The U-High science teams have performed well in three recent competitions. The varsity Science Olympiad team placed second in its division at the Illinois Harper College Regionals on March 7, and the junior varsity team placed first in its division, while the Envirothon team placed second on March 18 in the North Eastern Illinois regional competition and first for special topic presentation on nonpoint source pollution. 

The Envirothon team was composed of sophomores Liam Evans and Chloé Tyndall, junior Giovanni Nicolai and seniors Mulan Wu and Grishma Unadkat, the captain. 

Despite the varsity Science Olympiad team’s success, team captain Emilia Anitescu, a senior, said regionals was a disappointing competition because varsity placed first last year by a wide margin. 

“I feel like people have been performing with a lot of heart, but maybe they have been putting their energies into things that didn’t necessarily need all that energy,” she said. 

On Feb. 24, the Science Olympiad team also competed at the Liebman Institute for Science Innovation invitational at McHenry County College. The varsity team placed second in their division, while the JV team placed fourth in their section. 

Emilia said the team did a good job at the competition, and that she believes the members will perform well at the Illinois Science Olympiad State Tournament at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on April 18.

She said, “Though regionals was slightly subpar, I think the team will really come together by state and show up well.”