Thomas County Central High School Science Olympiad team placed in 19 of 23 events at the Georgia Perimeter College Region Competition.

“I am so proud of the students,” advisor Laura Kornegay said. “They went up against some very strong schools. It shows they can compete with the best from across the state and hold their own.”

The competition was held the weekend of March 3. TCCHS had two first place, one second place, three third place, and two fourth place project winners. The school also had 11 projects earn ribbons.

Three of the 18 TCCHS teams that competed have scored in the top 10 at the state SO tournament for the past several years.

“This competition will be one of the moments I look back to,” participant Steven Tran said. “There is a sense of enjoyment and competitiveness that is not found in other academic events.”

Senior Luvy Miranda calls Science Olympiad “very competitive, but always fun to be part of.”

“We get engaged in different areas of science that develop our practical skills of the science we learn in school,” she said.

Participant Sydney Sanders adds SO helps students “meet new people and opens up new opportunities.”

Senior Chandler Watson said Science Olympiad “is the best program to be involved with if you want to do science outside of the classroom.”

“Its diverse events have you researching areas you may not have ever studied before, and the payoff is unprecedented: knowledge and memories to last a lifetime,” he said. “There is something for everyone; you just have to find it.”

TCCHS Science Olympiad Winners

First Place Medals

Wind Power — Chandler Watson & Austin Kelley

Ecology — Maggie Martin & Steven Tran

Second Place Medals

Robot Arm — Steven Tran & Austin Kelley

Third Place Medals

Remote Sensing — Bret Hendricks

Write It, Do It — Jordan Bush & Drew Lloyd

Towers — Hailey Ferrel & C’lee Kornegay

Fourth Place Medals

Hovercraft — Eli Kosciw

Electric Vehicle — C’lee Kornegay, Hailey Ferrel & Steven Tran

Ribbon Winners

Chemistry Lab — C’lee Kornegay & Hailey Ferrel

Helicopters — Steven Tran

Invasive Species — Eli Kosciw & Jordan Bush

Rocks & Minerals — James Gay & Sydney Sanders

Astronomy — Chandler Watson & James Gay

Experimental Design — C’lee Kornegay & Hailey Ferrel

Game On — James Gay & Sydney Sanders

Microbe Misson — Jordan Bush & Drew Lloyd

Disease Detectives — Drew Lloyd & Haley Newman

Materials Science — Hannah Dixon & Haley Newman

Optics — Chandler Watson & Austin Kelley