For the second consecutive year, the Marie Murphy Science Olympiad Team won second place in the National Science Olympiad Tournament held this year in Orlando, Florida. Marie Murphy bested all but one of the 60 other teams representing 49 states. No secondary or middle school team in Illinois aside from Marie Murphy has ever placed so high in the National Tournament.

At the tournament held on May 19^th at the University of Central Florida, Marie Murphy won a school best 11 medals out of 23 possible events taking top honors in 2.

Medalists include:

National Champions –1^st  Place
Awesome Aquifer – Regina Madanguit & Michael Rivkin
Forestry – Jamie Knippen & Elizabeth Sollitt

2^nd Place
Bottle Rocket – Jason Lee & Elizabeth Sollitt
Food Science – Regina Madanguit & Clara Yam
Reach for the Stars – Paul Farcasanu & Jonah Wolfe

3^rd  Place
Dynamic Planet – Katherine Ho & Michael Rivkin
Optics – Katherine Ho & Ethan Wirth

4^th  Place
Experimental Design – Jamie Knippen, Jonah Wolfe & David Yan
Write it Do it – Jamie Knippen & Elizabeth Sollitt

5^th Place
Crimebusters – Jason Lee & Carissa Yang
Storm the Castle – Youngjin Kim & Aiyappa Kodendera

The Marie Murphy Science Olympiad season begins every October, with the first level of competitions starting in January and continuing through May with Regional, State, and National tournaments.  Of the more than 270 teams in the state of Illinois, only the top 2 go on to compete in the National Tournament which represents the top 60 teams out of the more than 6000 in the nation. Students compete in 23 academic and building events that focus on chemistry, biology, physics and technical problem solving.

This year’s Varsity team is comprised of 7^th and 8^th grade students from the towns of Glenview, Wilmette, Winnetka, and Northfield: Paul Farcasanu, Katherine Ho, Youngjin Kim, Jamie Knippen, Aiyappa Kodendera, Jason Lee, Regina Madanguit, Lauren Newmark, Michael Rivkin, Elizabeth Sollitt, Ethan Wirth, Jonah Wolfe, Clara Yam, David Yan, and Carissa Yang. The coaching staff consists of parents CK Kodendera, Dr. Anne Nagle, Dr. Geraldine Newmark, Denise Wirth, and Rory Wolfe as well as Marie Murphy staff members James Gravagna, Peter Ogden, Darren Persino, and Shannon Wright.