Suncrest Middle School’s Team 1 captured first place at the 33rd West Virginia Science Bowl (WVSB) middle school competition, which was held Friday, Feb. 2. Sixteen teams from 10 middle schools throughout the Mountain State participated in the event, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and NETL.

For the first time in years, the WVSB was in an in-person setting at the Mountainlair on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The previous three science bowls were held in an all-virtual format.

Coming in at second, third and fourth place were Suncrest Middle School Team 2, Triadelphia Middle School Team 1 and John Adams Middle School Team 1, respectively.

“NETL is proud to return this forum that showcases the region’s talented students to its original face-to-face setting,” said Sean Plasynski, NETL acting director. “NETL is proud to provide a forum that showcases this region’s talented students. The Lab coordinates WVSB as part of its STEM Education and Outreach program, which aims to cultivate the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers to solve emerging challenges in energy, the environment and other fields.”

In addition, the fast-paced, quiz-style event helps students expand their science and math knowledge while participating in an exciting competition in which they learn about the importance of teamwork and other skills.

Suncrest Middle School and Morgantown High School, the winner of the WVSB high school contest, which was held Saturday, Feb. 3, are now eligible to compete at the 2024 National Science Bowl, which will be held April 25-29 in Washington, D.C.

The middle or junior high schools that competed in the 2024 WVSB were Belington Middle School, Bridge Street Middle School, Fayetteville PK-8, John Adams Middle School, Mountaineer Middle School, Sherrard Middle School, St. Francis Middle School, Suncrest Middle School, Triadelphia Middle School and Williamstown High School.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.