The University of Central Oklahoma College of Mathematics and Science played host to the Oklahoma Science Olympiad State Tournament on April 1st.

The competition, which is comprise of 46 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) events, is part of the national Science Olympiad program, the premier team STEM competition in the nation, providing standards-based challenges to 6,000 teams at 425 tournaments in all 50 states.

“The College of Mathematics and Science is pleased to be the program sponsor of the Oklahoma Science Olympiad and the host of the State Tournament for the last 10 years.” said Bob Melton, State Director of the Oklahoma Science Olympiad.

“If a young person wants to be an engineer, a chemist, a biology teacher, an astronaut, an astrophysicist, a math professor, or all of the above, Science Olympiad lets them try it on for size. Science Olympiad events touch every letter in STEM so they can explore any pathway. Science Olympiad helps students find their what, how, and maybe most importantly, their why.”

Casady Upper School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma placed first among high school teams at the tournament and Oakdale School in Edmond, Oklahoma placed first among Middle School teams. Both teams will now represent Oklahoma at the National Science Olympiad Tournament to be held May 19-20 at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.

The Science Olympiad National Tournament is the pinnacle of achievement for 120 of the country’s best Science Olympiad teams and the Science Olympiad Global Ambassador Team from Japan, representing more than 2,000 students.

Other teams in the State Tournament included Norman North High School, Norman, Oklahoma which placed second in the High School Division and Jenks High School, Jenks, Oklahoma which placed third. Casady Middle School, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, placed second in the Middle School division of the tournament with Taloga Middle/Elementary School, Taloga, Oklahoma, earning third place.