After months of preparation and hard work, the Morristown Beard Science Olympiad team competed at the NJIT Regionals tournament, improving on last year’s results in just the second year of competition. The team competed in a wide range of events, including builds such as Robot Tour, Bungee Drop, and Electric Vehicle; written tests like Forensics, Disease Detectives, and Rocks and Minerals; as well as on-site activities like Codebusters and Engineering CAD.

The tournament, held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, featured over thirty schools from all across Northern Jersey. Out of the thirty schools, the Morristown Beard team placed 12th overall and placed in three events: fifth in Bungee Drop, fourth in Rocks and Minerals, and fourth in Robot Tour. Over the course of the regional season, the team has been constructing builds, studying for tests, and preparing for labs to be ready for the tournament. The team was led by captains Sophia Greller ‘26 and Sara Tang ‘27 and advisor Ms. Sahki Patel of the Science Department, who all played key roles in guiding new and returning members at this year’s competition. The results of the tournament reflect the team’s commitment to the Science Olympiad program, despite the academic team being a relatively new addition to the school.

“Competing for the second time was amazing,” returning member to the team, Giovanna Lattarulo ‘28, said.  “In some ways, it was easier; I felt more prepared for what the day would look like, and I had an idea of what to expect while working.” She notes how she participated in more difficult events this year, having to put more time and effort into preparing.

Despite the challenges, she enjoys collaborating with new people and learning new things. Lattarulo initially wanted to join because of her love for science and looks forward to working with new members in the coming years. 

A new member this year, Ben Breslow ‘29, joined for his passion for engineering and STEM, allowing him to apply his interest to real-life engineering. His preparation for this year’s tournament was spent taking measurements and performing calculations for the Bungee Drop event. With his experience from this year, Breslow now understands what the tournament is all about and has found events he may be interested in competing in.

“I think that other students interested in joining the Science Olympiad should totally make the jump!” Breslow said. “For me, there were many events that interested me, and the one I participated in was another opportunity to exercise my problem-solving skills and other knowledge that is necessary in the field.” 

With a successful second season behind them, the Morristown Beard Science Olympiad team hopes to build on this year’s progress and continue improving in future competitions. Any students interested in science, engineering, and problem-solving are encouraged to join as a competing member or alternate for next year.