Westlake HS's Science Olympiad Team Places In Lower Hudson Competition

MOUNT PLEASANT, N.Y. -- Westlake's Science Olympiad team placed 15th out of 40 teams in the NYS Lower Hudson Regional competition held on Saturday at Byram Hills High School.

Maria Popp and Gabrielle Sanchez measure time in It's About Time
Photo Credit: *Mount Pleasant School District*

Jennifer Hutnik and Steven Brunetto test bridge strength in Bridge Building
Photo Credit: *Mount Pleasant School District*

Maria Popp and Bridget McCusker
Photo Credit: *Mount Pleasant School District*

Maria Popp and Bridget McCusker prepare for the bungee drop.
Photo Credit: *Mount Pleasant School District*

Jennifer Hutnik and Steven Brunetto
Photo Credit: *Mount Pleasant School District*

Xavier Varga watches Jennifer Hutnik and Amanda Sabha check their plane before the event.
Photo Credit: *Mount Pleasant School District*

by Alesha Hanson

02/04/2015 5:00 a.m.

The 15-member team, under the tutelage of science teachers Ray Szczerba and Tom Hall, competed in 18 events and took home five medals. The following medals were won: Bridget McCusker and Maria Popp: Third-place in bungee drop (dropping a weighted object from a selected height to see how close it comes to a target without hitting it). Amanda Sabha and Jennifer Hutnik: Fifth-place in 'wright stuff' (build and fly a plane in the air the longest using no metal or electricity). Steven Brunetto and Jennifer Hutnik: Sixth-place in geological mapping (teams demonstrate knowledge of geologic mapping, topographic concepts, surface and subsurface structural geology). Steven Brunetto and Charles Panzarella: Eighth-place in air trajectory (design, construct, and calibrate a device capable of launching a projectile into a target area). Dean Perkins and Xavier Varga: Ninth-place in astronomy (teams demonstrate knowledge of planet and star formations, solar system and atmosphere).

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