Winners of NETL’s regional Science Bowl competitions for students in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia tested their knowledge in math, science, engineering and technology (STEM) topics at the 2024 National Science Bowl held April 25-29 in Washington, D.C.

North Allegheny Senior High School (Wexford, Pennsylvania) compiled a 5-3 record to finish in fourth place in its divisional round-robin competition but did not advance beyond double-elimination play and finished among the top 32 high school teams in the country.

Morgantown High School (Morgantown, West Virginia) also finished in fourth place in its divisional round-robin competition, with a 4-2-1 record, before falling in the double-elimination round and finishing among the top 32 high school teams in the country.

In the middle school contest, Marshall Middle School (Wexford, Pennsylvania) and Suncrest Middle School (Morgantown, West Virginia) took fourth place in their round-robin divisions. However, both schools were eliminated in the double-elimination round and finished among the top 32 middle school teams in the country.

“The winners of our regional Science Bowls gave it their best efforts and did an excellent job representing Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia on the national stage,” said Adam Lott, lead coordinator for NETL’s regional Science Bowl contests.

The winners of the 2024 National Science Bowl were Lexington High School in Lexington, Massachusetts, and BASIS Independent Bellevue in Bellevue, Washington.

Lexington defeated North Hollywood High School from North Hollywood, California, by correctly answering the Earth and space science multiple choice question, “which of the following statements about sunspots is true: W: Total sunspot area typically reaches a similar maximum during each solar cycle. X: Sunspots in a given hemisphere switch polarity in successive 11-year solar cycles. Y: Sunspots are more abundant in the northern hemisphere. Z: Sunspots have elevated convection rates.” Lexington secured their win by answering “X: Sunspots in a given hemisphere switch polarity in successive 11-year solar cycles.”

In the middle school competition, BASIS Independent Bellevue defeated Hopkins Junior High School from Fremont, California. 

The national competition brought together middle and high school students from across the country to compete in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format where they solved technical problems and answered questions on a range of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, energy, mathematics and physics.

For three decades, NETL has coordinated the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia Regional Science Bowls as part of its STEM Education and Outreach program to inspire the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers to explore careers in energy and other fields.

“Participation in Science Bowl serves as a catalyst to launch rewarding STEM-related careers,” Lott said. “At NETL, we are proud to support an exciting experience that challenges students to excel in the classroom and prepares them to make tomorrow’s groundbreaking discoveries,” Lott said.

NETL will host the 2025 West Virginia Regional Science Bowl at West Virginia University in Morgantown on Friday, Jan. 31, for middle schools and Saturday, Feb. 1, for high schools. The 2025 Western Pennsylvania Regional Science Bowl will be held Saturday, Feb. 22, for high schools and Saturday, March 1, for middle schools.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant, and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.