TJ Science Olympiad Brings Home State Championship for 21st Time

For the 21st time, Thomas Jefferson Middle School Science Olympiad has won the State Champion title! This is also the team's 24th straight trip to Nationals.

The team won the title at IU in Bloomington on March 16 against 30 middle school teams that advanced to the finals. Other local middle school teams that placed well were Wright Middle School of Munster and Chesterton Middle School placing 4th and Ben Franklin Middle School placing 6th. Munster High School won the high school division and Valparaiso High School earned 4th.

The top 2 teams in each division advance to national competition at Wright State University in Dayton Ohio on May 18. Thomas Jefferson has won the national title twice in 1993 and 1996 and has averaged between 8th and 9th place at nationals (out of 60 teams that advance) in their 24 years of advancing to national competition which have been in locations all over the US.

There are 23 events in the competition and 15 official team members. Scores are obtained by competing in all 23 events. The lower score is the champion. If you place 1st in an event, that is one point. If you place 30th that is 30 points. If you don't participate in an event, that is 31 points. Lowest possible score is 23 points. TJ scored 85 points at State, averaging slightly more than 3rd place in each event.

The team is preparing 5 days a week after school, evenings , and on Saturdays for national competition. The team is aided by volunteers from the community that number about 12 that help mentor and train the students as well as about 5 high school students who volunteer their time to prepare the team members.


Coaches who helped with Science Olympiad:

Carol Haller
Richard Bender
Bill Dalzotto
Andy Lavalley
Chris Kemper
Jim Nelson
Rob Dahlgren
Steve Rahn
Matt Dickens
Tom Sanders
Mark McMurtrey
Mary Faith Dalzotto
Jim Young
Colonel Jim Mitchell
Professor Lenny Corso
Professor Jose Mas
Theresa Balz-Escholz of Valparaiso Meteorology
Ross Mack

High School and College Mentors who have helped with Science Olympiad:

Rainer Neis
Kyle Dahlgren
Alex Kessler
Ankur Dhoot
Kari West
Sam Yaros
Veronica Chevalier

 

Top Photo (l to r):

Row 1 Joey Lavalley, Charlie Trowbridge, Collin Topping, Malika Saxena, Brigitte Frazee
Row 2 Jacob Dickens, Joe McMurtrey, Luke Sanders, Ally Skadberg, Zhuri Bryant, Claire Bartusch
Row 3 Coach Carol Haller, Tim Henderson, Abby Mitchell, Nick Bluhm, Melissa Piper, Megan Rahn, Coach Richard Bender

Second Photo (l to r)

Nick Bluhm, Melissa Piper, Megan Rahn, Abby Mitchell, Tim Henderson