BELFAST — On Saturday, March 21, the Belfast Area High School Science Olympiad Team traveled to the University of Southern Maine in Gorham to compete in the Maine State Science Olympiad Tournament.

Teams from 15 private and public high schools from throughout Maine participated, including Cape Elizabeth, Yarmouth, Waterville, Falmouth and Waynflete. Students, working in pairs, competed in 21 different rigorous science and engineering events throughout the day.

This year, BAHS had two teams participate (a full team and an alternate team) in the science and technology event.

BAHS students took home four Olympic medals and placed sixth at the states.

Waynflete placed first and will represent Maine at the National Tournament in Nebraska in May.

Gold Medal First Place winners

Dynamic Planet – Alexis Racioppi and Jordan Bickford

Silver Medal Second Place Winners

Mission Possible – Alison and Kristina Walker

Wright Stuff (plane) – Katy King, Alison Walker, and Rick Wyman

Bronze Medal Third Place Winner

Geologic Mapping – Hannah Greene and Alexis Racioppi

Fourth Place

Bridge Building – Jordan Bickford, Nolan Woods

Bungee Jump – Rick Wyman and Nolan Wood

Fossils - Hannah Greene and Alison Walker

Write It Do It – Katy King and Peter Spectre

Dynamic Planet (alternate team): Melinda Boynton and William Bickford

Fifth Place

Chemistry Lab – Alexis Racioppi and Michael Samsel

Scrambler – Nolan Woods and Jordan Bickford

Green Generation: Peter Spectre and Michael Samsel

Community members and BAHS/THMS teachers that helped mentor students include Richard Podolsky, Susan Walker, Joe Woods, Kim Spectre, David Sprague, and teachers Beth Baker, David Thomas, Charles Hamm, Steve Groening and Ted Pellerin.

BAHS is currently recruiting more team members in grades 8-11 for next year's teams. Adult mentors with a background in science and engineering interested in working with students on specific events are being sought as well.

If interested, contact Jacquie Gage Kahn, Science Olympiad Coach at jkahn@rsu20.org

The National Science Olympiad program is dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education, increasing student interest in science, creating a technologically literate workforce and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. The International Science Olympiad program has been recognized as a model science and engineering program applauded by Presidents of the United States and Canada's Prime Minister. For more information on the Science Olympiad program see www.soinc.org.