DMS Science Olympiad team brings home 10 medals from regional contest

Congratulations to the C.S. Driver Middle School Science Olympiad team, which placed 12th out of 30 teams competing in the 2014 Mid-State Regional Science Olympiad B Dvision competition held March 1 in Red Creek.

Bottom row (from left): Hannah Naczi, Maggie Strempel and Mary Jo Hoeft. Seated at desks (from left): Maisie Moses, Amy Francesconi, Faith Norstad, Bella Grosso and Jeremiah Fleig. Standing behind desks (from left): Becca Grinnell, Maddie Riccardi, Sami DiMarco, Colin Arnett, Brandon Meyer, Grant Lewis, Jeff Shi, Nick Roseboom. Fourth row (from left) Noel Burkett, Dan Wrona, Justin Costa, Dan Posecznick, Ethan Mosure and John Riccardi. Top row: Jack Santariello, Riley Burns, Maddy Mahoney, Mackenna Caryl and Makayla Spicer.

Marcellus sent a total of 24 students divided between two teams, one for seventh- and eighth-graders and the other for sixth-graders:

• Eighth grade: Noel Burkett, Dan Wrona, Dan Posecznick, Jack Santariello, John Riccardi, Maddie Riccardi, Grace Coon, Maddy Mahoney, Mackenna Caryl, Sami DiMarco, Ethan Mosure, Riley Burns, Justin Costa and Makayla Spicer;
• Seventh grade: Becca Grinnell, Jeffrey Shi, Grant Lewis and Nick Roseboom; and
• Sixth grade: Brandon Meyer, Colin Arnett, Amy Francesconi, Bella Grosso, Zach Sperling, Maggie Strempel, Faith Northstad, Maisie Moses and Jeremiah Fleig.

The competition has 24 events in the areas of life science, physical science, earth science and engineering. A student works with a partner and can choose between one and five events in which to participate. (Most of Marcellus’ students competed in three or four events each.) Each team can send only one entry into each event – either a written test, an on-demand task, or a lab event – and the team score is recorded based on how well all the members do in all 24 events.

“Students are often competing outside of their comfort zones, and ours rise to the challenge pretty well,” said DMS science teacher and Olympiad adviser Hannah Naczi.

The team also brought home 10 medals:

• Maddie Riccardi and Mackenna Caryl, eighth place in anatomy;
• Dan Wrona and Dan Posecnick, 10th place in the “Can’t Judge a Powder” event;
• Noel Burkett and Dan Wrona, second place in the “Disease Detective” event;
• Ethan Mosure and Jack Santariello, fifth place in “Road Scholar” event; 
• Jeff Shi and Grant Lewis, second place, in “Robo-Cross” event;
• Jeff Shi and Grant Lewis, fifth place, in “Simple Machines” event;
• Justin Costa and Riley Burns, fifth place, in “Sounds of Music” event;
• Maisie Moses and Amy Francesconi, ninth place, in “Sounds of Music” event;
• Jeff Shi and Grant Lewis, first place in “Write It/Do It” event; and
• Mackenna Caryl and Makayla Spicer, fifth place, in “Invasives” event.