North Bethesda Science Team Makes National Tourney A Fourth Time

BETHESDA, MD — North Bethesda Middle School's Science Olympiad club is heading to the 2019 National Science Olympiad Tournament, a prestigious science and engineering competition for the country's best middle and high school teams.

The National Science Olympiad Tournament is the pinnacle of more than 300 regional and state tournaments each year, according to the organization's website. Upwards of 7,800 teams across the country go head-to-head for the chance to compete against some of the best students at the The National Science Olympiad Tournament.

Now in its 35th year, the tournament will be held at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York from May 31 to June 1. North Bethesda Middle School in Montgomery County and Centennial High School in Howard County will be representing the state of Maryland.

One team from each school will compete in 23 events pertaining to various scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, Earth science, engineering, and physics.

"This blend of engineering, knowledge, problem solving, technology and process skills makes Science Olympiad unique in the world of science competitions," the organization said.

While an exciting feat for qualifying teams, this isn't North Bethesda Middle School first time competing in the big leagues. 2019 marks the fourth consecutive year the middle schoolers have advanced to the national tournament.

Dan Werbeck and Maria Lutchenkov are science teachers and coaches for the team. In a statement to Patch, Werbeck said he and his co-coach are excited to showcase the students' skills on a national level.

"(We) are especially proud of this team since many of the team members have been on the team since they were 6th graders. They have worked hard all year since the team formed in October, and are excited to showcase their learning on the national level," Werbeck said.