The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Students headed to Science Olympiad
Students from Mentor High School will travel to Dayton to compete in the National Science Olympiad after winning the state competition in April.
This is the 33rd year for the Science Olympiad which will have over 2,000 students from around the country participating in the event, which runs May 19-20 at Wright State University.
“The Science Olympiad National Tournament is the pinnacle of achievement for 120 of the country’s best Science Olympiad teams,” according to the event’s website.
According to Kristen Kirby, communications director for Mentor Schools, the Science Olympiad team has qualified for the state competition each year since the event began in 1990. But this is the first state win in the school’s history.
“That was very special because in order to succeed you have to do well in all 23 events,” said Tom Samsey, science (physics) teacher and head coach of Mentor’s Science Olympiad. “Just a few points separate first place from third at the state competition and whether you get to move onto nationals. The fact that each and every team member did their part was the reason for our success.”
According to Ramsey, the Mentor team has been to the nationals four times in the last ten years, twice in the last three years. Only the top two teams in the state competition can advance to the Science Olympiad National Tournament.
“Previously it has been because we were the number two team in Ohio,” Ramsey said. “This is the first year we are number one — state champions.”
He said there were over 40 teams at the state tournament held April 1 at Ohio State University that had advanced from the regional competitions across the state.
“Ohio is one of the most competitive teams in the nation. Ohio teams generally finish in the top 10 nationally,” Ramsey said. “That is why Ohio gets to send to teams every year to the nationals.”
Overall 60 high school teams from across the country will be competing.
“To my way of thinking, any time an Ohio team finished in the top 4 that is as an amazing accomplishments as in any sport.” Ramsey said.
During the Science Olympiad tournament up to 15 students, only seven of which can seniors, compete in 23 events.
The events are all related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and include paper and building competitions. Based on this, Ramsey notes the team would not be as successful without community support and the wisdom parents and business people bring to the table as coaches.
Mentor’s Olympiad team has over 40 members, and Kirby said it was up to Ramsey to decide the 15 who go on to the national tournament.
Ramsey notes the students took an analytical approach to help select which of them would represent Mentor at the nationals.
“How each student did in their event through the season, the difficulty of the invite were all factored in,” he said. “They also ran an app to log the 100 hours each student put in their events. That way everyone knew just how hard the team was working.”
Ramsey said the school fields two teams of 15 students and they begin preparing in October. Students pick three to six events to work on, which means a minimum of an hour per week per event.
Ramsey also notes that the students are coached by family members with an expertise in science and engineering in addition to coaching from other outside experts.
That includes Dr. Kathleen Buse, an adjunct professor in the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. The chemical and mechanical engineer and founder and CEO of Advancing Women in STEM is not only the parent of an Olympian but also a volunteer coach along with her husband Fred.
Kathleen and Fred’s daughter Kristen is a junior and has been on the team since the sixth grade.
“Like my husband and me, there are many parents who volunteer their time to teach the students the scientific knowledge needed to do well in the competitions,” Kathleen said, “My husband and I are both chemical engineers and have coached the following events: Forensics, Crimebusters, Can’t Judge a Powder and Writeit Do-it.”
Kathleen said they have enjoyed working with the students and seeing them grow and achieve.
“Our students are great kids,” Ramsey said. “They are really involved in school. They may be in our music programs or they may be in sports, yet somehow they find the time to learn a lot of science and engineering and make large commitment to being a part of the Science Olympiad Team.”