Science Olympiad Junior Team places 7th in State Finals

Group photo of students in matching red shirts holding a banner that says Goshen Central Schools Science Olympiad.
Goshen’s Science Olympiad junior team placed seventh in the New York State Competition April 13-14. Front row, from left, Ekamjot Singh, Carlos Alicea, Rohan Chhabra, AJ Bauer, Cora Pahucki.  Second row, from left, Ryan Mistretta, Eesha Ramanathan, Zachary Jessup, Ysabela Paneto, Nahal Jangda. Third row, from left, Carlos Garcia, Xander Danella, Andrew Rampulla, Kiara Paulino, Dan Fellenzer. Fourth row, from left, Ben Pahucki, Alex Mistretta, Jackson Diglio, Arun Foster, Kapil Foster, Serena Yeddu.  Photo provided.

Goshen’s Science Olympiad Junior Team placed seventh in the New York State Finals during a two-day tournament hosted by East Syracuse-Minoa High School April 13-14.

More than 230 Division B teams from across the state competed in regional competitions in February and March, with only 39 teams qualifying for the state finals.  Goshen competed in 26 different events, covering a wide range of STEM-related topics including epidemiology, forensic science, optics, and thermodynamics.

The students competed in pairs with the top 10 teams in each event earning medals. While students may see individual victories and earn personal medals, each member’s effort is crucial to the team’s overall score and ranking. Goshen’s Science Olympiad team medaled in 14 of the 26 events:

  • Arun Foster, Alex Mistretta, and Andrew Rampulla:  First place, Experimental Design
  • Jason Barnes and Ben Pahucki: Second place, Battery Buggy
  • Carlos Garcia and Serena Yeddu: Second place, Duct Tape Challenge
  • Jackson Diglio and Andrew Rampulla: Third place, Meteorology
  • Nahal Jangda and Ysabela Paneto:  Fourth place, Potions and Poisons
  • Alex Mistretta and Ryan Mistretta:  Fourth place, Roller Coaster
  • Jackson Diglio and Andrew Rampulla:  Fourth place, Wright Stuff
  • Nahal Jangda and Ysabela Paneto:  Fifth place, Crime Busters
  • Ben Pahucki and Eesha Ramanathan: Sixth place, Solar System
  • Ben Pahucki and Andrew Rampulla: Eighth place, Rocks and Minerals
  • Zach Jessup and Alex Mistretta: Eighth place, Thermodynamics
  • Kapil Foster and Ekamjot Singh:  Ninth place, Anatomy
  • Jason Barnes and Arun Foster:  Tenth place, Hovercraft
  • Cora Pahucki and Kiara Paulino:  Tenth place, Parasitology

Throughout the school year, 31 Goshen students in grades 6-9 studied after school and on Saturdays, prepping 10 hours a week for tournaments and invitational competitions including the Rustin Invitational in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and the Cornell Invitational in Ithaca. Head Coach Becky DenDanto and assistant coaches Laura Muller and Warren Young coordinate Goshen’s Science Olympiad program.  Goshen teachers Stephen Hill and Christina Pahucki assist the team, along with a large group of parent and community volunteers.