley College on Saturday, January 26.
The Foxes outdashed 19 other middle schools in the 23-event competition and have earned a spot in the state championships, which will be held at Caltech on Saturday, April 6.
HMS students earned medals in 21 of the 23 categories and all 15 members of the team placed in one or more events. Nine won their events with seven finishing second and five claiming third place medals.
“I am so proud of our team this year,” said Suzanne Nitta, the 8th grade science teacher at HMS. “They worked so hard and it was great seeing all of their hard work pay off. Most of all, I am happy to see them have a great time in the process.”
Cynthia Wong, the 7th grade science teacher at HMS, told The Tribune “It is great to see the increasing interest in Science Olympiad over the past few years. I want to encourage more and more of our students to go into the science and engineering fields, because they are our future.”
David Zheng, a San Marino High School graduate now attending Caltech, helps out with the squad. Zheng took first place in both events he entered last year at the Los Angeles Regional Science Olympiad, as SMHS won the high school version of the competition.
After a decade-long hiatus, this is the third consecutive year the HMS has fielded a Science Olympiad team. The Foxes finished second in 2018 after a runner-up effort in 2017.
Science Olympiad is an international, non-profit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. Science Olympiad tournaments are rigorous, academic, interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of individual and team events which students prepare for during the year.
HUNTINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Crime Busters: Audrey Jung and Bethany Ang, 2nd Place
Density Lab: Sean Killackey and Helena Wu, 1st Place
Experimental Design: Sophia An, Katie Lui and Leo Feng, 1st Place
Herpetology: Elsa Panning and Sebastian Liong, 3rd Place
Dynamic Planet: Helena Wu and Aaron Ong, 3rd Place
Heredity: Audrey Jung and Nora Chang, 2nd Place
Thermodynamics: Olivia Wang and Sean Killackey, 2nd Place
Fossils: Katie Lui and Lillian Panning, 1st Place
Circuit Lab: Aparna Venkat and Berwyn Phan, 1st Place
Disease Detectives: Nora Chang and Audrey Jung, 1st Place
Boomilever: Olivia Wang and Sean Killackey
Battery Buggy: Bethany Ang and Sophia An, 2nd Place
Anatomy & Physiology: Sophia An and Aparna Venkat, 3rd Place
Potions & Poisons: Helena Wu and Audrey Jung, 1st Place
Road Scholar: Aaron Ong and Bethany Ang, 1st Place
Roller Coaster: Sebastian Liong and Berwyn Phan
Elastic Glider: Elsa Panning and Leo Feng, 2nd Place
Meteorolgy: Olivia Wang and Lillian Panning, 1st Place
Water Quality: Leo Feng and Katie Lui, 3rd Place
Write It Do It: Bethany Ang and Elsa Panning, 2nd Place
Codebuster: Aparna Venkat, Aaron Ong and Berwyn Phan, 1st Place
Solar System: Lillian Panning and Olivia Wang, 2nd Place
Mystery Adventure: Sean Killackey and Sebastian Liong, 3rd Place
