Poudre School District students continue to showcase their intellect this year with another team winning a statewide science competition as Preston Middle School brings home the school’s 15th state Science Olympiad Championship. This win comes just one year after the team narrowly lost last year by just three points.
The Science Olympiad has students competing across the country in a series of 23 team events covering topics and focuses ranging from genetics to earth science to anatomy and much more. Portions of the event rotate each year.
The Preston Teal Team won the middle school division with a rare 53-point margin over this year’s runner-up, medaling in 17 of the 23 events, including eight first-place finishes.
“I’m beyond proud of this group. After coming so close last year, they stayed focused, worked all year, and earned this,” said Preston science teacher and team coach Elizabeth Loyd. “Every single team member stepped up and did what was needed. This win highlighted their effort and resilience. I’ve been coaching a long time, and this is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.”
Loyd said a big part of Preston’s winning tradition and legacy comes from past team members, many of whom return to coach and mentor the current team, which makes the program stronger year after year. She said Preston’s Science Olympiad team wouldn’t be what it is today without the dedication and support of these former Olympians.
The Preston team will now go on to represent Colorado at the national tournament in Los Angeles in late May.
Several other PSD teams competed alongside the state championship team, including Kinard Middle School, which came in third place in the middle school division and two Fossil Ridge High School teams, which came in second and third in the high school division, with one of the Fossil Ridge teams finishing just three points behind first place.
“Competitions like this not only allow students to come together to illustrate their intelligence and dedication, but do an incredible job at showcasing how hard teachers across PSD work to create well-rounded, uniquely talented learners,” said Superintendent Brian Kingsley. “Congratulations to the state champion Preston team as well as all the other PSD teams that competed this year. This is a huge accomplishment, and I hope you are as proud of yourselves as I am of you!”