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Serendipity at States: Chaminade’s Science Olympiad Team Finishes Eighth at States

By Chris Mercadante ’18

From the rigorous coursework each student completes to the construction of the new Science, Technology, and Research Center, Chaminade High School has a rich tradition of supporting the sciences.  Nowhere was this commitment more evident than in the work of the school’s Science Olympiad team, which achieved its highest ever finish in the New York state competition.

The Science Olympiad team stands outside Chaminade’s front steps, as they prepare to travel to the competitive state championship.
The Science Olympiad team stands outside Chaminade’s front steps, as they prepare to travel to the competitive state championship.

The Science Olympiad team began its competition season back in December, participating in the local Islip Invitational.  The group would go on to take part in several smaller tournaments to prepare for the West Nassau Regional Tournament at Kellenberg Memorial High School in February.  The squad, composed of both upper and lower classmen, finished in third place at the tournament and earned a place at the state competition at LeMoyne College in Syracuse.

The Flyers traveled to Syracuse on Friday, March 11, to take on 53 of New York’s best Science Olympiad teams, spanning from Plattsburg to Port Jefferson.  After two days of stiff competition, Chaminade achieved its best position at the state level, finishing in eighth place which was higher than any other Catholic school in New York.  

The entire team contributed to the historic finish, earning medals across the board.  Thomas Graham ’16 and Joseph Graham ’17 finished with a third place medal in Air Trajectory, second place medal in Wright Stuff, and eighth place medal in Robot Arm.  Rob Sangirardi ’16 and Vinny Sciortino ’16 took tenth place in Bridge Building, and Anthony Brites ’16 and Vinny earned tenth place in Cell Biology.  

After finishing with eighth place at the state competition, the Flyers pose for a photo to immortalize their exceptional performance.
After finishing with eighth place at the state competition, the Flyers pose for a photo to immortalize their exceptional performance.

Adding to the victory, Quinn Matos ’16 and Liam Spielmann ’16 captured a third place medal in Fossils, and Nick Schleith ’16 and Nick Plante ’18 got a seventh place medal in Wind Power.  Nick Schleith and Liam also received a sixth place medal in Invasive Species.  Last, the three-man team of Quinn, Vinny, and Daniel Hepworth ’18 was awarded an eighth-place medal in Protein Modeling.

“It was great to see all of our work pay off.  We now have a lot of momentum going into the next competition season, but it will take even more focus and dedication to keep up what we started since some of our best teammates are graduating,” said Nick Plante ’18.

Eight members of the team will graduate in June, leaving the team with big shoes to fill; however, both hopes and expectations will be high after a historic year.  

Congratulations to the entire team on a fantastic year!