A team of Academy students recently won the United States Department of Energy Middle School National

Science Bowl. Raya Koreh ’14, Eric Li ’14, Andy Chen ’15, Jason Hou ’15 and Ben Zolyomi ’15 defeated 36 other teams to clinch the national championship. 

"I’m elated… This is such a huge honor,” said team captain Li “We practiced hard all year and worked well together as a team.”

Knowledge was not the only factor in the team’s victory. “The key to the team’s success was how calm, focused and mentally tough they were,” said Science faculty member and Science Bowl coach Barbara Gilbert, who accompanied the team to nationals.

Science Bowl is a fast paced competition where teams of students answer questions in fields of science like physics, biology and mathematics. The national event, held in Washington DC, hosted the regional winning teams and lasted from April 29 to May 4. First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu were among those who officiated the final round. Academy won the match, 124-58 over Gale Ranch Middle School of San Ramon, Calif.

"To meet and shake hands with [Obama and Chu], people so important to our nation, was such a great experience,” Li said.

Upon returning home, the team was recognized at an all-school assembly. The Academy Science Bowl team was featured by many local news stations and national newspapers like The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. On May 4, the championship story took the Albuquerque Journal’s front page. Albuquerque mayor Richard Berry invited the team to his office for acclamation May on 7. “I could not be more proud. This should not only be celebrated by the school, but by the city and state,” said Head of School Andy Watson.

One award won by the team was $1000 for the Academy’s Science department. According to Gilbert, the money may go back into the school’s Science Bowl program.