Students celebrate the teams who were promoted to the state Science Olympiad competition during Saturday’s Southeast Ohio Regional Science Olympiad event at Marietta College. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

MARIETTA — Marietta College once again served as the host for the Southeast Ohio Regional Science Olympiad, marking its 22nd consecutive year of welcoming students from across the region for a day of STEM-based competition.

The event brought together middle and high school students to engage in various science, technology, engineering and math challenges, fostering teamwork, problem-solving and innovation. For the past 21 years, Marietta College Professors Dennis Kuhl and David Jeffrey have co-coordinated the event.

“This event is always exciting,” said Kuhl. “It’s just, it’s kind of exciting and energy packed there for that five-hour span.”

The competition featured a diverse range of events, each designed to test students’ scientific knowledge and practical application skills. Kevin Daev, a teacher from Alexander High School, led the Air Trajectory event, where students built devices to launch projectiles with precision and accuracy.

“They have to think about physics, engineering design and data collection,” Daev explained.

From left, Alexander students Ben and Alex Hendershott participate in the electric vehicle event during the Science Olympiad competition Saturday at Marietta College. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Jennifer Cain from Vinton County High School helped coordinate the Electric Vehicle event, where students designed and built energy-efficient vehicles to navigate a specific course.

“They have to consider energy conversion, potential and kinetic energy and other fundamental physics principles,” Cain said.

Other events included Helicopter Air Trajectory, Bungee Drop and experimental design challenges, providing students with hands-on learning experiences.

For many participants, the Science Olympiad is an annual highlight. Long-time coach Dan Hendershott, with Alexander, emphasized the values of teamwork and perseverance that students gain from the competition.

“The most important things are work ethic, collaboration, and communication,” Hendershott said. “These skills will help them far beyond the competition.”

The event ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with multiple activities occurring simultaneously throughout the day. Organizers managed up to eight competitions per hour, ensuring a dynamic and fast-paced atmosphere for students and spectators alike.

Following the intense five-hour competition, students and coaches gathered for the awards ceremony at McDonough Auditorium. The ceremony celebrated the top-performing teams, with medals awarded to first-, second- and third-place finishers in 23 different events. Five middle school teams will advance to the state level competition, along with three high school teams.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

* First: Alexander Protons

* Second: Fort Frye Red

* Third: Warren Blue

* Fourth: Vinton County

* Fifth: Eastern Neutrons

HIGH SCHOOL

* First: Warren Blue

* Second: Alexander Charm

* Third: Alexander Strange

* Fourth: Monroe Central

Due to both Alexander Strange and Alexander Charm coming from the same high school, only one will be sent to the state level. The fourth-place team, Monroe Central, will also advance. The state competition will take place May 23 and 24 at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com