(COLUMBIA, Tenn. –  Feb. 28, 2020) - - -Columbia State Community College recently hosted a regional Science Olympiad competition for area middle school students. The competition’s top three overall winners were teams from Brentwood Middle School (first place), Woodland Middle School (second place) and Spring Station Middle School (third place). The top two teams will advance to state competition at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville April 25.

Students competed in a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields including: life, personal and social science, earth and space science, physical science and chemistry, technology and engineering, and inquiry and nature of science. Each year, a portion of the event is rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology.

“Science Olympiad is a fun and exciting opportunity for students to explore learning beyond the classroom environment with the freedom to investigate subjects of interest at deeper levels,” said Dr. Matthew Muterspaugh, Columbia State dean of the Science, Technology and Mathematics Division. “Events are designed to be fun, challenging and inspirational while tapping into students’ competitive natures as motivation. As a former Science Olympiad participant myself, I know how much time and effort the students put into their preparation, and all of us appreciate the dedication their coaches have given to the teams.”

The Spirit Award was awarded to Woodland Middle School. The Spirit Award is given to a team who exhibited the most enthusiasm during the event.

The Coach’s Award went to Nicole Lyke, science teacher at Hillsboro Elementary Middle School. Lyke was chosen for being an exceptional mentor and assisting students at the event. 

Columbia State has hosted Science Olympiad regional competitions since 2018. For more information about Science Olympiad, please visit www.soinc.org

Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad is one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to nearly 8,000 teams in all 50 states. Science Olympiad hosts 450 tournaments annually on college campuses, and holds professional development workshops that showcase innovative science, technology, engineering and math.