by Lorrie Ham

The Mound Westonka Science Olympiad Team competed at the Minnesota State Tournament on March 9, finishing 21st out of 30 teams at the University of St. Thomas. Teams qualify for the state competition as a whole, so the team had 23 different events to prepare for at the state level.

On competition day, the team needed to overcome a two hour weather delay, technical problems in the building events and last minute roster changes. But team members showed determination and flexibility in placing 21st.

"Considering we competed against a strong field of 30 statewide schools I am certainly proud of our Science Olympiad Team,” said Coach Craig Swenson. “As a team we overcame some mechanical difficulties and learned by doing and problem solving.”  

Placing in the top half of the competitive field were: Matt Kangas and Max Taubenberger in "Thermodynamics"; Katy Wetherille and Matt Kangas in "Write it, Do it" and "Remote Sensing"; Ethan Fuhrmann and Katy Wetherille in "Anatomy and Physiology" and Connor Born and Nick Battis in "Robot Arm".

Members of the Science Olympiad Team include seniors Dylan Aretz, Adam Brandt, Ethan Fuhrmann, Matt Kangas, John Sotirin and Molly Wollner; juniors Hanna Brustad, Trevor Omann and Katy Wetherille; sophomores Nick Battis, Connor Born and Grant Harrison, and freshman Max Taubenberger.

“Congratulations to the team on a great season and having fun with Science,” Coach Swenson added.

The Minnesota Science Olympiad is a program devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement. Team competition is patterned after track tournaments with challenging and motivational events ranging from earth science through physics. Events range from hands-on labs to student built machines, from outdoor events to paper and pencil tests. The emphasis is on learning, participation, interaction, having fun and team spirit.