For release: Jan. 28, 2006

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

IOWA CITY REGINA WINS AMES LAB/ISU SCIENCE BOWL

Regina tops defending champ Ames twice to clinch trip to Nationals

AMES, Iowa – Iowa City Regina avenged an earlier loss and defeated Ames twice in the Saturday afternoon finals to earn the right to represent the Ames Laboratory/Iowa State University Region in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl®, April 28-May 2 in Washington, D.C.

After a 48-team round-robin competition in the morning, the top 16 teams advanced to double-elimination play in the 16th annual edition of the academic quiz bowl. Regina and Ames both entered the afternoon with 5-0 records and met in the second round. Ames won that match 104-88, sending Regina to the challenger bracket.

Regina then worked its way back, defeating Dubuque Wahlert, Boone, West Des Moines Valley, Iowa City West and Des Moines Central Academy in that order to earn a rematch with Ames in the championship. Regina’s team of Phil Shiu, Peter Montag, Josh Hove and Stephen Berg jumped out to an early lead and won the match 96-68. Since that was Ames’ first loss, the two teams squared again. Regina grabbed a commanding lead in that match, then coasted to a 102-48 victory.

Four Ames seniors – Joshua Moloney, Charles Clearly, Xin Pan and Dave Gan were members of the 2005 championship team that competed at Nationals along with Neal Marasinghe, who graduated last spring. Mark Fang was the lone junior on this year’s Ames squad.

Central Academy finished third and Iowa City West was fourth. The “Sweet 16” also included: Urbandale, Valley, Humboldt, Boone, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington, Dubuque Wahlert, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Davenport Assumption, Chariton, Winterset and Des Moines Dowling.

Regina, coached by Barbara Reilly, was the runner-up in 2004, but was eliminated in an early round last year by Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Shiu and Montag were members of those teams so the chance to go to Washington D.C. this year was especially sweet.

The Ames Lab/ISU Science Bowl is one of 68 regional competitions throughout the nation. The competing students answered questions dealing with astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, 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-Collins, 3M, Hach Corporation, Dow Corning Foundation, Anderson Erickson, Baymont Inn and Suites, Target and Hickory Park.

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 and all of the competing schools are available by contacting Kerry Gibson, (515) 294-1405 or kgibson@ameslab.gov. If you made prior arrangements for photos, those will be emailed to you Monday morning.

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