St. Paul, MN [January 25, 2022] - Wayzata High School Team 1 won the 2022 Minnesota Regional High School Science Bowl, competing against 30 other teams from 17 high schools. The Minnesota Academy of Science (MAS) hosted the virtual event on Saturday, January 22. Wayzata’s winning team - Emily Liu, Aneesh Swaminathan, Matthew Chen, Pramit Jagtap, and Kevin Yang - will compete in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl this spring. 

The 2022 win marks Wayzata’s fifth straight Minnesota Regional High School Science Bowl title. Wayzata High School Team 2 came in second place and Minnetonka Senior High Team 1 took third place. See full competition results at mnmas.org/science-bowl-results. 

During Science Bowl, students compete in teams to answer science and math questions. The virtual tournament runs in a fast-paced, synchronous format, where team scores are compared to determine who advances to the next level of competition. This year, students also had the opportunity to participate in a ‘Meet the Scientists’ event, where they could network and learn from Minnesotan science professionals.

“My students and I enjoyed the "Meet the Scientists" event which provided a fantastic opportunity to hear scientists’ perspectives,” said Wayzata High School Science Bowl coach Amanda Laden. “As far as the competition itself, students felt the heat as the difficulty of the rounds increased over time. They were challenged to rely on related knowledge for some of the questions if they didn't directly know the answer… It was a thrilling day!”

Founded in 1873, the Minnesota Academy of Science (MAS) is a statewide 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) by sponsoring STEM-education programs and events for students in elementary school through college. MAS sponsors Science Bowl with the help of over 60 volunteers and with generous support from General Mills, Ecolab, Hardenbergh Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Education, and the United States Department of Energy.