A team of Newtown High School students earned the title of “2020 Regional Champion” at the March 7 regional competition for the US Department of Energy Office of Science’s National Science Bowl (NSB), held at the University of Connecticut, Storrs.

NHS Science Bowl coach Chris Carley described the science bowl as “a Jeopardy-style competition where students need to demonstrate quick recall of science topics and math skills.”

Two teams from NHS, “Newtown A” and “Newtown B,” competed at the regional event.

The “Newtown A” team included students Constantine Kyprianou, Quinn McAndrew, Sophia Guizzo, Jackson Hebner, and Julian Totir.

The “Newtown B” team included students Jake Paré, Milan Chand, Julia Klein, Darren Huffman, and Ben Becker.

According to Carley, 42 teams from 27 towns in Connecticut participated in the regional event. In the morning, teams competed in round-robin style play. The top 16 teams advanced to the afternoon for a double elimination tournament. Both Newtown teams placed in the top 16. “Newtown B” placed 11th. “Newtown A” went undefeated through the whole day and won the regional event.

“By winning the regional event, Newtown A received (and accepted) an invitation to attend the National Science Bowl competition in Washington DC, from April 30 to May 4,” Carley said in an e-mail.

According to a release from the Department of Energy, winning team members from the regional competition will receive all-expenses-paid trips to compete in the national finals. The winner of the national competition will win prizes for the team members and school.

“The National Science Bowl continues to be one of the premier academic competitions across the country, preparing America’s next generation for future success in the ever-expanding fields of science, technology, and engineering,” said US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette in a release. “The Department of Energy is committed to fostering opportunities for our nation’s students, and we congratulate Newtown High School in advancing to the national finals, where they will continue to showcase their talents as the top minds in math and science.”

For more information about the National Science Bowl see its website science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb.