Scarsdale notched top second overall and qualified for the state tournament last Saturday, February 2 at the Lower Hudson Science Olympiad Division C Regionals competition. Students took written tests, completed lab activities, and demonstrated machines and builds in a variety of events ranging from Ornithology, testing knowledge of birds, to Sounds of Music, challenging students to build an instrument and understand its function. Three teams of Scarsdale students took home a total of 27 medals, which were won by placing top ten in events. 

Part of the team’s success at regionals came from its earlier experience competing at the Carnegie Mellon Science Olympiad Invitational in the second weekend of January. A smaller team of students took the cumulative 16-hour bus ride to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Scarsdale won 9th overall and several medals, including two for winning 1st place in events.

As the SHS team waited for regional results on Saturday, they relaxed over snacks and Super Smash Bros Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch a student had brought. Before the awards ceremony, the team cheered for their “Quiz Bowl” team as they competed answering science questions on stage. Tensions naturally arose as the awards ceremony neared. “We were nervous because we knew we had made a few unforced errors that could have cost us. But as we always are, we were optimistic and confident that, in general, we gave the competition everything we had and left it all out on the proverbial field over the course of the day,” recalled Captain Jack Silvers ’20. 

Scarsdale’s preparation and abilities prevailed as they finished with 13 top-three finishes. While the main team placed 2nd, the secondary and tertiary teams contributed significantly to the total medal count. Out of 44 teams, Scarsdale B placed 14th overall.

Next, the team looks to the States tournament in early March in Syracuse. “We are taking our normal approach of telling each team member to pick one or two events to specialize in. This approach emphasizes studying and preparing a lot in our strongest areas so we can win the most medals and hopefully break into the top 15. The competition will be really strong, but we know we can raise our game and compete with the best if we put in the necessary effort,” explained Silvers.