For release: April 11, 2005

Contacts: 
Steve Karsjen, Ames Laboratory Public Affairs (515) 294-5643,
karsjen@ameslab.gov

CENTRAL ACADEMY WINS MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE BOWL

Newton's Berg Middle School wins Fuel-cell Car Challenge

AMES, Iowa – AMES, Ia. -- Central Academy of Des Moines won all its matches here Saturday to claim the championship of the 2nd Annual Ames Laboratory/Iowa State University Regional Middle School Science Bowl. Central Academy edged out the Evans Middle School (Ottumwa) ‘Accelerators’ 76-62 in the final match to earn the right to represent the region at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl, June 23-26, in Golden, Colo.

The Central Academy team of Troy Shu, Kyle Moss, Alice Xu, Abhishek Vemuri and Anna Okulist, cruised through their first three academic quiz-bowl matches, but had a tougher time against the same Evans team, 76-68, in the semi-finals of the double-elimination competition. That loss sent Evans into a rematch with Berg Middle School of Newton. Those two schools had met in the opening round which Evans won 84-78. Berg then fought its way back through the once-beatens, including a 48-44 tiebreaker win against Urbandale. Evans won the rematch with Berg, 94-46, to put the team of Josh Mellor, Andrew Kaake, Zach Heubener, Chris Celania, and Neil Patel into the championship match with Central Academy.

Berg’s third-place showing was nearly a repeat of their comeback victory in Friday’s hydrogen fuel-cell car challenge.After losing a second-round race, the Berg team of Allen Barr, Cory Keller, Josh Zieman, Abby Carter and Katelyn Pletcher got their model car back on track, winning their next three races to line up against Urbandale
in the championship match of the double-elimination event. Berg’s victory gave both teams one loss, setting up one final race, which Berg won. LeMars finished third in the car challenge.

A total of 16 teams from 14 schools competed in the two-day event. The field included Iowa middle schools in Anthon, Newton, Boone, Des Moines, New Hartford, Ottumwa, LeMars, Mediapolis, Marshalltown, Solon, St. Ansgar, West Des Moines and Urbandale and one team from Apple Valley, Minn.

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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Editors: Digital images of the top three teams are available by contacting Kerry Gibson, (515) 294-1405 or kgibson@ameslab.gov.

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