Commack Middle School Wins Top Honors at Brookhaven Lab's Regional Middle School Science Bowl

March 8, 2016

Regional Middle School Science Bowl wiiners enlarge

Pictured with their coach, Kimberly Gromov, are the students from Commack Middle School who won first place in the Middle School Science Bowl at Brookhaven Lab on March 5. From left to right are: Riley Bode, Andrew Wang, Nathan Cheung, and Faizali Rahim.

UPTON, NY — Commack Middle School won the Brookhaven National Laboratory/Long Island Regional Middle School Science Bowl held at the Lab on Saturday, March 5, 2016.  Commack students competed against 19 teams from 13 schools across the region in one of the nation's 50 regional competitions in the Annual U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl®. 

In a tight finish, Commack Middle School edged out last year's winner, R.C. Murphy Junior High, in the "Jeopardy-style" academic contest. Clarke Middle School took third place, and William Floyd Junior High School placed fourth. As the winning team, Commack Middle School earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., scheduled for April 28 - May 2, 2016.

R.C. Murphy Junior High School enlarge

Pictured with their coach are the students from R.C. Murphy Junior High School in Stony Brook who took second place in the Middle School Science Bowl held at Brookhaven Lab on March 5.

Student teams are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. These teams face off in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format, being tested on a range of science disciplines including life science, earth and space science, energy, mathematics, and general science. The team answering the most questions correctly wins the top honor.

"This was my first year as a coach and we were up against some tough competitors from other schools, but I am very happy that the hard work of my students paid off," said Commack's coach and 7th grade science teacher, Kimberly Gromov. "We all look forward to going to Washington D.C. for the national competition. I'm sure it will be a great experience for these 8th grade students."

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Pictured with their coaches are the students from Clarke Middle School in Westbury who placed third in the Middle School Science Bowl held at Brookhaven Lab on March 5.

Commack student captain Riley Bode added, "My dream is to become an engineer and my favorite subjects are math and science, so this was a great day for me and our team. We're going to work hard to get ready for Washington D.C.!"

During the competition, more than 9,500 high school students and 4,500 middle school students competed at 70 high school and 50 middle school regional Science Bowl tournaments. The regional tournaments, which host 15 to 50 teams, are sponsored by federal agencies, national laboratories, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. 

William Floyd Middle School enlarge

Pictured with their coaches are students from William Floyd Middle School in Shirley who placed fourth in the Middle School Science Bowl held at Brookhaven Lab on March 5.

"The National Science Bowl® continues to be one of the premier academic competitions across the country, and prepares America's students for future successes in some of the world's fastest growing fields in research and engineering," said U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. "I congratulate these students for advancing to the National Finals, where they will be among some of the brightest science and math students from across the country." 

The competition at Brookhaven is sponsored by Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA), the company that manages and operates the Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy. BSA provides additional support as well as Science Bowl t-shirts for all participating students and the trophies and medals for the winning teams. 

History of the National Science Bowl 

The Department of Energy (DOE) created the National Science Bowl® in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. More than 240,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its 25-year history. It is the nation's largest science competition.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl®, and sponsors the National Science Bowl® finals competition. More information about these events is available on the National Science Bowl® website.

Call (631) 344-2345 for more information.

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