The Wantagh High School Science Olympiad team took part in two competitions earlier this year, bringing home multiple medals for their hard work. Four teams of fifteen students competed at the Capitol Region Science Olympiad Invitational at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School in January, and the Western regional competition at Kellenberg High School in February.

Under the instruction of Rich Colavita and senior captains Emily Akley, Maureen Gavin, and Chelston Ang, nine students took home medals at the Capital Region Invitational. Students Kenny Peluso and Lindsey Stevens received medals for first place in the Microbe Mission category. Four other teams were also awarded medals, placing third in their designated categories: Jaclyn Onufrey and Isabella Swyst in the category of Forestry, Dan Charytonowicz and Peter Mountanos in Fermi Questions, Chelston Ang and Alexander Swyst in Gravity Vehicle, and Dan Charytonowicz and Kenny Peluso in Magnetic Levitation.

After a successful run at the invitational in January, the team took part in the Science Olympiad Western Regional Competition in February. Seventy-two teams from forty-two Nassau County schools attended the competition, including Wantagh’s four teams. The competition included twenty different events that involved a variety of different topics in science and engineering. Teams are awarded medals in each event, and the top eight schools overall continue on to the state competition. Wantagh’s exceptional and highly skilled teams ranked high among the top fifteen best schools, with one team placing 9th overall and another 14th. Wantagh’s top team was awarded medals in eight of the twenty events, while the second team received one. The following students were recognized in the corresponding categories:

2nd place in Microbe Mission- Kenny Peluso and Lindsey Stevens, 2nd Place in Forensics- Alyssa Kelly and Avery Kratzer, 2nd Place in Magnetic Levitation- Dan Charytonowicz and Kenny Peluso, 3rd place in Write it, Do it- Emily Akley and Maureen Gavin, 4th place in Anatomy- Alyssa Kelly and Jaclyn Onufrey, 4th place in Rocks and Minerals- Kaitlin Pfundstein and Isabella Swyst, 4th place in Gravity Vehicle- Chelston Ang and Jonathan Schifman, 5th place in Disease Detectives- Chris Fiscella and Elaina Mansley, and 6th place in Forestry- Andrew Bloniarz and Jillian Rodesk.

After working hard and preparing for months, the Science Olympiad members used their science and reasoning skills to receive medals at both competitions for their immeasurable knowledge and outstanding performance.