Midstate high schools compete in science bowl regionals

Teams from 10 Middle Tennessee high schools will battle one another, as well as other teams from schools across the state, for the chance to represent Tennessee in the National Science Bowl championship.

The 25th NSB is a nationwide academic competition that tests students' knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics. Fifty-seven Tennessee high schools will be competing in the regional competition Feb. 28 at Pellissippi State Community College to advance to the national finals.

The 10 area schools with competing teams are Hume-Fogg High Academic Magnet School, Stratford Comp High School, Brentwood High School, Ravenwood High School, Siegel High School, Blackman High School, Stewarts Creek High School, Summit High School, Fairview High School and Merrol Hyde Magnet School. Some schools have more than one team competing.

"The questions are very high order. Most of the questions are concepts taught in AP classes or beyond that. The teams are learning beyond a normal high school experience," said Ryan Lowry, Summit High School Science Bowl coach.

Students, for example, may be asked the position of Antarctica during the Jurassic time period.

"It's competitive. (Students) know their stuff," Lowry said.

Williamson County as a whole has performed well at regional competitions, so there's rivalry between the schools, Lowry said.

Summit High won the 2013 regional competition and advanced to the national finals, and it tied for eighth place in last year's regional competition. Ravenwood High finished fourth at the 2014 regional competition.

Camden McNeely, a Summit High senior who's been on the Science Bowl team since his sophomore year, said the competitions are a great experience.

"When you're practicing, you have to learn about so many topics, and it's really fun learning about how the whole world works," said McNeely, who estimates he spends about six hours a week preparing for the competition.

"I think it's a lot of fun. I think more people need to sign up and try to do it," McNeely said.

The winner of the regional competition will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the NSB, held April 30 to May 4. The winner of the national competition will win prizes for the team members and their schools.