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Plainfield East High School (PEHS) students made history by winning top honors at the Science Olympiad Illinois Individual State Tournament. This achievement marks a significant milestone for District 202.
PEHS juniors Zoe Lee and Aleena Yousuf became state champions in Material Science. Additionally, sophomore Ira Chakraborty and Yousuf also captured the state championship title in Optics. These victories represent the first-ever individual state champions in Science Olympiad for both PEHS and the district.
Other notable performances included PEHS juniors Charles Hidalgo and Yousuf securing third place in Chemistry Lab, Beatrice Ordeneza and Lee taking third in Disease Detectives, and Kyleah Edison, Lee, and Ordeneza achieving third place in Experimental Design. The event included competitors from 44 schools across Illinois.
Rebecca Scott, PEHS head science Olympiad coach and chemistry teacher, praised the students, saying, “This is an incredible moment for our Bengals and for all of District 202. These students have demonstrated tremendous hard work, perseverance, and passion for science. They have set a new standard of excellence for our school and community.”
Plainfield North High School also saw success, with juniors Carson Payne and Kyle Zumstein achieving a fourth-place finish in Wind Power.
The tournament occurred on April 26 at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake. Looking ahead, Scott expressed optimism: “Even more exciting, all these students will be back next school year to defend their titles. I look forward to seeing their incredibly bright futures."
