Suncrest Middle School Team 1 captured first place in the 2025 West Virginia Science Bowl (WVSB) middle school competition, which was held Friday, Jan. 31, at the West Virginia University Mountainlair in Morgantown.

“Congratulations to Suncrest Team 1 on its exceptional effort to emerge victorious in a competition that drew a tremendous field of 23 talented teams from 13 schools,” said Adam Lott, NETL’s Science Bowl regional coordinator.

As the winner of the WVSB middle school competition, Suncrest Team 1 advances to compete in the National Science Bowl on April 24-28 in Washington, D.C. Members of the winning team are Theodore Ziotis, Gloria Hu, Destiny Shi, Riya Zinn, Anand Subramani and coach Lee Ann Boylstein.

Coming in at second, third and fourth place were Triadelphia Middle School Team 2, Suncrest Middle School Team 2 and John Adams Middle School Team 1, respectively. The top winners received cash prizes to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs at their schools.

The theme for this year’s contest was “YOU can be the next,” which builds on the words of Sir Isaac Newton, the English mathematician and physicist, who said: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” With this quote, Newton emphasized how each generation builds upon the work of those that preceded it, adding new layers of understanding and pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

“The teams in this competition demonstrated they are developing outstanding academic skills and moving forward to become the next generation of scientists and engineers who will make exciting discoveries in energy and other STEM-related fields,” Lott said.

Schools that competed in the 2025 WVSB were Belington Middle School Team 1 and 2, Bridge Street Middle School Team 1 and 2, Fayetteville PK-8 Team 1 and 2, John Adams Middle School Team 1 and 2, Mountaineer Middle School, Sherrard Middle School Team 1 and 2, St. Francis Central Catholic School, Suncrest Middle School Team 1 and 2, Triadelphia Middle School Team 1 and 2, Trinity Christian School Team 1 and 2, West Fairmont Middle School Team 1, 2 and 3, Westwood Middle School and Williamstown Middle School.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation to deliver solutions for a secure energy future. Through its expertise and research facilities, NETL is advancing technologies to unleash America’s affordable, reliable, and secure domestic energy and natural resources.