2017 Winners
Senior Grand Award
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12,000 DWU Scholarship | Emma Heezen & Noah Heezen | Plankinton High School | 2405 | Artemisia Annua |
| $12,000 DWU Scholarship | Alexander Rodriguez | Mitchell High School | 2201 | Artificial Sugars & Increased Lipid Levels |
| $12,000 DWU Scholarship | Thea Patrick | Mitchell High School | 2203 | Phytoestrogens, Reveratrol & Lycopene and A. Tamefaciens Induced Tumors |
Student Observers (2-3 Senior Division Students)
Student Name | School | Project # | Project Title |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tate Wynia | Avon High School | 2311 | The Phosphorus Fate | |
| Derek Pelton | Avon High School | 2311 | The Phosphorus Fate | |
| Cassie Voigt | Avon High School | 2207 | What is the Effect of Dicamba Herbicide on Bean Root Growth? |
Junior Grand Award (2 Individual Projects)
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | Aidan Patrick | Mitchell Middle School | 1211 | Comparing Wolf Spider DNA Sequences Between SD and Kansas |
| $100 | Kristen Namminga | Avon Middle School | 1120 | Going Extreme |
Junior Grand Award (1 Group Project)
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 each | Mason Schelske & Payton Tobin | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1403 | Does Copper Deficiency Affect Hair Color in Cattle? |
Life & Behavioral Sciences – Junior Division
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Lincoln Thury | Avon Middle School | 1214 | Deep Maize |
| 2nd Place | Alexa Sees | Avon Middle School | 1213 | Does Vitamin C Affect the Growth of Plants? |
| 3rd Place | Makayla Kopp | Avon Middle School | 1215 | What Color of Light Do Crickets Prefer? |
| Honorable Mention | Megan Soukup | Avon Middle School | 1212 | The Effect of Phosphorus Fertilizer on Wheat Growth |
| Certificates of Merit | Tashina Red Hawk | Lakeview Middle School | 1201 | Music Made Me Do It |
| Katie Gretschmann | Avon Middle School | 1216 | "Ears" to Ya | |
| Trinity White Hat | Lakeview Middle School | 1203 | Fear |
Life & Behavioral Sciences – Senior Division
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place $2,500 DWU Scholarship | Andrew Weller | Mitchell High School | 2210 | Greenlighted |
| 2nd Place $1,000 DWU Scholarship | Haley Rust | Mitchell High School | 2204 | Effects of E-cigarettes on Mealworm Offspring |
| 3rd Place $750 DWU Scholarship | Evan Blaha | Avon High School | 2202 | Phase 2: Analyzing the Impact of Mulch on Soil and Tomatoes |
| Honorable Mention | Lori White | Mitchell High School | 2205 | A Geno-toxicitiy Analysis of Soil At an Urban Street Winter Snow Deposition |
| Certificates of Merit | Cassie Voigt | Avon High School | 2207 | What is the Effect of Dicamba Herbicide on Bean Root Growth? |
| Landon Pudwill | Avon High School | 2214 | Baa Baa Black Sheep | |
| Jared Mudder | Avon High School | 2213 | Where the Green Grass Grows | |
| O'Liveyah Habben | Andes Central High School | 2212 | Are Your Eyes Playing Tricks on You? | |
| Taylor Gray | Andes Central High School | 2206 | Now You See It, Now You Don't | |
| Katey Wormsbecher | Avon High School | 2209 | Testing the Impact of Shade Balls on Algae Growth |
Physical Science & Engineering – Junior Division
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Porter Walz | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1113 | Nitrogen Compressor |
| 2nd Place | Griffin Tobin | Plankinton Middle School | 1107 | Shock Detector |
| 3rd Place | Justin Ferwerda | Avon Middle School | 1121 | How Does Ground Tillage Affect Water Absorption? |
| Honorable Mention | Gabrielle Fink | Plankinton Middle School | 1109 | Solar Evaporation and Clean Water |
| Certificates of Merit | Thaddeus Allen | Lakeview Middle School | 1104 | Sour Discovery |
| Brianna Gerlach | Plankinton Middle School | 1106 | Hard Water | |
| Faithleigh Podzimek | Wagner Middle School | 1116 | Something to do With Horses | |
| Elliott Dean | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1114 | It's Not Rocket Science | |
| Sheridan Smejkal | Wagner Middle School | 1117 | Boo Bubbles | |
| Jessica Kocer | Wagner Middle School | 1119 | Floating on Air | |
| Jacob Woerner | Corsica-Stickney Middle School | 1101 | Ripping Point | |
| Rachael DeJong | Avon Middle School | 1122 | Is It Really Crystal Clear? |
Physical Science & Engineering – Senior Division
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place $2,500 DWU Scholarship | Karli Johnson | Avon High School | 2103 | Pitch Perfect |
| 2nd Place $1,000 DWU Scholarship | Alexis Vander Wilt | Mitchell High School | 2102 | Memory Modeling |
| 3rd Place $750 DWU Scholarship | Arienna Santos | Avon High School | 2106 | Light it Up! |
| Honorable Mention | Jordan Dierks | Mitchell High School | 2104 | PVC Instruments |
| Certificates of Merit | Natalie Buckley | Mitchell High School | 2100 | Mother Nature Approved Materials |
| Logan Bush | Plankinton High School | 2101 | Child Safety | |
| Jacey Garcia | Andes Central High School | 2105 | The Impact of Oil |
Group Projects – Junior Divison
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Brandon Bosworth & Thomas Stange | Plankinton Middle School | 1306 | How Much Gas Does Your Favorite Beverage Produce? |
| 2nd Place | BriAnna Linn & Zeraya Sellers | Plankinton Middle School | 1402 | Amazing Algae |
| 3rd Place | Avery Broughton & Bridget Wieczorek | Corsica-Stickney Middle School | 1400 | Do Plants Grow Better in Soil or Aquaponics? |
| Honorable Mention | Allyson Hamilton & Madalyn Kocmich | Avon Middle School | 1312 | How Does The Composition of Concrete Affect Cure Time? |
| Certificates of Merit | Baily Dykstra & Grace Wolbrink | Corsica-Stickney Middle School | 1300 | How to Make a Simple Electric Motor |
| Shad Bosma & Lucas Krogstad & Kayden Muck | Corsica-Stickney Middle School | 1303 | Tornado in a Box | |
| Tyler Fastnacht & Lane Olinger & Brock Stevens | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1311 | Cheaper Than Cheap | |
| MacKenzie Roberts & Michelle Soukup | Wagner Middle School | 1404 | Sweet As Sugar | |
| Keely Bares & Cassie Stewart | Avon Middle School | 1405 | How Does Temperature Affect Mold Growth on Bread? | |
| Reece Loewe & Tiffany Pelton | Avon Middle School | 1407 | Sink or Swim | |
| Gage Bares & Ashton Frank | Avon Middle School | 1408 | Sweet Peppers |
Group Projects – Senior Division
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place $2,500 DWU Scholarship | Madison Hetland & Hannah Hetland | Mitchell High School | 2301 | Constructing a Solar Graphene-Based Supercapacitor |
| 2nd Place $1,000 DWU Scholarship | Olivia Jurrens & Kacie Mudder | Avon High School | 2309 | Floating Bodies |
| 3rd Place $750 DWU Scholarship | Susie Grabenstein & Malachi Haddon | Mitchell High School | 2413 | The Effects of Herbal Teas on Danio rerio Embryos |
| Honorable Mention | Derek Pleton & Tate Wynia | Avon High School | 2311 | The Phosphate's Fate |
| Certificates of Merit | Jill Bertus & Hanna Powers | Avon High School | 2305 | Life in the Fast Lane |
| Chaz James & Jacob Maynard | Andes Central High School | 2314 | Surviving South Dakota | |
| Jaeson Garcia & Tyler Swanson | Andes Central High School | 2315 | Solar Scorcher | |
| Chandler Flowers & Noah Hainey | Wessington Springs High School | 2320 | Put a Cork In It | |
| Ethan Lein & Mikayla Meyer | Chamberlain High School | 2412 | Simple Art: Analysis in Therapy |
Special Awards
Award | Student Name | School | Project # | Project Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Meteorological Society/Siouxland WeatherMINDS, SD Association | Kristen Namminga | Avon Middle School | 1120 | Going Extreme |
| American Psychology Association | Trinity White Hat | Lakeview Middle School | 1203 | Fear |
| ASM Materials Education Foundation | Brandon Bosworth & Thomas Stange | Plankinton Middle School | 1306 | Riding on Air |
| Association For Women Geoscientists | Madison Hetland & Hannah Hetland | Mitchell High School | 2301 | Constructing a Solar Graphene-Based Supercapacitor |
| Megan Soukup | Avon Middle School | 1212 | The Effect of Phosphorus Fertilizer on Wheat Growth | |
| Alexa Sees | Avon Middle School | 1213 | Does Vitamin C Affect the Growth of Plants? | |
| Lori White | Mitchell High School | 2205 | A Geno-toxicity Analysis of Soil at an Urban Street Winter Snow Deposition Site | |
| Arizona State University Walton Sustainability Solutions | Katlyn Briggs & Rebecca Gerlach | Plankinton High School | 2307 | Crop Cam |
| Natalie Buckley | Mitchell High School | 2100 | Mother Nature Approved Materials | |
| Avon School Science Award | ||||
| Senior Division | Thea Patrick | Mitchell High School | 2203 | Phytoestrogens, Resveratrol and Lycopene & A. tumefaciens Induced Tumors |
| Junior Division | Lincoln Thury | Avon Middle School | 1214 | Deep Maize |
| Best Presenters Award | Avon Middle School | |||
| Broadcom MASTERS SSP | ||||
| Porter Walz | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1113 | Nitrogen Compressor | |
| Griffin Tobin | Plankinton Middle School | 1107 | Shock Detector | |
| Justin Ferwerda | Avon Middle School | 1121 | How Does Ground Tillage Affect Water Absorption? | |
| Gabrielle Fink | Plankinton Middle School | 1109 | Solar Evaporation and Clean Water | |
| Lincoln Thury | Avon Middle School | 1214 | Deep Maize | |
| Alexa Sees | Avon Middle School | 1213 | Does Vitamin C Affect the Growth of Plants? | |
| MaKayla Kopp | Avon Middle School | 1215 | What Color of Light Do Crickets Prefer? | |
| Megan Soukup | Avon Middle School | 1212 | The Effect of Phosphorus Fertilizer on Wheat Growth | |
| Mason Schelske | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1403 | Does Copper Deficiency Affect Hair Color in Cattle? | |
| Aidan Patrick | Mitchell Middle School | 1211 | Comparing Wolf Spider DNA Sequences Between SD and Kansas | |
| Kristen Namminga | Avon Middle School | 1120 | Going Extreme | |
| Brandon Bosworth | Plankinton Middle School | 1306 | Riding on Air | |
| Thomas Stange | Plankinton Middle School | 1306 | Riding on Air | |
| BriAnna Linn | Plankinton Middle School | 1402 | Amazing Algae | |
| Zeraya Sellers | Plankinton Middle School | 1402 | Amazing Algae | |
| Avery Broughton | Corsica-Stickney Middle School | 1400 | Do Plants Grow Better in Soil or in Aquaponics? | |
| Bridget Wieczorek | Corsica-Stickney Middle School | 1400 | Do Plants Grow Better in Soil or in Aquaponics? | |
| Allyson Hamilton | Avon Middle School | 1312 | How Does the Composition of Concrete Affect Cure Time? | |
| Madalyn Kocmich | Avon Middle School | 1312 | How Does the Composition of Concrete Affect Cure Time? | |
| Dakota Wesleyan University Chemistry, Health, and Other Sciences (CHAOS) | Alexander Rodriguez | Mitchell High School | 2201 | Relationship Between Artificial Sugars and Increased Lipid Levels |
| Dakota Wesleyan University, English Department | Andrew Weller | Mitchell High School | 2210 | Greenlighted |
| Dakota Wesleyan University, Mathematics Department | MacKenzie Jager | Avon High School | 2208 | Stop Text, Stop Wrecks! |
| Dakota Wesleyan University, Nursing Department | Haley Rust | Mitchell High School | 2204 | Effects of E-cigarettes on Mealworm Offspring |
| Excellence In Grammar Award | Sheridan Smeikal | Wagner Middle School | 1117 | Boo Bubbles |
| Aiden Patrick | Mitchell Middle School | 1211 | Comparing Wolf Spider DNA Sequences between SD and Kansas | |
| Excellence In Prototype Development | Porter Walz | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1113 | Nitrogen Compressor |
| GENIUS Olympiad | Andrew Weller | Mitchell High School | 2210 | Greenlighted |
| Haley Rust | Mitchell High School | 2204 | Effects of E-Cigarettes on Mealworm Offspring | |
| Evan Blaha | Avon High School | 2202 | Phase 2: Analyzing the Impact of Mulch on Soil and Tomatoes | |
| I-SWEEP | Madison Hetland & Hannah Hetland | Mitchell High School | 2301 | Constructing a Solar Graphene-Based Capacitor |
| Intel Excellence In Computer Science | Alexis Vander Wilt | Mitchell High School | 2102 | Memory Modeling |
| Mitchell High School Science Club | ||||
| Best Board Design | Kristen Namminga | Avon Middle School | 1120 | Going Extreme |
| Best Original Idea | Brianna Gerlach | Plankinton Middle School | 1106 | Hard Water |
| International Society for Optics & Photonics (SPIE) | not awarded | |||
| Lakeview Veterinary Clinic | ||||
| Mu Alpha Theta | Alexander Rodriguez | Mitchell High School | 2201 | Relationship Between Artificial Sugars and Increased Lipid Levels |
| NABT (National Association for Biology Teachers) | Kathy Wormsbecher | Avon High School | 2209 | Testing the Impact of Shade Balls on Algae Growth |
| Haley Rust | Mitchell High School | 2204 | Effects of E-cigarrettes on Mealworm Offspring | |
| Natalie Buckley | Mitchell High School | 2100 | Mother Nature Approved Materials | |
| Susie Grabenstein & Malachi Haddon | Mitchell High School | 2413 | The Effects of Herbal Teas on Danio Rerio Embryos | |
| NASA Earth System Science | Evan Blaha | Avon High School | 2202 | Phase 2: Analyzing the Impact of Mulch on Soil and Tomatoes |
| NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmosphere Administration) | Kristen Namminga | Avon Middle School | 1120 | Going Extreme |
| Ricoh Americas | Katey Wormsbecher | Avon High School | 2209 | Testing the Impact of Shade Balls on Algae Growth |
| Society For In Vitro Biology | Thea Patrick | Mitchell High School | 2203 | Phytoestrogens, Reveratrol, and Lycopene and A. tumefaciens Induced Tumors |
| SD Academy of Science | Amya Merrill | Klein Middle School | 1103 | Effects of Extreme Temperature on Battery Life |
| Aidan Patrick | Mitchell Middle School | 1211 | Comparing Wolf Spider DNA Sequences Between SD and Kansas | |
| Lincoln Thury | Avon Middle School | 1214 | Deep Maize | |
| Rachael DeJong | Avon Middle School | 1122 | Is It Really Crystal Clear? | |
| Peyton Brink | Plankinton Middle School | 1108 | Creating a Game for the Blind | |
| Kristen Namminga | Avon Middle School | 1120 | Going Extreme | |
| Tawi Star Comes Out | Wagner Middle School | 1210 | Does Gum Make You Smarter? | |
| Julia Guitierrez | Wagner Middle School | 1207 | Feeding Horses | |
| Sanford PROMISE Award for Biomedical Research | Emma Heezen & Noah Heezen | Plankinton High School | 2405 | Artemisia Annua |
| South Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics | Thea Patrick | Mitchell High School | 2203 | Phytoestrogens, Reveratrol, and Lycopene and A. tumefaciens Induced Tumors |
| South Dakota Science Teachers Association | Lincoln Thury | Avon Middle School | 1214 | Deep Maize |
| South Dakota Society for Clinical Laboratory Science | Alexander Rodriguez | Mitchell High School | 2201 | Relationship Between Artificial Sugars and Increased Lipid Levels |
| South Dakota Veterinary Medical Alliance | Kallen Kafka | Wagner Middle School | 1209 | The Chicken Dance |
| Thelen Laboratory Research | ||||
| Senior Division | Alexander Rodriguez | Mitchell High School | 2201 | Relationship Between Artificial Sugars and Increased Lipid Levels |
| Junior Division | Rachael DeJong | Avon Middle School | 1122 | Ist It Really Crystal Clear? |
| United States Air Force | Elliott Dean | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1114 | It's Not Rocket Science |
| Taylor Gray | Andes Central High School | 2206 | Now You See It, Now You Don't | |
| Jacob Maynard | Andes Central High School | 2314 | Surviving South Dakota | |
| Chaz James | Andes Central High School | 2314 | Surviving South Dakota | |
| United States Army Recruiting Center | ||||
| 1st Place | Alexis Vander Wilt | Mitchell High School | 2102 | Memory Modeling |
| 2nd Place | Madison Hetland & Hannah Hetland | Mitchell High School | 2301 | Constructing a Solar Graphene-Based Capacitor |
| 3rd Place | Chaz James & Jacob Maynard | Andes Central High School | 2314 | Surviving South Dakota |
| Certificates of Merit | Brianna Gerlach | Plankinton Middle School | 1106 | Hard Water |
| Kacie Mudder & Olivia Jurrens | Avon High School | 2309 | Floating Bodies | |
| Keely Bares & Cassie Stewart | Avon Middle School | 1405 | How Does Temperature Affect Mold Growth of Bread? | |
| Tayler Hertz & Layne Lewis | Plankinton High School | 2313 | Automatic Water Pump | |
| Kennedy Mayclin & Hallie Schmidt | Plankinton Middle School | 1307 | Turbidity for the Masses | |
| United States Department of The Navy/Marine Corps | ||||
| Junior Division | Brianna Gerlach | Plankinton Middle School | 1106 | Hard Water |
| Junior Division | Elliott Dean | Wessington Springs Middle School | 1114 | It's Not Rocket Science |
| Junior Division | Amya Merrill | Klein Middle School | 1103 | Effects of Extreme Temperature on Battery Life |
| Senior Division | Madison Hetland | Mitchell High School | 2301 | Constructing a Solar Graphene-Based Capacitor |
| Senior Division | Hannah Hetland | Mitchell High School | 2301 | Constructing a Solar Graphene-Based Capacitor |
| Senior Division | Andrew Weller | Mitchell High School | 2210 | Greenlighted |
| United States Metric Association | not awarded | |||
| Water Environment Federation & BY Water of Tabor | Katey Wormsbecher | Avon High School | 2209 | Testing the Impact of Shade Balls on Algae Growth |
| Yale Science & Engineering Association, Inc. | Derek Pelton & Tate Wynia | Avon High School | 2311 | The Phosphate's Fate |
| SD ESPCoR/Fischer Science Education | ||||
| 1st Place $1,000/$100 | Avon School | |||
| 2nd Place $750/$50 | Mitchell School | |||
| 3rd Place $500/$25 | Plankinton School | |||
| SD ESPCoR/Fischer Science Education High School Lab Makeover $5,000/$500 | Andes Central/Kristen Maynard |