*The original story was published by the US Department of Energy*
PADUCAH, Ky. — Owensboro High School Team #1 recently won this year’s U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl, culminating months of planning by volunteers and coaches for an event touted as the region’s most prominent science competition for high school students.
The 17th annual event was sponsored and organized by DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office employees and contractors. More than 120 volunteers serve as moderators, judges, technical advisors and scorekeepers.
The five-member team from Owensboro High School is set to compete in DOE’s National Science Bowl finals in Washington, D.C., from April 24 to 28.
"The Owensboro team demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication to win this year’s West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl," EM Paducah Site Lead April Ladd said. "This competition highlights the remarkable abilities of our region’s students and the incredible commitment of volunteers and coaches who make this event possible. We are excited to see the team represent our region at the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C."
The regional tournament is a quick-recall, fast-paced, question-and-answer contest. During the competition, high school students are quizzed on their knowledge of biology, chemistry, Earth and space, energy, mathematics and physics.
Madisonville North Hopkins High School Team #1 finished second and Marshall County High School took third place in the regional competition.
“When we came here three years ago, we never expected to one day walk away as the regional champions and go to Washington, D.C., to the National Science Bowl,” Owensboro High School Team #1 Coach Marcie Baldwin said. “Thank you so much to DOE for this wonderful opportunity for our students to excel in competition and life.”
Also competing in this year’s regional match were Kentucky’s Ballard Memorial, Calloway County, Christian County, Fulton County, Graves County, Hopkinsville, McCracken County, and Murray high schools, and St. Mary School System. Cairo Senior and Massac County high schools from Illinois participated as well.
The first-place high school team in the regional tournament will receive $1,200 for its school.
DOE created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in those fields. More than 344,000 students have participated in the annual event — one of the nation’s largest science competitions — throughout its 34-year history.