2023 Recap

A total of 29 teams from 21 schools competed at the 2023 Northwest Ohio Science Olympiad Regional competition on March 18^th. The cold, cloudy, and windy conditions with slight precipitation did not dampen the festivities as many of the area’s top science students descended onto Bowling Green State University’s campus bright and early Saturday morning for the 8^th edition of BGSU’s Science Olympiad. All events were indoors.

Following months of intense preparation and participation in other competitions at invitational tournaments, area students tested their knowledge and skills in a variety of science areas including anatomy, trees, forensics, oxidation, the environment, sustainability, maps, meteorology, cells, detectors, lakes, planets, astronomy, time, estimation, remote sensing, rocks, minerals, waves, and experimental design. They built planes, bridges, vehicles, roller coasters, detectors, timing devices and catapults, and put them to the test.

After 6-7 hours of grueling competition, where an individual typically competed in 3-4 events, teams anxiously awaited the announcements of events winners and state qualifying teams both in the Olscamp ballroom and through a Zoom livestream.

For the 8^th year in a row, McCord Junior High and Sylvania Northview High School won their respective B and C divisions with impressive scores of 48 and 65. They were followed closely behind by Arbor Hills in the B Division with 65 points and Sylvania Southview just 6 points back in the C Division with 71 points. Because of continued strong registration numbers, the region placed six teams in each division for the state competition at Ohio State.

Division B

1.     McCord (48)

2.     Arbor Hills (65)

3.     Timberstone (103)

4.     Springfield (120)

5.     Oak Harbor (135)

6.     Paulding (153)

Division C

1.     Sylvania Northview (65)

2.     Sylvania Southview (71)

3.     Shawnee (128)

4.     Springfield (159)

5.     Oak Harbor (182)

6.     Ottawa Hills (197)

McCord’s B division point total of 48 for its Red team is a new BGSU Regional record improving on the mark they set last year at 57. A total of 48 is averaging slightly lower than 2^nd place in the 23 events. McCord Red took home 1^st place in 13 events while placing in the top 4 in all but one. Arbor Hills won 7 events, while Timberstone’s two teams collectively won the remaining 3. Many more teams took home second place medals including Springfield, Oak Harbor, Paulding, Ottawa Hills, and St. Rose.

The six-point difference in the C division between first and second is the smallest margin of victory since Northview edged out Southview by just one point in 2016. Again, it was Northview coming out on top this year with its Gold team winning 7 of the 23 events. Southview’s team 1 actually came away with more 1^st place finishes with 9, but Northview Gold had the better overall score with the help of 9 second place finishes. Northview’s Team Black finished 3^rd overall and medaled in the most events of any Division C team with 21, including one 1^st place finish. Other teams that won event titles were Shawnee Red, Oak Harbor, Paulding, Maumee Valley Country Day, and Lincolnview.

The 12 teams from the 12 qualifying schools moved on to the state competition at Ohio State on April 29, 2023. The Northwestern teams once again performed admirably more than holding their own against the National powerhouses from Ohio. Three Northwest teams from each division finished in the top 20, with McCord and Northview finishing just off the podium, each finishing in 7th. There were some amazing performances in individual events including 2nd places finishes for Northview (Write It Do It), Southview (Fermi Questions), and Shawnee (It’s About Time), and also 3^rd place finishes for McCord (Write It Do It), Northview (Wifi Lab), and Northview (Experimental Design). Arbor Hills also took second in the trial event Run It Code It.

We now look ahead to next season with the BGSU regional tentatively scheduled for March 16.

We would like to give a big thank you to our sponsors, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Principle Business Enterprises, Lubrizol, Arrow Dickerson-All State, BGSU College of Arts and Sciences, and BGSU Summer Enrichments programs. We were very happy to provide t-shirts to all competitors, coaches and volunteers, and we are always proud to promote science education across Northwest Ohio. We hope to see all teams back next year, along with some new teams for this fantastic experience for everyone.