Ava Bogard, center, with the Calloway County Middle School team, discusses a toss-up question during the U.S. Department of Energy’s West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl. Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy
(PADUCAH, KY) – Calloway County Middle School and Owensboro High School (Owensboro Independent) emerged victorious in the U.S. Department of Energy West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl, showcasing their dedication and expertise in science and mathematics.
Calloway County Middle School
Scott Pile, coach of Calloway County’s team, expressed immense pride in his students’ hard work and commitment.
“We just have a really good group of students that love each other and love to learn,” Pile said.
The Calloway County Science Bowl team consists of five members. Their preparation begins in the summer with activities, followed by practice sessions twice a week starting in August. Pile explained that they engage in a combination of science training and participation in the Kentucky Association of Academic Competition (KAAC) to enhance their knowledge and readiness.
“We take each area of science, physical science, life science, chemistry, space and astronomy and break them down,” Pile said.
Pile stated that they look at the past, current and future of the fields that they study so that students can grasp the curriculum.
He explained that giving students experience in each area of science above what middle school content would typically consist of is important.
Pile emphasized that hard work and teamwork are the team’s defining qualities.
“No. 1 is hard work. We’ve reached that a lot. No. 2 is teamwork,” he said.
A standout moment for Pile during the competition was the realization that their dedication had paid off.
“That moment of relief when you know we made it; that moment the team accomplished it, and the next time we play together is for a national championship,” Pile said.
Team captain Ava Bogard, who has led the team since 6th grade, has attended the national tournament three times, bringing valuable experience to her teammates.
“It’s really cool that my captainship has helped us go to the national competition,” Bogard said. “And my teammates too, we’ve all worked so hard, its all of us.”
Bogard credited the team’s commitment to extra practice sessions and studying materials outside of scheduled practice time as key factors in their success.
“If you only practice during practice time, you’re not going to get to where you really want to be,” Pile added.
Bogard also emphasized teamwork as an important contribution to their win.
“At Science Bowl, you have multiple choice and multi-select questions, and we have to decide whose answer is right and whose answer to take,” Bogard said. “It’s really cool when the answer turns out to be right.”
Bogard expressed her excitement about the opportunity to travel with her teammates, experience new things, and compete against teams from all over the country.
“We all choose to be here, we all chose to learn, we all choose to go to these competitions, it feels like a get-to thing which makes it so fun,” Bogard said.
Calloway County will travel to Washington, D.C., for the National Science Bowl on April 24-28, marking their third consecutive appearance.
Owensboro High School team members Kaleb Horn, second from left, and Landon Block, second from right, discuss an answer to a toss-up question during the U.S. Department of Energy’s West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl. Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy
Owensboro High School
Marcie Baldwin, coach of Owensboro High School’s team, takes pride in the caliber of students on the Science Bowl team.
“We are lucky enough to have some of the top students in the state,” Baldwin said.
Several team members have earned awards and honors in science and math, with two placing in the top 10 at the Kentucky Academic Association state competition.
“Our advantage really is that we have a really strong math program here and all the way from our 8th grade program here,” Baldwin said.
The team recruits high-performing students from science and math classes to ensure a strong and well-rounded group. They begin preparing in October with morning practices and continue training consistently until February.
Because of this preparation, Baldwin noted that the competition’s structure feels familiar to the students. She described the event’s format, including bracket drawings, preliminary rounds and finals.
Senior Landon Block, the Owensboro team captain, explained that each round consists of 15-20 questions, and teams have buzzers requiring quick reflexes and precise answers.
He highlighted some of the final rounds, explaining that “we had some pretty fierce competition. It was pretty close in these last few founds and as the rounds go on, they get increasingly more difficult.”
Baldwin credited the team’s continued participation in the competition as a major factor in their success.
“One of the things that stood out to me as a coach is that this team, we’re three years in … every year we’ve kind of learned more about techniques,” Baldwin said. These techniques allowed the team to go undefeated throughout the day.
Block shared that the team benefits from multiple study resources, including flashcards and advanced science courses. He stated that being involved in various academic leagues, such as the Kentucky Academic Association, contributed to their Science Bowl success.
“Just taking as many advanced science courses as you can during your time in high school, there are several different ways you can go about learning or memorizing to be more valuable on the team and to get more questions right,” Block said.
He highlighted the importance of teamwork during the competition, recalling a time when it was crucial for the team to work together.
“We really came together as a four-person team to eliminate different incorrect answers and come to a logical answer and when we would answer as a team, we would get it right most of the time because of that sort of teamwork and synergy we have,” Block said.
Baldwin and Block expressed gratitude to the Department of Energy for hosting the event and providing students with opportunities, including an internship offer with the Department of Energy for Block, which he said was a rewarding experience for him.
“It’s a wonderful experience and my kids love it, and every year that we do it, we get more people wanting to do it because they are such great hosts, and they volunteer their time to come do this for the students,” Baldwin said.
The competition was hosted by the Department of Energy at Paducah Community College. The Department of Energy provided presentations on career opportunities, helping students explore potential paths in science and technology.
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