by Dennis Dalman

news@thenewsleaders.com

The Sartell High School Knowledge Bowl team placed fifth in Division AA at the annual Knowledge Bowl meet last week at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd.

Coached by teacher Luke Walker, the Sartell team is comprised of Bailey Evenson, Curt Koopmeiners, Gopi Ramanathan, Quinn Skoog and Larua Somppi. Walker said the team’s fifth-place win is the best a Sartell Knowledge Bowl team has ever done in state competition. In the past two years, the team placed ninth.

Sandra Cordie of Sartell was elated that all five teams from central Minnesota (Region 7) medaled at the state meet. That is the first time that has ever happened. Cordie of Resource Training and Solutions, is the Region 7 Knowledge Bowl coordinator. The five teams that medaled, she noted, are St. John’s Prep School, second place in Division A; Albany, fifth place in Division A; Buffalo, second place in Division AA; Sartell; and St. Cloud Tech, sixth in Division AA.

The winner of Division A is Glencoe Silver Lake, followed by St. John’s Prep, Bagley, Crookston, Albany and Pelican Rapids. Division AA winner is Spring Lake Park, followed by Chaska, Buffalo, Chanhassen, Sartell and St. Cloud Tech.

In the past few months, there were more than 800 Knowledge Bowl teams competing in the state. Of those, the top 44 teams competed at Cragun’s Resort last week.

At the meet, there was one written test and five oral rounds for a total of 285 questions.

The following Sartell-area St. John’s Prep students were recently named new members of the National Honor Society, Virgil Michel Chapter. Andrew Bender, sophomore, son of Dorothy Soukup-Bender of Sartell and Dan Bender of St. Cloud; and Nicholas Schaper, sophomore, son of Jacqueline Provo of Sartell and Rand Schaper of Rice.

Students earn top awards at SCSU Math Contest

Sartell Middle School had 107 seventh- and eighth-graders participate in the St. Cloud State University Math Contest.

There were about 818 eighth-graders from 36 schools in total participation at the contest; 56 students from SMS. There were four students from SMS in the top 10 percent and eight students in the top 5 percent in eighth grade. Bryn Rogers was first-place winner overall for eighth grade at the contest. The team of Rogers, Josh Maricle-Roberts and Morgan Grugger earned first place out of the 36 schools for the contest.

There were 596 seventh-grade students from 31 school districts in total participation; 50 seventh-graders and one sixth-grader from SMS. There were three in the top 10 percent and seven in the top 5 percent (a sixth-grader being one of them). The team of David Anderson, Cindy Zhang and Nick Juntunen earned first place overall.

Students present at state science fair April 8-9

[/media-credit] The following seventh- and eighth-graders who presented projects at the Minnesota State Science Fair in Bloomington April 8 and 9. Pictured are (front row, left to right) Kali Killmer, Monte Belmont, Maddie Thieschafer and Becca Kucala; (back row) Rameen Dogar, Sydney Thieschafer, Rory Spanier and Eric Schatz. Thieschafer and Kucala also won special awards for their projects: the Broadcom masters award, the Wolfram Research Award, Silver Grand Award and best use of the scientific method. Congratulations to all for attending this high level of competition.

The following seventh- and eighth-graders who presented projects at the April 8-9 Minnesota State Science Fair in Bloomington are (front row, left to right) Kali Killmer, Monte Belmont, Maddie Thieschafer and Becca Kucala; (back row) Rameen Dogar, Sydney Thieschafer, Rory Spanier and Eric Schatz. Thieschafer and Kucala also won special awards for their projects: the Broadcom masters award, the Wolfram Research Award, Silver Grand Award and best use of the scientific method.  Congratulations to all for attaining this high level of competition.

March of Dimes raises

$125,000+ at walk