CV Hosts 2nd Annual Science Olympiad
Judah Chung, Bryce Deng, and Tulasi Venkatesh solder parts for Robot Tour.
Nearly 600 students and their families braved downpours on December 9 to compete in the GullSO (Gull Science Olympiad) Invitational at Canyon Middle School.
The annual event included 23 events, ranging from anatomy to astronomy to fossils and material science. Students showed their skills in the lab at events such as chemistry lab, forensics, and code busting. Students also displayed their building prowess through devices such as air tractors, towers, electric vehicles, helicopters, and robotics.
“For the past 11 years, Castro Valley Science has fostered a culture of science, and the NorCal event is arguably the most competitive region in the country,” said Castro Valley High School coach Bruce Dughi
The GullSO hosted three previously nationally ranked teams, including Mountain View High School, Monta Vista High School, and Castro Valley High School. The competition included other powerhouse teams such as Palo Alto, Lynbrook, and Mission San Jose High Schools. Based upon their overall performance in the 23 events, defending National Champion Monta Vista took 1st place, followed by Mountain View and Lynbrook.
Castro Valley’s Varsity Science team did not compete, as they were responsible for running the event. However, three other CVHS teams performed well, earning medals in Robot Tour, Tower, Bungee Drop, and Write It Do It.
GullSO is one of five high school invitationals in Northern California this year. Invitational tournaments are a stepping-stone for regional competitions, where the top teams compete for a spot in the 2025 State Tournament in April and a potential bid for the National Tournament in May. For more information, go to www.cvscience.us.
