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  • PHOTO PROVIDED Santa Fe High School's Academic Team placed first at the Department of Energy's Oklahoma Regional Science Bowl and will go to Nationals in Washington, D.C., April 26-30. Team members are, from left, Steven Kappen, Julia Zhu, Jacob Rowe, Jane Hsi and Brandon Wong.

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February 2, 2012

Santa Fe academic team to compete in D.C.

Patty Miller The Edmond Sun

EDMOND — Santa Fe High School students have earned their way to the top once again.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced recently that members of the Santa Fe High School academic team won the Oklahoma Regional High School Science Bowl.

Santa Fe High School competed against 24 other teams from across the state in one of the nation’s regional competitions of the 22nd Annual U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl, and is now eligible to compete in the National Finals in Washington, D.C., at the end of April.

Santa Fe faced off against Edmond Memorial High School in the Regional Finals among other schools. Memorial won Regionals last year and traveled to Washington, D.C.

“Our team is made up of two juniors and three sophomore students, no seniors,” said Mark Becannen, one of the team coaches. The other coach is Laura Eckard.

“For a young team this has been a phenomenal rise,” Becannen said. “We are expecting to have a good time for the next few years.”  

This is the third time a Santa Fe team has gone to nationals. Both Memorial and North have made it to Nationals in the past.

Santa Fe had three academic teams going to the Regional Science Bowl.

“I was pleased with all three teams and how well they did at Regionals,” Becannen said.

Students from Santa Fe will be awarded an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., which are scheduled for April 26-30.

“I am so proud of these students,” said Earl Kirkpatrick, Santa Fe’s principal. “What’s great about them is that they are a young team that have proven themselves against more experienced teams.

“The sky is the limit with these students. I look forward to watching them grow into their full potential.”

The regional tournaments, which host 15-50 teams, are sponsored by federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of education and nonprofit organizations.

Team member sophomore Brandon Wong said, “I was really excited. It’s like a new experience being able to go to Washington, D.C., to see the history of the U.S. I have had a couple of chances to go but wasn’t able to go.”

Wong said he realized, “There is a lot of stuff I didn’t know. I plan to go to the library and check out some science books.”

Fellow team member junior Julia Zhu said she couldn’t believe they had won at first.

“It was too good to be true,” Zhu said.

She said although she has been to Washington, D.C., before with her family, it doesn’t take away from the excitement of going again, and she is looking forward to seeing the White House and Lincoln Memorial.

“I felt really prepared in physics and math,” Zhu said, “but I didn’t feel as nearly prepared in biology and chemistry. I haven’t taken those classes yet.”

The National Science Bowl brings together thousands of middle and high school students from across the country to compete on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, astronomy, and math.

“Congratulations to the students at Santa Fe High School — some of America’s future leaders in the science, technology, engineering and math fields,” said Energy Secretary Chu. “Through the National Science Bowl, we’re challenging today’s students and ensuring that America stays competitive in a rapidly advancing world.”



MORE INFORMATION about these events is available on the National Science Bowl website: www.science.energy.gov/nsb/.

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