Posted
March 12, 2026
A helicopter that weighs just four grams but can climb high into the air.
A rapid-fire test of science and engineering knowledge.
A bungee drop that must land within millimeters of its mark.
A delicate wooden structure engineered for maximum strength-to-weight ratio.
A puzzle of coded messages that must be cracked in record time.
These are just a few of the challenges tackled by St. Edward’s Science Olympiad team, which is headed to the state tournament for the tenth consecutive year.
Youssef Esa ’26 and Evan Duenas ’26 have spent countless afternoons after school perfecting the Bungee Drop, a physics and engineering event where students must design an elastic cord capable of dropping a bottle of unknown mass from a height revealed only on competition day, attempting to stop the bottle as close to the ground as possible without letting it touch. After earning a first-place finish at last weekend’s regionals, the duo hopes to take gold again.
“This is my most involved event,” Esa says. “Evan and I have been working on it for the past two years. Last year we earned second place at states, and now we’re aiming for first. It’s exciting to see our preparation pay off, and it’s even more rewarding because we’re doing it as a team.”
St. Edward advances to the Ohio Science Olympiad State Tournament on April 18 at The Ohio State University for the tenth consecutive year. The Bungee Drop is just one of 23 high school events in Science Olympiad, a national team competition often described as “track and field for science.” Students compete across a wide range of disciplines—building structures, conducting laboratory experiments, and tackling demanding exams that test deep scientific knowledge. From biology and chemistry to physics and engineering, the events challenge students to think creatively, solve complex problems, and collaborate under pressure.
Over the course of the season, 25 Edsmen trained and competed in four invitational tournaments before last weekend’s regional competition. Now, 15 students will advance to the state tournament, taking on events that reflect months of preparation, experimentation, and collaboration.
These students will be our next surgeons, pilots, chemists, physicists, environmentalists, engineers, cybersecurity specialists, and data analytics professionals. - Erin Schilf, Coach
Mastering the Challenge
The team is led by captains Kaylor Fox ’26, Youssef Esa ’26, Evan Duenas ’26, and Carter Riordan ’26. At regionals, the Eagles placed second overall, earning medals across a wide range of events.
Duenas reflects on his experience as captain: “It’s not just about your own event—it’s about helping the team succeed. Guiding others and supporting students trying new events has made me even more excited about what we can accomplish together.”
Riordan is the team’s only four-year member and is serving his second year as a captain. Now enrolled in IB Chemistry HL Year 2, both Riordan and Esa are in their third year of chemistry coursework. That experience paid off at regionals, where the pair earned a gold medal in the Chemistry Lab event. The category allows them to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom, as they complete laboratory tasks and answer questions that focus on reaction kinetics and stoichiometry.
Beyond tests of knowledge, some events focus on design and building skills. For Boomilever, students design a cantilevered arm with an extraordinary strength-to-weight ratio. The wooden structure hangs from a vertical surface while teams load sand into a bucket suspended about 1.5 feet from the support. The goal is simple: hold the most weight while using the least material.
Brothers Sean McGee ’27 and Owen McGee ’27 demonstrated remarkable precision and patience in their design, achieving a strength-to-weight ratio exceeding 1,500. In practical terms, that would be like a 200-pound person holding up more than 300,000 pounds. Their carefully engineered structure earned them a first-place medal at the regional competition.
Helicopter, another building event, challenged Chris McGee ’27 and Josh Ridenour ’27 to construct a flying machine made entirely from balsa wood and thin mylar, weighing under four grams. The objective is to achieve the longest possible flight time. The tiny craft is so delicate that a sneeze could break it, but when everything works just right, it lifts gently and drifts through the air. Their meticulous preparation earned them a regional second-place medal.
“This is my first year as a captain,” says Kaylor Fox ’26, a third-year team member. “I help place students in events, guide younger members, and track progress. What I love most is seeing how everyone works together. Leading up to regionals, every student put in hours upon hours. At the end of the day, we all want the team to succeed.”
Building Skills for Life
Planning for most of the events begins in October. Students create study materials, build prototypes, run experiments, and refine solutions through trial and error. Erin Schilf, chemistry teacher and coach, explains: “I am proud of these students. They love learning, and they’ve developed the patience, creativity, and resilience to keep trying until they succeed. Every failure teaches them something new.”
Schilf coaches alongside Physics Teacher Libero Puccini, and Math Teacher Lisa Sturgill, helping students grow not only as competitors—but as thinkers, collaborators, and leaders.
Stepping Up to States
With regionals behind them, the Eagles now prepare for states, where every calculation, experiment, and carefully built design matters. At St. Edward, students don’t just study science—they explore it and achieve it—supported by mentors and peers who inspire them to excellence.
Congratulations to the entire St. Edward Science Olympiad team on their second-place regional win!
Faisal Aldosari ’26 – 3rd: Circuit Lab; 4th: Forensics
Peter Barendt ’26 – 2nd: Materials Science; 4th: Forensics
Ryan Boyette ’28 – 5th: Water Quality
Tim Collins ’27 – 2nd: Rocks and Minerals; 4th: Electric Vehicle; 4th: Robot Tour
Sam Cruickshank ’27 – 2nd: Entomology
Evan Duenas ’26 – 1st: Bungee Drop; 2nd: Rocks and Minerals; 3rd: Circuit Lab; 4th: Remote Sensing
Youssef Esa ’26 – 1st: Bungee Drop; 1st: Chemistry Lab; 4th: Disease Detectives; 5th: Experimental Design
Kaylor Fox ’26 – 4th: Designer Genes; 4th: Disease Detectives
Sebastian Haikal ’27 – 1st: Codebusters; 2nd: Materials Science; 4th: Machines; 5th: Experimental Design
Jimmy Kinnaird ’27 – 4th: Chemistry Lab
Evan Lochner ’28 – 1st: Dynamic Planet; 4th: Anatomy and Physiology; 4th: Remote Sensing
Chris McGee ’27 – 2nd: Helicopter; 2nd: Water Quality
Owen McGee ’27 – 1st: Boomilever; 2nd: Water Quality; 3rd: Entomology
Sean McGee ’27 – 1st: Boomilever; 3rd: Entomology; 4th: Electric Vehicle
Elijah Molseed ’26 – 1st: Codebusters; 3rd: Computer Aided Design; 4th: Machines; 4th: Robot Tour
Luc Nowakowski ’27 – 1st: Codebusters; 3rd: Computer Aided Design
Josh Ridenour ’27 – 1st: Dynamic Planet; 2nd: Helicopter; 5th: Experimental Design
Byamungu Ramadhani ’27 – 2nd: Entomology
Carter Riordan ’26 – 1st: Chemistry Lab; 4th: Anatomy and Physiology; 4th: Designer Genes
John Stiles ’27 – 4th: Chemistry Lab
Luca Swanson ’28 – 5th: Water Quality