Editor’s note: Academic competition season is upon us! Each week School News Network will be running roundups of events including Odyssey of the Mind, Science Olympiad, MathCounts and robotics. The following items were submitted by Kent ISD districts and are not meant to be a comprehensive list.
Forest Hills
The Eastern High Science Olympiad Team placed 15th out of 24 teams at the regional competition held at Grand Valley State University on March 18. The Eastern High team, comprised of mostly freshmen, finished with seven events placing in the top 10.
The following students placed in the Top 6 and received medals for their individual events:
- Owen Smolek & Michael Hunter- Electric Vehicle
- Owen Smolek & Wyatt Donley- Wind Power
- Ritwik Majumdar & Vipul Adusumilli- Astronomy
Grand Rapids
The C.A. Frost Underwater Robotics Team competed in the Innovative Design Vehicle Challenge at Waterford Mott High School. This was sponsored by Square One Education Company. The Frost team won the first place Junior Division Ambassadorship Underwater Innovative Vehicle Design Award, an honor for demonstrating understanding of STEM, engineering, design and being good role models to others. This made them the overall winner.
They also scored highest in the junior division of the Eisbrenner Award category for outreach and social media promoting STEM and robotics, and took second place in Engineering Design. The team consisted of five sixth-graders and was coached by Bobbijo Zoerhof, competing against 31 other middle school teams throughout the state.
GRPS Team 904 D-Cubed is composed of students from Innovation Central High School, City High, Montessori High and University Preparatory Academy. During qualification play in Escanaba they were ranked 29th with a record of 4-7-1. However, D-Cubed demonstrated their signature formula of Desire x Dedication x Determination = Success and refused to give up. They were ultimately chosen by the number one alliance alongside FRC Team #1322 and #894, and their alliance went on to win first place, making the Escanaba competition a success.
Northview
It was quite a day for Northview at the Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament on Saturday, March 18. The high school team finished in second place and the Crossroads Middle team finished first, both advancing to the Odyssey World Finals at Michigan State University, May 24-27. It’s just the second time Northview teams have advanced to the World Finals, and a very proud moment for all coaches, parents and team members.
Northview has some extraordinary students that know how to work hard, understand teamwork, and most of all, be creative. It was a well-deserved outcome for both teams.
Rockford
The Lakes Elementary Odyssey of the Mind team won the regional tournament in February, competed in the State Finals March 18 and qualified for the World Finals at MSU May 24-27.
Thornapple Kellogg
Thornapple Kellogg Schools hosted the Odyssey of the Mind State Finals tournament March 18. The event was atPage Elementary, the middle school and the high school, hosting thousands of people competing in or watching the tournament.
Thornapple Kellogg sent seven teams to state finals. TK had three teams place second, advancing them to World Finals at Michigan State University May 24-27. The advancing teams represent the elementary, middle and high schools.
Two teams placed an honorable third, receiving medals and just missing advancing to World Finals. Another team finished sixth and was recognized.
Wyoming
The Wyoming Science Olympiad team had its best performance ever at the regional tournament March 18 at Grand Valley State University. Eight teams, including 16 competitors, earned a medal. Wyoming High School placed ninth overall, missing an invitation to the state competition by only one place. All seven seniors earned a medal, and both the junior high and high school teams earned a trophy for the most improved teams.
High school placers included: Triet Vu and Huy Pham, first in Wind Power; Alicia Oliver and Kalie Schultz, third in Write it, Do it; Thomas Oliver and Becca Hanson, third in Helicopters; Mirnes Kukic and Ryan Huizinga, fourth in Towers; Bryan Rosello and Chase Brown, fourth in Robot Arm; Mirnes Kukic and Triet Vu, fifth in Microbe Mission; and Cianna Gomez and Olivia Cool, sixth in Hovercraft.
