Wayzata High School Students Go for Science Bowl Gold
When you hear the word “dynasty,” you might think of sports teams with decades of championship rings.
But at Wayzata High School, there’s another powerhouse that been at the top of it’s game for nearly a decade and it has nothing to do with the athletic department.
Science Bowl Champs
Some real mental gymnastics are taking place in room A440 at Wayzata High School.
Students are being peppered with questions in six categories.
“You have math, physics, biology, chemistry, earth and space science so a combination of earth science and astronomy and then there’s a subject called energy,” said Kevin Qiu, a Wayzata senior and science bowl team member.
Qiu is one of five quick-thinking students that make up Wayzata High School’s top performing science bowl team.
The group practices together weekly and on their own.
“I usually try and practice one to two times a week with my dad,” said Wayzata sophomore and science bowl team member Sophie Cui. “He’ll help me run through questions and read question for me and it’s a good bonding moment with my dad, too.”
After winning a regional competition, the team is headed to the national finals in Washington, D.C.
“We’re aware of how strong we are as a team this year and we’re also aware of what areas we still have to work on,” said Cui.
Wayzata High School Science Bowl teammates Sophie Cui and Kevin Qiu practice in classroom.
A Legacy of Success
The standout students are continuing the long-standing tradition of science bowl success in Wayzata, securing their spot on the national stage.
“This is our ninth year in a row, so it’s been a pretty incredible experience,” said Wayzata AP biology and anatomy teacher Amanda Laden. “These students are very bright and very motivated by competition so they’ve been doing really well.”
Laden has led the science bowl team since 2014, even leading them to ultimate victory in 2019.
This year, she said the team is in a strong position.
“Their knowledge base and the fact that they got a lot of coverage of all the subjects plus their speed makes it likely that we are going to do really well this year,” said Laden.
Beyond the Competition
Competitors say it would be a dream to win at the national finals, but whatever the outcome, these students are already winners.
“I’ve met so many great people, so many new friends, and I’ve really learned a lot,” said Qiu.
The Wayzata Central Middle School team will also be competing in its age bracket at the national finals.
The competition begins at the end of April.
Wayzata High School
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