Brookings High School Science Bowl Team: Regional Champions Advance to National Competition in Washington, D.C.

In February, five students from Brookings High School won the South Dakota Regional Science Bowl and earned a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete at the national level sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Sixty-seven teams from all over the United States, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico participated in the national tournament at the end of April. Additionally, 48 middle school teams competed in their own division at the national level.

Representing Brookings High School at the regional tournament were seniors Vanessa An, Nancy Yang, Cole Knutzen, and Sampada Nepal, along with sophomore Mallory Wells. Ronda Kantack, BHS Quiz Bowl adviser served as their coach at both competitions. The team was undefeated at the regional level earning them title of regional champions and opportunity to compete nationally.

The trip to Washington, D.C started early in morning with flight out of Sioux Falls. During their stay they toured the Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum and attended presentations by National Laboratory personnel in artificial intelligence field . They also took part in Design Team Challenge where Brookings High School excelled . On second day they toured museums on National Mall and U