The chemistry among members of the CHS Science Olympiad team has been phenomenal as they are on their way to the Southern California State Finals on April 5, 2014. The team placed third in the Aerospace Valley Regional Science Olympiad competition during the weekend of March 7, and have earned themselves a spot in the state competition. This is the team’s first appearance at the state level after their fourth year of competing. They have been preparing for months, consistently growing as a group, and helping each other along the way.

The main competition for schools that participate in Science Olympiad is the regional competition. In order to make it to the next level, a team must place third or better at regionals, which is what Claremont was able to do this past weekend. Each player on the team typically participates in three different events during a competition, which can include testing, labs, and construction. Within each of these main categories there are 23 different events with a wide range of topics, from earth science to physics. Distinct events include Geologic Mapping, Technical Problem Solving, Elastic Launched Glider, Circuit Lab, and more. In each of the different rounds the students who competed are ranked on performance, and then the average rankings of all the students in a team are added up to get the group ranking, which is what determines the winners.

Claremont’s team is typically made up of sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have experience in higher level sciences. However, this is not required and anyone who has a love for science and math is encouraged to join.

“It’s really fun because you are working with students just as passionate as you are,” sophomore Diana Chao said. “This is much better than the typical group projects in class because on the Science Olympiad team everyone is dedicated.”

Part of the team’s success at regionals was due to the Science Olympiad team’s advisor, physics teacher Ryan Pettibone, who encouraged the team to prepare more this year. Rather than procrastinate on preparation for the tournament, the team met every Wednesday after school for an hour. During those meetings, they went over study materials for the different tests, labs, and construction challenges. Pettibone helped the team members whenever he could, but a large portion of the preparation was done by the students themselves.

“I really enjoy science, and so being the advisor for this club is great,” advisor and physics teacher Ryan Pettibone said.  “I’m happy to spend my Wednesdays helping students who share that passion.”

The team does not have previous experience at the state competition level, but looks to compete expertly despite the tough competition. The real challenge lies in competing with the teams that come from schools that place a lot of emphasis on math and science, such as Troy High School in Fullerton. With teams like this that have more students dedicated to science and looking to compete in Science Olympiad, the going will be tough. However, Claremont is determined to compete to the best of its ability. Also, this will be an invaluable experience for the younger members who will want to compete again next year, and a great way for the seniors to spend their last year on the team.

“As a team, we are new to the state level so it will be a new experience for us, but I think we can definitely win an event,” senior Rahul Rangnekar said. “Regardless it will be an awesome and fun experience for the team.”