The RHS Science Olympiad team delivered an impressive performance at the Science Olympiad Invitational held at Sacred Heart University on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026.

Science Olympiad challenges students in 23 events in various scientific disciplines. Competitions range from test-based exams in Anatomy and Physiology, Astronomy and Rocks and Minerals to lab-based contests such as Chem Lab and Material Science, as well as engineering events like Bridge and Tower.

This year, the team adopted a focused strategy aimed at excelling in select events rather than spreading competitors across all 23 categories.

“One of the goals we have this year is to place well in specific events, like Entomology, instead of spreading ourselves too thin,” club advisor Andrew Palmer said.

This strategy, developed by RHS Executive Board members Abhijoy Nandi, Siddharth Vadali, Revanth Kolla and James Ward, was designed to maximize medal potential at the New Jersey State Tournament on March 9.

“We feel more confident than ever,” Palmer added.

That confidence paid off. Sophomores Keira Erwin and Rebecca Ohlssen captured first place in Entomology, a major achievement early in the season.

“Getting first place requires strong teamwork, time management, and the ability to stay calm under pressure while competing,” Ohlssen said. “A lot of preparation is independent studying, but some events allow us to create paper resources to help us on test-based events. For building events, students are required to create the devices to be tested.”

Juniors Sahasra Sagi and Haley Talati also secured a first-place finish in Disease Detectives.

The RHS team saw success in other events as well, with Nathan Li earning second in Designer Genes and Cole Pankowski placing third in Chem Lab.

“I find that by meeting every week, getting to know who you work with and consistently preparing a little bit at a time rather than intensely all at once makes me feel calm and ready when it comes time to compete,” Pankowski said.

Pankowski also earned third place with senior Jonah Davidson in Boomilever, an engineering event in which teams design and build a lightweight wooden structure capable of supporting a maximum load.

In another engineering event, sophomores Claire He and Hasini Saravanan placed third, with sophomore Alohi Rao and junior Cara DeConto right behind in sixth.

Seniors Abhijoy Nandi and Revanth Kolla added to the medal count with a third-place finish in Robot Tour.

Rao also earned an impressive top-10 result on her own, placing ninth in Dynamic Planet.

With strong results and growing confidence, the RHS Science Olympiad team now turns its focus to the New Jersey State Tournament on Monday, March 9, 2026, aiming to build on its recent success.