23 events STEM-ulate middle, high schoolers during Regional Science Olympiad at MTSU

Kaelyn Hicks, left, and Ella Marlow of Rockvale High School compete in the Tower Event Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Science Building on the Middle Tennessee State University campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn., during the 30th annual Regional Science Olympiad. They were among 350 students and 25 teams participating in the middle school and high school divisions. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Williamson County’s Page Middle School and Ravenwood High School won their respective divisions in the recent 2025 Regional Science Olympiad.

Ravenwood’s team, from Brentwood, finished ahead of Central Magnet (Murfreesboro), Hume-Fogg Academic (Nashville) and Page (Franklin), with all four advancing to the state tournament Saturday, April 5, at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Ella Marlow of Rockvale High School makes an adjustment with her team’s tower in the Tower Event during the 30th annual Regional Science Olympiad at Middle Tennessee State University’s Science Building on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Saturday, Feb. 17. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

Page, second-place Rossville (Clarksville), Davidson County Homeschool (Nashville), Siegel (Murfreesboro) and Smyrna advanced to the middle school state tournament April 5 in Knoxville.

The tournaments drew 25 teams and a combined 350 students to the annual event, held Saturday, Feb. 17, in MTSU’s Science Building, Davis Science Building, Wiser-Patten Science Hall and McWherter Learning Resources Center. It was organized by the Tennessee STEM Education Center staff for the second year.

Science Olympiad is a team competition where students in both divisions participate in 23 events related to various fields of science.

The budding scientists learned teamwork and principles of STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — during the all-day event that featured middle school activities like “Mission Possible,” “Potions and Poisons,” “Air Trajectory” and “Wind Power” and high school challenges that included “Dynamic Planet,” “Microbe Mission,” “Disease Detectives” and “Bungee Drop.”

Dr. Kevin Ragland, associate director, Tennessee STEM Education Center — Dr. Kevin Ragland

“Everything went fantastic,” said Kevin Ragland, a Tennessee STEM Education Center assistant director. “All the events went off without a problem. The coaches, students and event supervisors were pleased.”

Ragland said the regional “would have not been possible without the support of the MTSU community — Event Coordination, Aramark, Facility Services and others.”

More than 70 volunteers, including MTSU students and faculty, six Nissan engineers and three from Ultium Cells LLC, a battery manufacturer in Spring Hill, assisted with the event.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)