Uni Science Bowl Team Named Regional Champs, Advance to Nationals

Uni Science Bowl Team

University High School’s Science Bowl Team recently took top honors during the 26th Regional Science Bowl competition, held at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Uni students Phil Chen, Michael Diao, Jessica Lee, Anton Ni and Maggie Zhange, coached by science teacher David Knight, will represent California, as they square off against approximately 115 schools, at the national competition in Washington DC from April 26-30.

The National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition that tests students' knowledge in all areas of science. Competing teams from diverse backgrounds are composed of four students, one alternate and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. Coordinated by the Department of Energy, this round-robin/double-elimination tournament challenges high school students with questions about chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics and astronomy, as well as other areas, such as Earth and computer science.

Uni’s five-member team demonstrated their impressive knowledge of science through rapid “Jeopardy-style” questions. According to Knight, “Usually, students are so fast the moderator doesn’t even finish the question.”

Uni bested teams from across the region, including teams from Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties, to clinch the win. “This team faced stiff competition,” said Knight. “They truly showed resilience, which is what allowed them to win.”

Uni teams have participated in the Science Bowl competition for more than 20 years.  In 2013 and 2014, they sent back-to-back teams to the national competition. 

(Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech)