The De Soto High School Science Olympiad team accomplished great things as they competed in the State tournament at Wichita State University on April 6.

DHS was picked to be one of 29 schools to represent the Northwestern region at State. Students performed many different experiments and presentations, which required a lot of time and work.

“There is a lot of studying for these events, but I’ve also done [events] like experimental design for years, so I didn’t have to study much,” said sophomore member Kyle Smith.

Not only is this a great experience  for the contestants, but also for everyone involved with the club.

“It’s really fun to watch the kids come up with solutions to really complex problems that I would struggle with, and the way they come together and think of new ideas is pretty neat to watch,” said Science Olympiad coach and chemistry teacher Laura Sixta.

Although the team performed well, they believe there is still room for improvement looking to future seasons.

“In middle school, we were very good because everyone [had time] to put in the work. Now that we have gone to high school, it’s not as important [as it once was]. I don’t work as much because we all have other things going on,” Smith said.

Not only are these minor problems seen by participants of the team, but coach Sixta agrees.

“I think they did pretty well. With a little more preparation and less procrastination I think they could do a lot better,” Sixta said. “[Also] for next year, I expect that we participate in every event, at every competition we have for our build events. We [should] have things ready and not just throw stuff together last minute before state,” Sixta said.

Although the team feels they have the ability to perform better than they did, the state competition was still a fun experience to spend with each other.

“[Staying in] the hotels is always fun. We brought a projector and played some video games there,” said sophomore member of the science olympiad team Caleb Kmiecik.

This high school experience is a great opportunity for students with an interest in science to show off their skills and abilities, as well as  make memories with a team.

“I think learning new things is my favorite things to do, so being able to do that every year [through science olympiad] is great,” Smith said.

With another season behind them, the team can’t wait to see what they can bring to the table next school year.