North Allegheny’s Marshall Middle School Team 1 captured first place in the 2025 Western Pennsylvania Science Bowl (WPASB) middle school contest held Saturday, March 1, at the Community College of Allegheny County-South Campus in West Mifflin.

“Congratulations to Marshall Middle School Team 1. Your hard work prepared you to excel in a field that featured 24 exceptional teams from 13 schools,” said Adam Lott, NETL’s Science Bowl regional coordinator.

Taking second place in the competition was Fort Couch Middle School Team 1 of Upper St. Clair. Ingomar Middle School Team 1 and Carson Middle School Team 1, both of North Allegheny, earned third and fourth place, respectively.

The top four schools received cash prizes to support their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Marshall Middle School Team 1 advances to the National Science Bowl on April 24-28 in Washington, D.C.

“NETL is proud to sponsor this regional Science Bowl because it sparks a passion in STEM studies,” Lott said. “On Saturday, we saw once again that students in our middle schools embrace STEM, which will help prepare them to pursue rewarding careers as engineers and scientists.”

It was the 34th WPASB competition sponsored by NETL. 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.

Competing in the 2025 WPASB competition were Albert Gallatin South Middle School, Carlynton Junior-Senior High School, Carson Middle School Team 1 and 2, Eden Hall Upper Elementary School, Fort Couch Middle School Team 1, 2 and 3, Independence Middle School Team 1 and 2, Ingomar Middle School Team 1 and 2, J.E. Harrison Middle School, Mars Area Middle School Team 1, 2 and 3, Marshall Middle School Team 1 and 2, Pine-Richland Middle School Team 1 and 2, Trinity Middle School Team 1 and 2, and Winchester Thurston School Team 1 and 2.

The 2025 WPASB for high schools, which was held Feb. 22, was won by North Allegheny Team 1.

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.