Socorro and Cottonwood teams nab top places
New Mexico Tech buzzed with scientific energy on Feb. 25 as 564 of the state’s brightest young minds converged for the annual Science Olympiad. Parents and younger siblings as well as school advisers and coaches attended, bringing nearly 2,000 people to campus for the day. Among the standout performers were local schools, Socorro High School and Cottonwood Valley Charter School, who demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication.
The Cottonwood Valley Charter School’s B Division team, comprised of middle school students, secured second place, proving their prowess in diverse scientific disciplines. The Science Olympiad coaches at Cottonwood Valley are Tommie McSherry and Greg Spitz.
Socorro High School’s C Division team clinched a third-place finish, showcasing their expertise in a range of challenging events. The C Division caters to high school students, tackling complex scientific concepts. Azza Ezzat and Bill Gorum coach the SHS Science Olympians.
Teams from 24 high schools, and 20 middle schools competed in a packed schedule of events, ranging from Helicopter, Bungee Jump, and Robot Tour to Entomology, Potions and Poisons and Geologic Mapping—all designed to challenge and inspire.
The state winners overall were Albuquerque Academy in C Division, and La Cueva High School (Albuquerque) in C Division. Both teams will be invited to compete at the national levels later this year.
State Science Olympiad Director Ann Hatch said, “It was an incredible day filled with excitement, competition, and passion for STEM. Seeing students engaged and having fun reaffirms why we do this—to inspire them to pursue STEM in their education and future careers. Seeing them learning, collaborating, and having a blast on campus makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Hatch added, “We have an incredible team of volunteers who make this competition possible. Their dedication, time, and effort are truly the backbone of Science Olympiad, and we are so grateful for their support.”
NMT physics professor, Sharon Sessions (also former Socorro School Board member) handed the Science Olympiad director position to Hatch in 2023 and remains an active volunteer. Her son, Rio Sessions, now a senior physics major at NMT, has been involved with Science Olympiad as a participant from Cottonwood Valley Charter, and is now one of the event planners. New NMT Student Regent, Cody Johnston, along with Jay Garcia, and Taylor Gutierrez (all computer science majors) were integral in coding and implementing a barcode check-in system that now serves to track students and tabulate final results.
