Science Olympiad Team Places Ninth in State Tournament!
April 18, 2011
On Saturday, April 16, over 1,500 Science Olympians (middle school and high school) converged on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus to compete in over 40 different events combined. Our Middle School division had 23 events with a total of 44 teams competing. These teams were the top 44 in the state - after getting through their individual regional competitions. After a 13th place overall team finish last year, our goal was Top 10 this year - and we did it!
The Science & Arts Academy Science Olympiad team placed 9th overall! Even the Illinois Science Olympiad state directors commented that they were impressed with our rise through the ranks in the short five years we have been participating - including advancing from the lower tier of schools just two years ago. At the state tournament, medals are awarded to the top five teams in each event. SAA medaled in Aquifers, Battery Buggy, Compute This, Crime Busters, Geocaching, Optics, Road Scholar, Shock Value, and Solar System.
SAA also won the SPIRIT AWARD! This award is given to one team (per division) who exemplifies good sportsmanship and team spirit throughout the competition - as voted on by the individual event supervisors. We are very proud that our kids represented SAA with so much respect and enthusiasm to warrant this recognition. KABOOM!
