To prepare for their upcoming state series, three teams gather together every Monday night to take tests, replicate proteins, program games and make models.

In LTHS North Campus room 313, Science Olympiad members get ready to compete in their individual event at an upcoming regionals competition on March 5.  There is still work to be done to get the varsity and the two junior varsity teams on the club ready for regionals at Neuqua Valley High School.

“I expect us to win our regional competition and place in at least the top five at state but hopefully top two in state,” Science Olympiad advisor Bruce Falli said.  “If we get first or second in state, we will get to go to nationals in Wisconsin.”

The team has been very successful in recent invites including taking first place at the  Jan. 9 Valparaiso Invitational. The club has won at least one gold medal in every other tournament they have attended.

On top of practices on Monday nights, the key to success that Science Olympians have realized is attending multiple invites prior to regionals and state, Falli said.  Each tournament covers different topics so going to multiple tournaments before the state series really causes the club to experience benefits. Knowing a wide variety of information on a wide variety of topics helps greatly.

The new season brought new challenges, Falli said. With three new events, the coaches needed to learn the new material and teach the club members. The new events included Invasive Species, Game On and Hydrogeology. Despite being new events, the club has placed first, second and third in these events making the team more prepared for regionals and their potential advancement to state and nationals.

On top of new events, another challenge for the club is not focusing on their performance the prior year.

“We did not do so hot at regionals last year,” captain Diana Kafkes ’16 said. “It’s a kick in the butt to study. It taught me to be on top of my studying and we came back and ended up winning state in protein modeling last year.”