The New Trier Science Olympiad team impressed the judges by winning first place at the Illinois State Tournament. Held at the University of Urbana-Champaign, the varsity team earned 84 points, just two points ahead of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools came in a distant third.
Illinois Science Olympiad tournaments feature a variety of events with 15-person teams. These events are created by the National Science Olympiad committee and require specialized scientific knowledge in some cases and a focus on skill application in others. At this year’s state championship, New Trier’s team excelled across various scientific disciplines and received numerous medals and honors for their achievements.
The New Trier team was led by several standout performers who received accolades for their efforts. Freshmen Kate Kang and Sofia Yang earned third-place medals, while sophomores Brian Ren, Elan Hao, Vivian Chen, and Justin Lu each secured first-place medals. Juniors Malachia Noel, Kevin Huang, Steven Zhao, Varun Murali, and Kaci Morris each earned multiple gold or silver medals, with Nicholas Circolone also receiving a bronze medal. Seniors Pranshu Rao and Tiana Wu both earned first place in two events each.
Prior to their recent success at the state tournament, New Trier had also excelled at the regional tournament at Oakton College where they took first place in the varsity category and first and second place in the junior varsity category. With a strong showing at both tournaments, the team is now preparing for the national tournament at Michigan State University on May 25th.
New Trier’s Science Olympiad program receives financial support from initiatives such as The New Trier Educational Foundation’s James Marran Grants program which covers travel costs for out-of-state competitions to ensure that all students can participate regardless of their family’s financial situation.