Congratulations to Ward Melville’s Science Olympiad Teams!

Niketan Patel, Staff Writer

On Saturday, February 8, Ward Melville hosted the annual Science Olympiad Division C competition for the Eastern Long Island region. With 25 schools attending, the competition was dominated by Ward Melville Team A, earning its spot to compete in the New York State competition. Teams were ranked by how many points they accumulated at the end of the competition; the lower the number of points a team had, the higher it ranked. Ward Melville Team A scored 54 points, a great 26 points lower than its runner-up, Half Hollow Hills East Team A. Ward Melville Team C placed third with 104 points, evenly matched by Ward Melville Team B which placed fourth with 108 points.

“I was truly, truly impressed, not only by everyone’s performance, but the amazing team spirit and unity that I saw that day,” said Luran He, member of the winning team. “Everyone was a superstar.”

Each team is required to contest no more than 18 out of the 23 events and to have a maximum of 15 competitors. Some schools bring along more than one team, however only one team from a school is allowed to compete in the States competition. Medals are awarded to those contestants that earn 6th place or above in an event. Ward Melville Team A achieved a grand total of 15 medals, sweeping the board with a myriad of 1st and 2nd places.

“It was a great opportunity to see what we had accomplished in the months leading up to the competition. Everyone tried their best, worked their hardest, and I’m proud of the dedication that all of the students—not just those at Ward Melville—put in to their events. From last minute cramming to driving out to get Five Guys, the competition was fun, exciting, and nerdy in the best way,” said Dan Yu, member of the A team.

Followed by Ward Melville, five other schools were placed top 6 in the region, achieving spots to compete in the state competition. On March 14 and 15, these schools along with other talented schools in New York State will compete at Kellenberg Memorial High School, located in Uniondale.

None of this would have been possible with out the excellent coaching of  Mr. Malusa, Mr. Suesser, and Mrs. Rocklein who contributed to Ward Melville Science Olympiad Team’s success. Mr. Rogers, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Spira also contributed by helping to host the competition.