AMES, Iowa – Third time was the charm for Cedar Falls High School as the school won the 2002 Regional Science Bowl sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University.

The team finished third in 2000 and second last year, being eliminated by five-time champion Ames both years. Cedar Falls won the 2002 title by defeating Ames twice in the championship of the double-elimination tournament.

"It’s exhilarating," said Cedar Falls Coach Robert Nelson. "These kids worked extremely hard. As a teacher, it’s amazing to watch them compete and exhibit the knowledge to answer some very tough questions. Winning this is something they’ll never forget."

Iowa City West High School finished third behind Cedar Falls and Ames while Cedar Rapids Washington High School was fourth in the Ames Lab/ISU Science Bowl. Forty-six Iowa high schools participated in the daylong competition, held in ISU’s Memorial Union. Each school was represented by a team of up to five students who answered questions from a broad range of science and math topics during the fast-paced event.

Cedar Falls High School now advances DOE’s National Science Bowl^®, May 3-6 in Washington, D.C. The Ames Lab/ISU Science Bowl is one of more than 60 regional competitions throughout the nation.

Cedar Falls dropped its first match to Ames in the semifinals in a close match. That sent the team to the consolation bracket where it edged Iowa City West 62-52 to gain a championship rematch with Ames High. "We were not going to let those guys do it to us three years in a row," Cedar Falls team captain Alex Power said, "even though it meant beating them twice."

Cedar Falls narrowly defeated Ames in the first championship match, coming from behind to force a playoff. In the second match, Power and teammates Conrad Hutcheson, Melanie Simet and Justin Peters jumped out to a big lead and held off a late Ames charge, winning 60-48.

The competing students answered questions dealing with astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, computer science, earth science, general science and current events in the scientific and technical community. The 16 teams that fared best in the morning rounds advanced to a double-elimination competition in the afternoon.

Approximately 90 faculty and staff members from Ames Laboratory and ISU served as moderators, judges, timekeepers and scorekeepers during the event. In addition to Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University, sponsors include HyVee, Pella, Rockwell, 3M, Hach, Baymont Inn & Suites, and Alliant Energy.

Since its inception, more than 80,000 high school students have participated in regional tournaments leading up to the National finals.

Ames Laboratory is operated for the Department of Energy by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new materials.

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