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Merrimack HS advances to national STEM competition

By Hannah LaClaire - Staff Writer | Mar 27, 2018

Courtesy photo Jordan Provencher (Front) and Nate Liscouski set up their Rube Goldberg machine for the Mission Possible event. Their entry earned them a Silver Medal finish in the State Competition.

MERRIMACK – Dominating the competition in STEM subjects ranging from entomology to engineering, from tower construction to helicopter building, Merrimack High School’s Science Olympiad team won its ninth state title Saturday at the championship tournament.

“The event runs very similarly to a track tournament,” new coach Tyler Golemo explained. Students on 23 teams across the state competed in 22 events in lab, testing and building categories, ranging across the various science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Awards and points are given to the top performers, and the lowest score wins.

“Students have been preparing since September for this competition by creating study binders, learning testing and lab techniques, and building elaborate machines that can fly, execute chemical reactions, hover, move and hold weight,” team officials said in a statement.

The team was led by Jordan Provencher and Josh Waxman, senior captains.

Courtesy photo Marcus Herold (Left) and Rohan Sreenivasan get their mousetrap powered vehicle ready to compete in this year's Science Olympiad State competition.

Andrew Pitten, Jason Provencher, Nate Liscouski, juniors; Marcus Herold, a sophomore; and Rohan Sreenivasan, a freshman were cumulatively recognized with the competition’s best building award.

Alicia Debruin and Drew Johnson, seniors and Troy Church and Jacqueline Morin, sophomores, were recognized as standouts in the test events.

“Words cannot express how proud I am of the students for how far they have come just in the short time I have worked with them,” Golemo said.

Golemo became coach just a few short months ago after the former coach left.

A mechanical engineer and team captain in 2013 himself, Golemo said he was told by his coach at the time that he would be the one to use his passion to “ignite a love for science” in the next

Courtesy photo Merrimack High School Science Olympiad State Championship Team pose for a team photo with Coach Tyler Golemo outside the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College.

generation.

Just a few short years later, he found himself in that role, thrust from accepting the position to leading the team in an invitational meet just a few days later.

Now, Golemo will lead the team to the national competition in Fort Collins, Colorado, in May, where they will compete against 59 other teams.

The Merrimack team has won nine state titles in the 10 years they have been in existence, but have only placed as high as 31st in 2012.

Golemo said he placed 9th overall as an individual in the forestry division for being able to name more than 150 species of trees and answering questions about them.

“STEM is important in furthering the knowledge of the world around us and figuring out how things work,” Golemo said. “Science Olympiad exposes students to many new fields they may not know about otherwise, like forestry, entomology … it helps to show kids that, like in engineering, you’re not going to get everything right on your first try,” he said, referencing countless hours and dozens of redesigns.

The team is trying to fundraise for their trip to nationals, for which they will send 15 of the 30 competitors, along with three alternates plus chaperones.

Until then, they will continue to utilize every possible practice and study opportunity.

“The team is going to do amazing,” Golemo said. “I’m confident they are going to break some of the records set by the previous team.”

Hannah LaClaire can be reached at 594-1243 or hlaclaire@nashuatelegraph.com.

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