GBMS looks to continue win streak at state Science Olympiad

Gulf Breeze Middle School will seek to extend its streak of eight Florida championships at the competition at the University of Central Florida March 24.

Science Olympiad is a team event, in which the 15 members combine into pairs and trios for 23 science-related events, such as projects built in advance and tested, academic tests, on-the-spot construction, and analysis of substances to reach conclusions.

The team meets weekly as a group, with additional study sessions in preparation for the State and, hopefully, National competitions. This year's National contest will be held at the University of Witchita in Kansas.

GBMS fields two teams, a competition team and a training team, known as the B team.

A team members are Nathan Gupta, Katie McIver, R.J. Burns, Ryan Burke, Garret Zanca, Nick Musmansky, Joey Finelli, Vincent Costers, Eric Burke, Hunter Bradshaw, Alyse Tack, Andrew Clark, Chau Ho, Nick Gupta, and Evan Bernard.

The B team includes Lauren Harrison, Nick Bookout, Will Spearing, Taylor Castleberry, Bryan Zanca, Erik Kelsch, Brandon Vogt, Sierra Knoch, Madison Penico, Alex Williams, Seth Rejda, Savannah Smith, Sarah Woods, Brianna Edler.

Coaches are teachers Deborah Cathey, Sharon Schaeffner, Mike Ruth, Bob Smith, and Casey Fearon; parents Lisa and Sunil Gupta, Patty Burke, Frances Spearing, Scott Musmansky, Ellen Finelli, Chris Costers, Roberta Harvey, Chris Henderson, Griet Roes, and Jerry Clark; and GBHS student Ryan Henderson.