BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater-Raritan High School placed third in Region 4(New Jersey), in both Division I and Division II of the 2026 PhysicsBowl, according to Dr. Eleni Arapaki, the school’s AP Physics 1 and 2 teacher.
Fifteen students from the school competed in the international high school physics contest, which uses a timed, multiple-choice exam.
According to Arapaki, the PhysicsBowl is divided into two groups, with Division I for first-year physics students and Division II for second-year students.
High school teams compete regionally by taking a 40-question, 45-minute test under school supervision, with questions based on topics covered in a typical high school physics course.
Arapaki reported that the contest took place between March 18 and April 4 this year, and that Bridgewater-Raritan administered its exam on March 24.
"Teams are scored based on the top five individual scores from each school, contributing to the overall team ranking. Students are recognized for their performance, and high achievers earn international recognition for both themselves and their schools," she said.
"Each Division has 15 regions that have been established across the country to allow schools in each region to compete against one another. Specialized math and science schools compete in their own region. In our school, the 2026 exam was given on March 24," she stated.
Arapaki added, "We competed in both divisions 1 & 2 in Region 4, and we were ranked third in New Jersey in both divisions!"
The first-year PhysicsBowl team included Vivian Chao, Luhang Liu, Chayan Malkari, Pranav Swarma, Vedaang Verma, Charles Wang, Joanna Xu and Ethan Zhang.
"The five highest-performing scorers on the Division 1 team, from highest to lowest, are: Charles Wang, Joanna Xu, Vivian Chao, Pranav Swarma, and Vedaang Verma," Arapaki said.
The second-year team included Arjun Agarwal, Shiven Das, Suyash Gupta, Wesley Lin, Alexander Masin, Nicholas Persson and Matthew Pizzelanti.
"The five highest performing scorers of The Division 2 team from highest to lowest are: Suyash Gupta, Wesley Lin, Arjun Agarwal, Shiven Das, and Matthew Pizzelanti," Arapaki said.
Arapaki also reported that Wesley Lin, a junior in AP Physics C, participated in the F=ma competition.
According to Arapaki, 6,682 students worldwide took that exam, which featured 25 multiple-choice mechanics questions, and Wesley advanced to the second round, the USAPhO.
"Although Wesley did not make it to the Physics Olympiad Team, he received the Distinction for Commendable Performance, offered to students whose problem-solving efforts and dedication merit special recognition," she said.
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