Twelve students placed in the FHSU Regional Science and Engineering Fair which took place on March 8. Eight received a gold medal, three a silver medal and a bronze medal. Those who won a gold medal qualify for the Kansas State Science and Engineering Fair, which will be April 4 and 5 in Wichita.

Six of the eight gold medalists plan to compete in the state event. Freshmen Jeanie Balzer and Ana Goodlet with “Comparing Methods of Determining the Iron Content in Cereals,” Ethen Schmidt with “Comparing Reaction Times of Distracted vs None-Distracted Adolescents,” Sierra Eichman and Clara Lee with “The Effect of Caffeine on Adult v Juvenile Daphnia magna,” and senior Jill Pokorny with “Marketing’s Effect on Perception.”

“Hays High School has had students take 1^st place at state twice in the five, not yet six, years we have been competing in science fair,” Physics teacher Cheryl Shepherd-Adams said. “It’s a tough competition but Hays’ students are up to the challenge.”

After state, there is another level.

“Top two places at state go on to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair,” Shepherd-Adams said.

Two other Hays students, freshmen Payton Markley and Cassandra Quinby, also took home a gold medal from the regional fair. Freshmen Alex Feyerherm, Mkilar Otte and Kaely McKinney took silver and Rachelle Lumpkins received bronze.

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