“Forging their own path”: Science Olympiad teams return to state

Junior Ryleigh Hartwell has built functional bridges, cars and parachutes — and wins medals for them.

Since joining Science Olympiad in middle school, she has qualified for state six times in a variety of engineering events. This year, she will compete in five events. 

Through Science Olympiad, she was able to explore a number of scientific fields and is now the team’s secretary.

She wants to pursue a career in computer science — a goal she said is encouraged by her peers and achievements through the Science Olympiad.

“Science Olympiad made me realize I’m capable to do whatever I want to,” she said. “And that includes computer science.”

For the eighth time in a row, the middle and high school’s Science Olympiad teams are returning to the state competition Saturday in Wichita. After winning state the previous two years, the teams have high hopes they will be repeat state champions.

Each team will take 15 members to state where each student and their partner will compete in multiple events — some of which require projects, test-taking or a combination of the two.

Both teams are studying or creating projects for all 23 events offered, including astronomy, environmental chemistry and forestry.

The team’s state qualification comes after overcoming some hurdles throughout the season, including the graduation of a majority of the seniors on the team, who often did well in competitions, placing lower than usual at regionals and last-minute changes in partnerships.

Extended Learning Teacher and coach Barbie Hartwell said another difficulty this season was getting the entire team together for practices since many members are also involved in other activities like sports. To accommodate this, the students can choose to attend either one morning or afternoon practice per week.

The team also competes in what Hartwell said is the toughest district in the state against much larger schools.

Hartwell said she was proud of her team for continuing to do well and make state despite the hurdles they had to overcome.

“These guys are forging their own path,” she said. “They’re rebuilding it, basically, from the ground up after losing so many of our strong seniors.”

To prepare for state, Hartwell said most of the work is up to the students to complete, including individual studying and construction of projects.

She said Science Olympiad not only prepares her students for college but challenges them in ways they may not be in the classroom.

“They skim the surface in the classroom,” she said. “The topics are so in-depth, and they have to learn the information pretty much on their own in order to do well. It’s the first test a lot of my kids might flunk and have to persevere through.”

Junior Joshua Fortner has always gravitated toward Science Olympiad events thatcenter on test-taking. This year, he will compete in forestry, rocks and minerals, and green generation.

 

Fortner plans on attending the University of Kansas when he graduates to pursue paleontology. 

Although every student who is in the district’s extended learning program is required to join Science Olympiad for at least a year, Fortner joined because of his love of science.

“It seems really daunting,” he said. “Because it’s like, ‘Oh, this is only for the smart kids.’ But I was never in EL. I just enjoyed science. So anyone who enjoys science is already qualified.”

Both the high school and middle school teams will be sent off with a pep rally and a walkthrough with the marching bands on Friday ahead of competing at state.

Reach reporter Jenna Barackman at [email protected]