Science Olympiad competed at Wichita State University on April 7. Seniors Madison Crees and Sierra Eichman took first throughout the state in Forensics.

The team is made up of seniors Jacob Alexander, Brianna Brin, Nicholas Cox, Crees, Eichman, Ethen Schmidt and Rachel Taylor, juniors Ashton Balthazor, Seth Beauchamp, Autumn Hohmann, Drew Morley, Sara Rohleder, Dawson Rooney and sophomore Cori Isbell. Taylor and Morley also placed in the top three at 3^rd place.

Everyone who placed received medals, but for Crees and Eichman, the invitation to move on to nationals was presented.

“We got the opportunity to advance on to nationals if we so choose,” Crees said.

Crees has been involved in Science Olympiad since her junior year and Eichman since her sophomore year.

“I had a lot of friends in it, so I thought maybe I’d be good at it,” Crees said. “It turns out I was.”

While the two will not be moving on to nationals, the winning of first place in all small schools and even the bigger schools in the state was shocking.

“It was really surprising honestly,” Crees said. “I left that event that morning, and I texted one of my really good friends, and I was like ‘I either did really poorly or really well, and I can’t tell which. I thought we had probably done horrible. When they went through third and second place, announcing it in small school division, I was like ‘Awh, crap,” and I was kind of heart broken, then they announced Hays for first, and I freaked out. I was shaking so bad as I ran up to the stage. Sierra and I were crying on stage. Later on we found out we placed first out of the state of Kansas. We beat out all the big schools.”

19ibraun@usd489.com