The High School Science Olympiad team qualified for the State Level Competition at Ohio State University on Sat., April 11.

Like any good success story, there is far more to the teams achievement than a simple victory. Their advancement to the State Competition almost did not happen despite the efforts of the team. Senior Kate Borthwick was reported to have placed in three of her four events but the team still made it by the skin of their teeth.

Despite placing in nearly all of their events, the high school Science Olympiad Team only proceeded because of a simple formality.

“We were called for seventh place, but only the top six teams qualify. But since Revere had two teams that qualified and only one could go, we won the sixth place spot by default,” senior Mia Hamilton said.

This is a fairly common yet odd situation. The similarities between the last time Stow succeeded to the State Level Competition and this latest success are striking. When the middle school Science Olympiad team went to the State Competition in 2010, it was because of this exact reason.

“I went to the State Competition [in middle school] and it was really fun. I got to be really good friends with everyone on my team and made a lot of memories in the process. [It is] really taxing, but the effort is worth it,” senior Schuyler Morris said.

In the end, the group proved that a positive attitude, hard work and a little bit of luck can really pay off in the end. Now, they are able to realize their potential even further.