Quaker Valley High School is proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of its Science Olympiad team at the 2024 Pennsylvania State Science Olympiad competition.
Juniors Luca Albano and Colin York earned 1st place in the “Write It, Do It” event, which was a historic first for QVHS! This event challenges teams to communicate technical information with precision and clarity under strict time constraints. Luca and Colin's exceptional performance reflects their outstanding collaboration and attention to detail.
“Our team couldn't stay for the awards ceremony because we needed to get back to school. We had no idea how we placed and didn’t even realize we had won until Colin got a text from a student still at the competition,” Luca told High School Principal Dr. Deborah Riccobelli. “I was confident walking out, but hearing we earned first place was unreal.”
Colin added, “At first, we were in disbelief. We felt confident, but the news still stunned us. Once we verified it, we had a huge celebration on the bus. Everyone was cheering. I was super proud of our team and my teammate. It was a long time coming, and I’m happy with our win.”
The team is currently awaiting the arrival of their medals—a well-deserved symbol of their success.
The team’s success didn’t stop there. Rachel Bartels and Lucia Montagnese earned 8th place in the Botany event, demonstrating impressive scientific knowledge and dedication in a highly competitive field.
Additional thanks goes to Science Olympiad sponsor and QVHS science teacher Mr. Jason Marko, whose guidance and encouragement have been instrumental to the team’s growth.
“I am extremely proud of all of the hard work, team camaraderie, and successes we've had this year,” said Mr. Marko when speaking with Dr. Riccobelli. “I really tried to push the team to new heights, and I'm excited to see how this year's success can be built upon for next year.”
2024–25 QVHS Science Olympiad Team Members:
Luca Albano, Sienna Albano, Noor Ashfaq, Rachel Bartels, Max Brackney, Hugo Castellini, Freya Gordon, Luca Kurumfashe, Lea Mauer, Lucia Montagnese, Keira Myers, Jay Olawaiye, Alina Radermacher, Ryan Steinfurth, Sasha Zupanc, Maggie Watson, Evelyn Zutter, and Henry Zutter