During the 2023-2024 school year, the Mayo Science Olympiad Team brought their A-game this season, taking third place at State Tournaments.

It has been an amazing year for the Mayo Spartans Science Olympiad team, exceeding all expectations they had set for themselves. Entering the tournament for the food and stayed to prove themselves, they placed sixth in Boyceville, first in River Falls (of 60 teams), first in Regionals, and third in the State Tournament. The head of the team, Mr. Aaron Larson explained that, “We’re an elite team, top 3 for sure,” which shows the confidence he has in the team and all of its members. This confidence can be seen as a great strength for Mayo, as it allows for much better performance and reliability. Mayo scored 89 points at State, which would have won them first the year before, which shows how all of the Science Olympiad teams in the area have evolved and improved.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota SO

Mr. Larson praised the team, stating that “everybody was outstanding, especially [the] captains.” This shows the abundance of dedication all the members commit to the team. There is some serious passion coming from these competitive scientists, which is what will drive their growth. Each team member gets to pick whom they work with, greatly increasing their productivity and teamwork through having fun and exploring curiosities together. Many of the new members will “come for the food, [but] stay for the science,” Larson explains. This shows they aren’t set on winning but instead focused on having fun doing what they enjoy. A mindset focused on enjoying what you’re doing can lead to very successful results as well as less stress.

Next season, Mayo aims to maintain their top three ranking in State. They will be focusing hard at their practices on Fridays, working to beat Wayzata and Mounds View the next chance they get. Last season, only 27 points kept Mayo from getting first, which shows how close the top three schools were. The competition just keeps growing, and Mayo is going to grow with it, reaching new heights in terms of capabilities. 

Anyone interested in joining the team and helping win some meets can find the flyers hanging around Mayo High School, or just talk to any of the members of the team. They will always be happy to have you join, and there are many different skill sets you could focus on learning. Besides developing many great skills, you will meet plenty of great people. The team brings upwards of 50 people to the invitationals, so you’ll have every opportunity to join in on the fun and competition. 

Photo credits

experiment.jpg – Photo courtesy of Minnesota SO

“Proving their skills in the Minnesota Science Olympiad competitions, young scientists record data from their chemical experiments.”

collaboration.jpg – 

“Under the pressure of competition, pairs of students collaborate to take comprehensive scientific notes.” 

plane_test.jpg – Photo courtesy of Minnesota SO

“With the safety and space of a school gymnasium, a student is testing the power of his model plane made of simple materials.”