More than 1,400 students representing 80 Ohio area middle and high schools will compete in the 16th Ohio Science Olympiad, Saturday, April 15, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the Ohio Union on Ohio State University's main campus. The Science Olympiad Tournaments are academic interscholastic competitions, which consist of a series of twenty-three individual and team events students prepare for during the year. The competitions follow the format of popular board games, TV shows and athletic games. These challenging motivational events are well balanced between the various science disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, computers and technology. There also is a balance between events requiring knowledge of science facts, concepts, processes, skills and application.

Participating students have competed in teams with more than 250 other school teams in seven regional tournaments in order to advance to the state competition. Ohio winners will advance to the national Science Olympiad, where they are expected to do well. Ohio teams placed first in 1998 and second in 1999 in the high school division with middle school teams placing in the top 10.

WHEN: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Saturday, April 15

WHERE: The Ohio Union will serve as headquarters for many of the day's events. The Science Olympiad office will be on the third floor in Buckeye Suites A.

WHY: Winners will represent Ohio at the National Science Olympiad, May 19-20, 2000, at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash., near Spokane.

The Ohio Science Olympiad is hosted by Ohio State's University College Office of Continuing Education and sponsored by Ohio State and the Ohio Department of Education.

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