The Barrington High School Science Olympiad team won its eighth consecutive state championship recently.

Competing against teams from across the state, Barrington High School students medaled in 14 out of the 21 individual events and captured eight first place event finishes, five seconds and one third. 

With the win, Barrington has qualified for the National Science Olympiad Tournament at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. later this month.

The Barrington Middle School Science Olympiad team also performed very well at the Rhode Island state finals — the local team finished in third place, just two points behind second place Kickemuit Middle School.

The third place finish for Barrington Middle School is even more impressive when considering the local students allowed the rest of the state a two month head-start to prepare for the state finals. Barrington Middle School did not have a coach until BHS junior Callan Whitney, a member of the BHS Science Olympiad team, stepped up and offered to lead the team. Callan's mother, Kristyn also helped coach the middle school students.

"We achieved what has been achieved by other teams in half the time!" said Callan. "I'm so glad these kids had this opportunity to experience Science Olympiad."

High school finals

Ryan Brady led the way for the Barrington High School team at states. Ryan, a senior, won first place in all three events he competed in at states — thermodynamics, forensics, and chemistry lab. Ryan was also a member of the team that finished first in the towers event, although he did not compete in that event at states because of a scheduling conflict.

Ryan partnered with Sam Wohlever in chemistry lab, and with Amy Zhao in forensics. His partner was Ben Bazyk in thermodynamics, while Andrew Cooke, Sam Chaves and Jack Kelty worked on towers. 

Eliot Laidlaw also brought home two gold medals and one bronze. Eliot won gold when partnering with Conor Mc Gartoll in experimental design and with Sam Chavez on Fermi questions. Eliot and Conor also partnered for a bronze medal in mission possible.  

Kelly Gorman and Sudiksha Mallick won gold in microbe mission, and Kelly won silver medals with Kamryn Voutes in anatomy and with Amy Zhao in disease detectives. Zhao partnered with Wohlever to finish second in dynamic planet. 

In total, 15 Barrington High School students medaled in individual events at states.

Barrington High School is coached by Sonalya Jayasuriya and Kara West. Ms. Jayasuriya said her team has been busy this year. The competed in the MIT Invitational in January — Barrington finished 41st out of 69 teams. The local Science Olympiad team also participated in the Brown Invitational in February, finishing in second place. The event was organized by recent Barrington High School graduate Ethan Wold.  

"The high school students have also generously and very enthusiastically given of their time at both the Primrose Hill Math and Science Night and the Nayatt STEM night," said Ms. Jayasuriya. "They really enjoy engaging with younger kids and helping to foster another generation of science enthusiasts."

Middle school finals

The Barrington Middle School team won 11 medals in the 21 events, including three golds. 

Vikram Bansal teamed up with Athena Gong to finish first in anatomy and physiology. Vikram, Shaswat Singh and Cassin Edgar-Smith won top honors in experimental design, and Athena partnered with Ellie Blane to finish first in write it/do it.

Izzy Mysak and Priya Gottlieb won a silver medal in disease detectives, and Ellie Dunn and Priya won silver in ecology. Marie Choi-Schattle and Athena Gong finished second in potions and poisons, and Katarina Whitney and Cassin Edgar-Smith were second in roller coasters. Ellie Blane and Ellie Dunn won a silver medal in the solar system event, while Courtney Brady and Marie Choi-Schattle finished second in thermodynamics. Peter Birch and Harrison Ogden partnered to win silver in Wright stuff. 

Barrington teams won three bronze medals: Lucas Jauregui and Priya Gottlieb won in herpetology; Vikram and Izzy won microbe mission, and Katarina and Izzy won in rocks and minerals.

"We had 18 students on the team — fifteen competitors and three alternates — with 11 girls and seven boys," said Ms. Whitney. "Fourteen had no prior experience with Science Olympiad… The sixth graders, mostly girls, collected a heap of medals in nine of the 21 events. All of the students had impressive enthusiasm for taking brutal science and engineering tests on a Saturday during their spring break."

State finals results

High school division

1. Barrington High School

2. Smithfield High School

3. East Greenwich High School

4. Portsmouth High School

5. Cranston High School-West

6. Classical High School

Middle school division

1. Gallagher Middle School

2. Kickemuit Middle School

3. Barrington Middle School

4. Our Lady of Mercy School

5. Wickford Middle School

6. Nathanael Greene Middle School

BHS team members

Kamryn Voutes

Kelly Gorman

Josh Guertler

Izzy Connor

Ryan Brady

Sam Wohlever

Amy Zhao

Sudiksha Mallick

Eliot Laidlaw

Conor Mc Gartoll

Sam Chavez

Ben Bazyk

Callan Whitney

Andrew Cooke

Jack Kelty

Xan MM

Sam Yuan

Alice Fisher

Jessica Liang

Will Medeiros

BMS team members

Athena Gong

Peter Birch

Harrison Ogden

Courtney Brady

Katherine Chun

Marie Choi-Schattle

Katarina Whitney

Vikram Bansal

Shaswat Singh

Lucas Jauregui

Izzy Mysak

Ellie Dunn

Priya Gottlieb

Ellie Blane

Cassin Edgar-Smith

Ella Johnson

Caitlyn McConville

Tim Birch

High school team fund-raiser

The Barrington High School Science Olympiad team will be collecting donations outside the Barrington Shaw's Supermarket on Sunday, April 29 and Saturday, May 12. The money raised will help pay for the trip to nationals.