FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 11, 2020Contact: Judy Shimek, 406-255-2925, shimek@wapa.gov

2020 MONTANA REGIONAL SCIENCE BOWL WINNERS

BILLINGS, Mont. — Helena High School Team 1 won first place at the 2020 Montana Regional High School Science Bowl Competition held Saturday, March 7, at Montana State University-Billings.

Helena High School Team 1 was among 19 teams, representing 12 different schools across Montana that competed in the bowl. Capital High School Team 1 took second place. The event was sponsored by the Western Area Power Administration and the Department of Energy.

The regional and national Science Bowl competitions require students to answer questions related to astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, Earth science and general science. Each team is made up of four students, a student alternate and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach.

The winning teams from all regional meets receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Science Bowl, scheduled for April 30-May 4th.

Participating schools from Montana this year were:

Absarokee (2 teams) Billings Central Catholic (1 team) Billings West (2 teams) CM Russel – Great Falls (2 teams) Capital – Helena (2 teams) Chester-Joplin-Inverness (2 teams) Helena High (2 teams) Lima (1 team) Plentywood (1 team) Red Lodge (1 team) Skyview (2 teams)

Big Sky Middle School Science Bowl Competition

Middle school teams from across Montana challenged each other in the Big Sky Regional Middle School Science Bowl, March 6, at Montana State University-Billings.

The middle school competition is an academic, fast-paced question-and-answer contest in which students answer questions about general science, energy, physical science, Earth science, space science and mathematics.

North Middle School Team 1 from Great Falls won first place and will be going to Washington, D.C., to compete at the National Science Bowl held April 30-May 4th. The Civility Award winners were St Francis Team 1.

Participating schools from Montana this year were:

Absarokee (2 teams) Nashua (1 team) North Middle - Great Falls (2 teams) Park City (3 teams) Poplar (2 teams) Saint Francis – Billings (3 teams) St Charles Mission – Pryor (1 team)

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About Science Bowl: The National Science Bowl is a fast-paced competition in which students answer questions from a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy and math. The Department of Energy created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. Approximately 265,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its 29-year history, and it is one of the nation’s largest science competitions.

About WAPA: Western Area Power Administration annually markets and transmits more than 25,000 gigawatt-hours of clean, renewable power from 57 federal hydroelectric powerplants owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and International Boundary and Water Commission in 15 western and central states. It is part of the Department of Energy. Follow us on Twitter @WesternAreaPowr or visit the website at www.wapa.gov .

Note: photos attached next page

2020 Montana Regional High School Science Bowl first place (Helena Team 1):

Left to right: Coach Kristin Berry, Greysen Smith, Jonathan DeWald, Heath Caldwell, Tim Cuddy, Owen Cleary, Coach Emily Gillin(Photo by Judy Shimek)

2020 Big Sky Regional Middle School Science Bowl First Place North Middle School Team 1 (Great Falls):

Team Members: Anthony Rangel, Audrey Davidson, Brant Barnwell, Alex Young, Jack Salzman, and Coach: Mary Somerfeld