Finishing in first place at the Virginia Regional High School Science Bowl was the team from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology from Alexandria, Va. Pictured from left to right is Coach Sharon Webb, Charlotte Seid, Daniel Schafer, Lisa Marrone, Neel Kotra and Logan Kearsley.
After a slow start, the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology team prevailed at the 2006 Virginia Regional High School Science Bowl on Feb. 11, making this the team's fifth consecutive year finishing in first. The win gives the Alexandria, Va., team a berth at the National Science Bowl® competition being held in Washington, D.C., April 27 through May 1. For the last four years, the TJHSST team has gone on to win Science Bowl nationals.
The TJHSST team lost one match and at halftime in another match was behind 40 to 0 during the morning round robin session. But in the end they beat out 19 other teams at the Virginia Regional Science Bowl, held at Jefferson Lab in Newport News, Va., to take home a $600 check for its school, the regional banner that the team will carry to nationals, a team trophy, and individual medals.
T.C. Williams High School, also from Alexandria, took second place; the team received a $400 check for its school and a team trophy. Finishing in third was Charlottesville High School, Charlottesville, Va.; the team went home with a $300 check for its school and a team trophy. Langley High School, McLean Va., rounded out the group of top finishers with fourth place.
Taking home the second place trophy from the Virginia Regional High School Science Bowl was the team from T.C. Williams High School from Alexandria, Va. Pictured from left to right is Rachel Brown-Glazner, Ian Waters, Edward Montiel, Coach Manu Patel, Charles Slominski and Todd Bernhard.
The National Science Bowl® program is a highly visible educational event and academic competition among teams of high school students who attend science seminars and compete in an intense question-and-answer format, solving technical problems and answering questions from chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and the general, earth and computer sciences. The regional and national events encourage student involvement in math and science activities, improve awareness of career options in science and technology, and provide an avenue of enrichment and reward for academic achievement. The Science Bowl program has been sponsored since 1991 by the U.S. Department of Energy.
A number of teams eliminated from competition after the morning rounds stayed for the afternoon to participate in a series of math and science challenges dubbed the Ferguson Enterprises Stay All Day contest. St. Christopher's School, Richmond, Va., won the Ferguson Enterprises-sponsored competition and received a $250 check from Ferguson, a nationwide wholesale plumbing and heating equipment and supplies distributor headquartered in Newport News. Activities included determining the mass of an object using balance and a little math; calculating where to place a target so the target would be hit by a ball rolling down an inclined plane and falling off a table; and determining the distance between the sun and each planet for a scale-model of the solar system. St. Christopher's team won with the best composite score for the three activities.
Capturing third place at the Virginia Regional High School Science Bowl was the team from Charlottesville High School. Pictured from left to right is Coach Kyle Cochran, Carrie Schroll, Amanda Strickland, Daigo Kawasaki, Brian Bills and Kendall Bills.
"These events are vital because they champion an interest in science and math among our nation's youth," notes Jan Tyler, Jefferson Lab's Science Education program manager. "An event like this is a great way to promote education, academic excellence and an interest in math and science. These events give us the opportunity to encourage and motivate young minds. By hosting the regional science bowl, Jefferson Lab is able to show support for science education in Virginia and to encourage our youth to pursue a higher education and careers in science and math."
"Developing the next generation of scientists and engineers is a critical part of ensuring America's scientific, economic and energy future," said Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman, in a statement kicking off the annual competition. "The National Science Bowl is an important part of DOE's effort to encourage America's best and brightest to explore the fields of science and engineering and ultimately be a part of solving the great questions facing our nation and our world as scientists and engineers have done throughout our history."