In one of the most competitive state tournaments in recent history, Ladue Schools solidified its place as a powerhouse of scientific excellence. Both the Ladue Middle School (LMS) and Ladue Horton Watkins High School (LHWHS) Science Olympiad teams captured first-place finishes at the State Tournament held at the University of Central Missouri.

With these victories, both teams have officially qualified for the National Science Olympiad Tournament at the University of Southern California (USC) this May!

This achievement marks the fourth consecutive year the high school has finished #1 in Missouri and the second consecutive year for the middle school.

In Science Olympiad scoring, the lower the score, the better the finish. The competition was incredibly tight:

• LMS finished with 57 points, outpacing second-place Pembroke Hill (69 points) in a field of 37 teams.
• LHWHS secured a thrilling victory with 74 points, edging out second-place Pembroke Hill (76 points) by just two points in a massive field of 44 teams.

The depth of talent across both teams was on full display throughout the 23-event competition, which tests knowledge in everything from forensics and engineering to biology and physics.

Middle School Dominance: LMS medaled (placing 1st–6th) in an astounding 22 out of 23 events. This included:

• 11 First-Place finishes
• 6 Second-Place finishes
• 2 Third-Place finishes

High School Excellence: LHWHS medaled in 20 total events, showcasing incredible versatility:

• 6 First-Place finishes
• 6 Second-Place finishes
• 5 Third-Place finishes

This success is the result of months of rigorous study, building, and teamwork by our dedicated students and their coaches.

LMS Team Members:

• 9th Grade: Charlie Fan, Jessie Liang, Louis Shen, Chloe Zhang, Lily Zhou
• 8th Grade: Alice Chang, Kelson Cui, Oishi Dasgupta, Srihan Gandra, Arjun Jain, Rachel Liu, Jai Pandian, Kevin Shi
• 7th Grade: Krishna Chode, Selena Yang
• Coaches: Michael Clay, Fayzan Ali, Kelly Arl, Dr. Megan Baebler, Grace Carcamo, Reva Davis, Melody Frese, Kelly Hake, Donna Matthews, Dr. Bill Middleton, Raina Norman, Dr. Hannah Shayer, and Natalie Zook.

LHWHS Team Members:

• 12th Grade: Sanjay Adiredi, Aiden Qian, Alex Wang, Anthony Zhou
• 11th Grade: Aimee Dalton, Frank Tian, Aalee Kahn, Steven Shaw, Patrick Yin, Newman Shen
• 10th Grade: Eric Tang, Zoran Pan, Eric Thiele, Ayden Huang, Aiden Zu
• Coaches: Head Coach Dr. Hannah Shayer-McLeod, assisted by Fayzan and Rayan Ali.

Please join us in congratulating these amazing students and coaches for representing our district so well at the state level and for their upcoming journey to California for the national stage!