The Syosset, Long Island, High School Science Olympiad team ranked first in New York State at the MIT Science Olympiad Invitational that was held on January 21 at the Ivy League institution.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Invitational is considered one of the most difficult invitationals, known for its notoriously complex tests. Nationally ranked teams travel from across the country to compete. Teams are ranked in 23 science-related events, ranging in topic from forensic science to building functional antennae.
Out of the 65 teams competing in the invitational, Syosset took 11th place, making it the highest ranking team from New York. The team members won 14 medals, placing in the top six in 23 events. This was a monumental victory for the team.
The team, led by their Coach Mildred Castañeda, consisted of Aarya Patel, Aberam Sriganesh, Alex Chen, Andy Chen, Anthony Rodriguez, Blesson Ren, Brenton Lee, Darius Fan, Ishan Patel, Ivory Tseng, Jesse Lebolt, Marcus Hoshino, Samuel Wang, Samuel Xiao, Simeon Hur, and Tina Chen.
Prior to the competition, team members went through hours of preparation, passing several rounds of testing, and spending time after school practicing lab experiments and building devices.
This is not the first invitational where the Syosset High School Science Olympiad team has come in first in New York State. On Nov. 19 they competed at Cornell University, coming in second overall and was once again, the highest-scoring team from New York.
Syosset will host a regional competition on Jan. 28, where students from across Long Island will compete for a spot in the state tournament.
