Cape Hatteras Secondary students compete in Science Olympiad

Published 2:09 pm Friday, March 3, 2023

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Cape Hatteras Secondary School’s 29-member Science Olympiad team participated in the recent regional competition in Greenville.

Middle school and high school students from 19 eastern North Carolina counties competed in 46 activities that tested skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The regional event was held at East Carolina University, hosted by the Center for STEM Education and drew on the expertise of several university departments.

Get the latest headlines sent to you

First place finishers in the competition will compete in April at North Carolina State University. Top teams from state competition will represent North Carolina at the National Science Olympiad Tournament.

In 1974, North Carolina and South Carolina were the first states to create the Science Olympiad which was held at St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Delaware followed in 1977 at Delaware State University and in 1982 in Michigan.

Middle school and high school students from Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash and Northampton counties competed in the annual Greenville Regional Science Olympiad on the campus of East Carolina University on Feb. 18, 2023.

Competition medals were awarded to the following Cape Hatteras Secondary students:

In Division C for high school competitors, Grace Vernesoni and Gracie Fuller finished second in the Flight competition. In this event, prior to the competition, the team designed, constructed and tested free flight rubber-powered aircraft to achieve maximum time aloft. Competing in this division were 18 high school teams.

Division B is for middle grades students. Some 17 middle school teams competed in this division. Cape Hatteras students participated in the following competitions:

Second place Storm the Castle: Zeke Willis and Xander Aiken, prior to the competition, designed constructed and calibrated a single device capable of launching projectiles onto a target and collected data regarding device parameters and performance.

Fifth place Bio Process Lab: Xander Aiken and Adair Zavala-Roldan participated in a lab-oriented competition involving the fundamental science processes of a middle school life science/biology lab program.

Fifth place Crave the Wave: Owen Austin and Landen Sonnier demonstrated knowledge and process skills needed to solve problems and answer questions regarding all types of waves and wave motion.

Sixth place Anatomy and Physiology: Kalynn Bock and Alaina Bonanni were tested on their understanding of the anatomy and physiology for the human respiratory, digestive and immune systems.

Sixth place Bottle Rocket: Liam Van Druten and Sofia Bills built and tested ahead of time up to two rockets designed to stay aloft for the greatest amount of time.

Sixth place Crime Busters: Kalynn Bock and Landen Sonnier were given a scenario, a collection of evidence and possible suspects. The pair performed a series of tests. The test results, along with other evidence, were used to solve a crime.

Sixth place Disease Detectives: Liam Van Druten and Paizley Schultz used investigative skills in the scientific study of disease, injury, health and disability in populations or groups of people.

Sixth place Write It, Do It: Paizley Schultz and Cadia Clements. One student wrote a description of an object and how to build it. The other student attempted to construct the object from this description.

The Cape Hatteras Secondary Science Olympiad team members for 2022-23 are:

Xander Aiken, Gary Austin, Owen Austin, Sofia Bills, Kalynn Bock, Alaina Bonanni, Daniel Briones-Avila, Jack Fuller, Seaton Hawpe, Landen Sonnier, Paizley Schultz, Liam Van Druten, Zeke Willis, Adair Zavala-Roldan, Kimber Ballance, Gracie Fuller, Alan Garcia Velazquez, Audrey Kramer, Taylor Mabry, Sherlyn Mendieta, Colin Midgett, Silas Midgett, Abby O’Neal, Estrella Olan-Campos, Sam Schena, Ayden Throne, Grace Vernesoni, Alexis Zavala-Roldan and Cadia Clements.

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS HERE.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE COASTLAND TIMES TODAY!