RALEIGH — Over 30 Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) middle and high school students competed in the Science Olympiad State Tournament in Raleigh this past weekend, posting some of the best finishes in school history.
The high school team, consisting of Camden Sloan, Erin Murray, Mansi Patel, Steven Norell, John Palmer, David Oh, Kaylee Owens, Cayson Sloan, Anjali Patel, Ava Bridges, Siya Patel, Lauren Ruppe, and Daedin Boeckx, competed in a total of 27 events and came away with 16th-place finish out of 49 teams in Division C, the best finish in school history.
The team also earned the most individual state medals in a single year in school history.
Bridges and Oh became the first duo in school history to place first in Aerial Scramble, which offers a $2,500 scholarship to both students if they are accepted and choose to attend NC State University.
Cayson Sloan and Norell finished fourth in the It’s About Time category. Camden Sloan and Norell finished sixth in the Gravity Vehicle category, while Camden Sloan and Palmer placed sixth in Fast Facts. In the Solar Power category, Mansi Patel and Murray finished eighth. Camden Sloan and Palmer recorded a 10th-place finish in Remote Sensing to go along with a 10th-place finish from Anjali Patel and Cayson Sloan in Mystery Architecture.
Other team members who were not able to attend, but played a role in helping the team prepare for the tournament include Dominik Mystkowski, Madison McComas, Emma Mitchum, and Elayna Stephens.
The middle school team also had success as Janet Matisya, Liana Ambrose, Anderson Pierce, and Stella Friedman all won medals in their events.