By Dominik Lobkowicz
The Medomak Middle School Science Olympiad team was recognized by the RSU 40 Board of Directors May 21. Pictured are (back from left) Sean Sebrey, coach Patrick Sebrey, Michael Simmons, Jason Holbrook, Elizabeth Flanagan, Natalie Shields, coordinator Madelon Kelly, (front from left) Noah Dean, Chloe Blake, Serena Blasius, Josh Hagin, Nathan Andrick, Merritt Gould, and Rhiannon Gould. Team members Rose Hickey and Noah Munn are not pictured. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
The Regional School Unit 40 Board of Directors recognized the Medomak Middle School Science Olympiad team May 21. The team has been Maine’s state champs for three years running,
and recently returned from nationals in Lincoln, Neb.
The team placed 58th – their same ranking as 2014 – out of 61 teams in Division B at nationals, where they face extremely stiff competition, according to team
coordinator Madelon Kelly.
As board Chair Danny Jackson presented certificates to team members and coaches, Kelly shared an example of what the team was up against.
Team member Nathan Andrick and his grandfather, Bill Lufkin, worked on a bridge building event over and over again to improve how much it would hold, Kelly said.
Kelly said after the event they were certain the bridge would be the winner.
“It’s this dinky little bridge and it held 33 pounds of sand. An unbelievable amount of sand, and Nathan came running in to tell me the bridge was bent to the very
breaking point and it held 33 pounds,” Kelly said.
“We came in 47th. That tells you something about what our competition was like,” she said.
One event Kelly was particularly proud of was Elizabeth Flanagan and Noah Dean’s performance in the “Write It Do It” event, where one team member has 25 minutes to
make a written description of a complex structure and the other teammate has to use the description to build it.
Flanagan and Dean earned a 25th place finish in the event, not only placing them in the top half of finishers but also beating a high-performing school from
California, according to Kelly.
“There’s a school from California that’s always way up high, and last year they were number one for everything, and we beat them in Write It Do It,” Kelly said.
Nationals were held at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb.
“I wish I could take the whole school. It’s an amazing experience,” Kelly said.
“To live on a college campus, to eat in a college cafeteria, to be in those college rooms and then to work the way these kids worked, it’s an astounding experience
for them and I just want, from the bottom of my heart, to thank you so much for your support. It means a huge amount,” Kelly said to the board.
Kelly received a standing ovation at the meeting.
Outside the meeting, Medomak Middle School Principal Kate Race said the team’s dedicated students worked hard and also benefited from very supportive parents.
“I’m very proud of [the team’s] accomplishments. They represented Medomak Middle School splendidly,” Race said.
