The Science Olympiad team went to the University of Illinois to compete at State on April 16.
The team placed second overall at the Regional competition at CLC in March to qualify for State. They placed 16 out of 51 at the State Competition. At State, Misha Rodell and Billy Lay won first place in Invasive Species. Misha Rodell and Zach Ravn won second place in Disease Detectives. Connor Bergman and Maddy Schaider won fourth place in Air Trajectory. The team also won the high school division team spirit award.
“We wanted to help students get more involved in science. This activity allows them to pick the areas of science they are interested in and to learn about them in greater depth. We really like the variety of activities that students can participate including studying, labs, and device building. These students are so passionate about science, and we are happy to help them compete in something that they love and see them succeed,” said advisers Megan Finn and Jennifer Grutza.
The team had a total of 23 members compete. The team advanced on to State to compete in 23 different events.
“There are study, lab, and build events. The study and lab events include topics from biology, chemistry and physics. The build events include robots, bridges and planes,” Finn and Grutza said.
The team was competing against other schools such as Stevenson High School, Grayslake Central and Lyons Township. This was North’s first year at State for Science Olympiad.
“I’ve always been interested in science, and it’s a way to meet new people,” said member Abby Hsiao.