Goshen takes first in regional Science Olympiads

GOSHEN — Goshen’s Science Olympiad Junior Team walked away with 33 medals and a first-place trophy after a successful showing at the Mid-Hudson Division B Regional Competition.
Throughout the day, each team competed in 18 different events focusing on such topics as anatomy and physiology, food chemistry, engineering, forensics, and robotics.
“Our success is due to the amount of dedication and hard work we all put in together as a team,” said Goshen’s Head Coach Becky DenDanto. "Every team member is an integral part."
In the Monroe-Woodbury gym, Goshen eighth grader Kaylee Kohn and sixth grader Ryan Lupien set up their self-propelled, air-levitating hovercraft on the track.
“We made it using foam board because it is lightweight,” said Kaylee who has been a part of Science Olympiad for three years.
Ryan, a new Science Olympiad participant, said the goal is "to build a vehicle that hovers off the ground and moves forward down the track in a certain amount of time."
Meanwhile, Andrew Rampulla and Dan Fellenzer flew their balsa wood plane.
“We must consider the weight of the plane, the center of gravity, mass distribution, and the type of propeller when designing the plane,” said Andrew, a seventh grader at C.J. Hooker Middle School.
Andrew and Dan earned second place medals for their 38-second flight, but their overall best flight time during practice was 58.56 seconds.
To prepare for the March 4 competition, the team competed in the Blue Dragon invitational held in Levittown, Long Island, in February. Nearly 700 students from highly ranked teams across the tristate area competed in 25 different events, covering a wide range of science-related fields. At the invitational, Goshen took home medals in eight different events.
Goshen’s Science Olympiad program is coordinated by Becky DenDanto, Laura Muller, and Warren Young. Numerous volunteers from the school and community also assist the team in their areas of expertise in preparation for their competitions.
The team is also supported this year by Crystal Run, Dr. Kondagunta, and Royal Pools and Spas.
The Goshen team will advance to the New York State Competition held April 7 and 8 in Syracuse.