Congratulations to our JH Science Olympiad Team!
February 26, 2023
Pattonsburg Junior HIgh Primary Team Brings Home First Place Regional Trophy for Third Year in a Row and Advances to State Competition in April!
This was the first year there was enough interest in Science Olympiad for our district to field two junior high teams. This was also the first year that our district allowed sixth graders to participate. Between our sixth and seventh graders, of the 25 students doing JHSO activities, only 7 of them had ever attended a regional tournament before. Regional Competition was held on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The primary team was composed of students whose goal was to not only work hard enough to make it to state as a team, but to specifically work hard enough to bring home our third-in-a-row first-place regional trophy. This team began studying in early October and the team members put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the absolute best that they could be. We called that group the “Pattonsburg Green Team.” The secondary team was composed entirely of first year students in grades six or seven. Several students selected this team because their personal goals were simply to have some fun with science and learn something new that they might not otherwise have in the process. Some students also selected the secondary team because they wanted to try an event that was previously called by an upper classman, without the pressure from the team as a whole. We called this group “Pattonsburg White Team.”
The students on both teams did an exceptional job. Our Pattonsburg Green Team entered all 23 events available, and subsequently placed in all 23 events!!! Our Pattonsburg White Team placed in 12 events, and as the Regional Director at the Awards Ceremony explained to the rest of the crowd, comparatively to the other schools there, would have advanced on to state on their own, had they been from another school. (The National Rules state that only one team per school, per division level, can advance to state. Our students knew this going in, and that was part of why students selected the teams that they did.) Our Junior High students did a phenomenal job at contest and truly made our community proud.
Students on the Pattonsburg Green Team and who will be advancing to state are: (Freshmen) Annabelle Gardner, Gavin Humphrey, Collin Mason, Andrew Nalle, Kavinly Rutledge; (8th Graders) Jayden Goble, Addi Iddings, Ami Prothero, Lilly Yost; (7th Graders) Drake Sperry, Aden Woodward; (6th Graders) Colton Crone, Anoushka Hedrick, Alanna Hulet, Evan Mason.
Students on the Pattonsburg White Team who went to competition and placed are: (7th Graders) Taylen Fore, Carlie Pittsenbarger; (6th Graders) Keiona Davis, Brantley Gardner, Kaos Sweiger, Addison Shepherd, Cash Teel. Seventh Graders Ava Hartman, Cheyanne Miller, and Havok Sweiger also participated in Science Olympiad activities.
A special thanks goes to all the upper-classmen who encouraged and mentored Junior High teams. We fortunately have a wonderful group of parents, many of whom spent countless hours encouraging or supervising their child doing whatever it was their child was doing or trying to do, all while probably thinking “Next year pick an easier event,” and that really paid off for the team. Finally, a HUGE thanks goes to the following community members who mentored or encouraged a junior high child or team other than their own in an activity: Shane Searcy (Meteorology: Green Team), Amy McCrary (Flight), Josh Hulet (Flight, Bridge: White Team, Wheeled Vehicle), Mr. Bill Pottorff, Mr. Rick Lin, and Jake Cameron (Storm the Castle), Ms. Kelly Briggs (Sounds of Music), Mr. Alan Hutchcraft (Sounds of Music, Roller Coaster) and Mrs. Jackie Reed who was our all-time go-to Jack-of-all-Trades/Cheerleader that the team went to when a fresh set of adult eyes was needed on something. Without the help and encouragement of our community, our team would not be where it is today.
Awards Earned:
1st Bridge: Aden Woodward & Andrew Nalle (Green Team)
2nd Bridge: Cash Teel & Kaos Sweiger (White Team)
1st Crave the Wave: Anoushka Hedrick & Gavin Humphrey (Green Team)
2nd Crave the Wave: Taylen Fore & Brantley Gardner (White Team)
1st Crime Busters: Annabelle Gardner & Kavinly Rutledge (Green Team)
2nd Crime Busters: Brantley Gardner & Addison Shepherd (White Team)
1st Disease Detectives: Alanna Hulet & Jayden Goble (Green Team)
4th Disease Detectives: Keiona Davis & Kaos Sweiger (White Team)
1st Forestry: Evan Mason & Colton Crone (Green Team)
4th Forestry: Cash Teel & Kaos Sweiger (White Team)
1st Write It/Do It: Addison Shepherd & Brantley Gardner (White Team)
4th Write It/Do It: Ami Prothero & Anoushka Hedrick (Green Team)
1st Meteorology: Drake Sperry & Collin Mason (Green Team)
5th Meteorology: Brantley Gardner & Addison Shepherd (White Team)
1st Flight: Lilly Yost & Ami Prothero (Green Team)
1st Road Scholar: Collin Mason & Colton Crone (Green Team)
1st Rocks & Minerals: Collin Mason & Andrew Nalle (Green Team)
1st Roller Coaster: Annabelle Gardner & Kavinly Rutledge (Green Team)
1st Solar System: Aden Woodward & Alanna Hulet (Green Team)
1st Sounds of Music: Colton Crone & Addi Iddings (Green Team)
2nd Experimental Design: Keiona Davis, Addison Shepherd, & Brantley Gardner (White Team)
3rd Experimental Design: Andrew Nalle, Jayden Goble, & Aden Woodward (Green Team)
2nd Anatomy & Physiology: Gavin Humphrey & Kavinly Rutledge (Green Team)
4th Anatomy & Physiology: Carlie Pittsenbarger & Kaos Sweiger (White Team)
2nd Green Generation: Gavin Humphrey & Collin Mason (Green Team)
4th Green Generation: Cash Teel & Taylen Fore (White Team)
2nd Cant’s Judge a Powder: Kavinly Rutledge & Annabelle Gardner (Green Team)
2nd Storm the Castle: Jayden Goble & Drake Sperry (Green Team)
2nd Wheeled Vehicle: Andrew Nalle & Evan Mason (Green Team)
2nd Bio Process Lab: Kavinly Rutledge & Annabelle Gardner (Green Team)
3rd Codebusters: Lilly Yost, Ami Prothero, & Addi Iddings (Green Team)
4th Codebusters: Keiona Davis, Carlie Pittsenbarger, Addison Shepherd (White Team)
3rd Dynamic Planet: Carlie Pittsenbarger & Taylen Fore (White Team)
4th Dynamic Planet: Drake Sperry & Evan Mason (Green Team)
5th Fast Facts: Anoushka Hedrick & Alanna Hulet (Green Team)
