Student teams from Troy High School in Fullerton, CA and Solon Middle School in Solon, Ohio took top honors at the 31st Annual Science Olympiad National Tournament at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, on Saturday, May 16, 2015. “These winning teams exemplify the best America has to offer in science, technology, engineering and math,” says Gerard Putz, Science Olympiad president and co-founder. “We are proud of their achievements and know their schools and communities will welcome them home like champions.”

One of the nation’s most prestigious science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions, Science Olympiad brings together 120 winning middle school and high school teams advancing from state-level competitions this spring. Rigorous hands-on, building and lab events led by experts from government agencies, top universities and Science Olympiad state chapters cover topics in physics, epidemiology, astronomy, chemistry, meteorology and engineering. A full list of 2015 national tournament award recipients and official tournament results, including event-by-event scoring is posted here: http://soinc.org/2015_national_tournament

Other top high school (Division C) winners at the National Tournament include:

– Second: Mira Loma HS, California
– Third: Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Texas
– Fourth: Centerville HS, Ohio

– Fifth: Mounds View HS, Minnesota

– Sixth: Munster HS, Indiana
– Seventh: Fayetteville-Manlius HS, New York

– Eighth: Harriton HS, Pennsylvania
– Ninth: Grand Haven HS, Michigan
– Tenth: Adlai E. Stevenson HS, Illinois

Other top middle school (Division B) winners at the National Tournament include:

– Second: Beckendorff JHS, Texas
– Third: Winston Churchill MS, California
– Fourth: Piedmont IB MS, North Carolina
– Fifth: Daniel Wright JHS, Illinois
– Sixth: Marie Murphy MS, Illinois
– Seventh: Longfellow MS, Virginia
– Eighth: Muscatel MS, California
– Ninth: Meads Mill MS, Michigan
– Tenth: Paul J. Gelinas JHS, New York

The University of Nebraska awarded 47 scholarships to Science Olympiad National Tournament gold medal winners in the high school Division C. Out-of-state students will receive the George Beadle Scholarship, valued at $13,500 a year for four years, while resident students will receive a tuition scholarship for up to 120 credit hours or the completion of a bachelor’s degree, subject to UNL requirements.Teams from Bedford MS in Connecticut and Desert Mountain HS in Arizona earned the 2015 Lockheed Martin Spirit Awards (including $2,000 for their team), which recognize schools whose team members exhibit exemplary sportsmanship, teamwork, team spirit and respect that exemplify the spirit of Science Olympiad competition. In addition, Fulton Science Academy from Georgia and Mentor High School from Ohio won the DuPont Team Enterprise Awards, recognizing a breakout performance by a team at the National Tournament.Local sponsors of the 2015 Science Olympiad National Tournament include the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Cooper Foundation, Peter Kiewit Institute, Nebraska Academy of Sciences, Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lozier, UNL College of Arts and Sciences, UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, UNL College of Education and Human Sciences, UNL Housing and Dining, Awards Unlimited, J.C. and Jessie Seacrest Family Foundation, Nebraska Environmental Trust Public Information and Education Grants and University of NE State Museum. Science Olympiad is supported nationally by University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Combined Federal Campaign, FOX Broadcasting,

Lockheed Martin, NBC Universal Foundation, ACE Hardware, ArcelorMittal, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Discovery Education 3M Young Scientists Challenge, DuPont and the DuPont Center for Collaborative Research and Education, DuPont Pioneer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Texas Instruments, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), US Army ROTC, VWR Foundation, Ward’s Science, Academy of Model Aeronautics, Chandra X-Ray Center and NASA, Investing in Communities, MAKE Magazine, National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Yale Young Global Scholars, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Hardware Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Maker Education Initiative and Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

Science Olympiad is a Chicago-area-based national nonprofit organization founded in 1984. It is dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 STEM education, increasing student interest in science, creating a technologically literate workforce and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. More than 220,000 students on 7,300 teams from all 50 states competed in 390 regional, state and national Science Olympiad tournaments last year.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is an educational institution of international stature, known for its research in key areas of water, food, robotics, concussions and digital humanities. Over 25,000 students from 100 countries study here and benefit from a strong focus on undergraduate education, intensive honors programs and research opportunities with top faculty. A member of the Big Ten Conference, Nebraska ranks among the top 50 public universities by U.S. News & World Report.