Here are my personal top ten for Nationals. This is only my personal opinion. The one thing that I believe that makes the prediction difficult is that it's extremely hard to predict the scores of the top ten when you don't know how good the recently advancing teams are from areas you don't compete in. With this in my mind, my scores have to be considered more by results of previous years than raw scores from invitationals and state tournaments.
This time I post in this forum, I would like ABSOLUTELY no direct criticism unlike the last time I tried to make input into the decision making of my fellow "rankers". Again, this is ONLY my guess:
1. Daniel Wright
2. Solon
3. Marie Murphy
4. Churchill
5. Meads Mill
6. J.C. Booth
7. Muscatel
8. Beckendorff
9. Shady Side
10. Paul J. Gelinas
Solon has been using the rule very well. Last year there were FIVE 9 grade kids who could cover almost all study events in Division B. I don't think most teams have this luxury and want to do it?
Regardless, it would be interesting if all teams restricted their participants to 6th through 8th graders.....the true definition of middle/junior high school.
A middle school is 6-8. A junior high school is 7-9. Solon (and I am assuming many of the top teams in B division) use ninth graders because that is what the rules allow and they are just giving themselves the best opportunity to win. Even if they are a 6-8 school, it makes the most sense to have the maximum number of 9th graders as possible because they are usually more experienced and are going to be taking higher level classes that help them in certain events.
Stanford '19 Camas Science Olympiad Alumnus
Events: Protein Modeling, Cell Biology, Disease Detectives, Experimental Design, Dynamic Planet, Water Quality
I don't know, but Gelinas is a 7-9 junior high. Our sixth graders have never even heard of SciO, unless they have older siblings or friends. Our ninth graders are not competitive advantages, but teammates and deserving members of our school. Plus, in a 7-9 team, it's almost the same as a 6-8: The oldest kids still have the same number of years of competition in Division B.
DISCLAIMER: I love everyone, and I'm not fighting. Just stating my opinion
Algorhythmic wrote:
This time I post in this forum, I would like ABSOLUTELY no direct criticism unlike the last time I tried to make input into the decision making of my fellow "rankers". Again, this is ONLY my guess:
Oh, come on. You don't really have any rights to say that ("ABSOLUTELY no direct criticism") because you don't make any rules here. It's like you're begging to start another argument, which we NEVER did. The whole point of this thread is to post ranks and then debate them. What would be the point of making rankings if you wouldn't be able to back them up if someone made some sort of criticism?
“Goodbye,” said the fox.
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the
eye.” Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
silverheart7 wrote:I'd like to place an objection:
I don't know, but Gelinas is a 7-9 junior high. Our sixth graders have never even heard of SciO, unless they have older siblings or friends. Our ninth graders are not competitive advantages, but teammates and deserving members of our school. Plus, in a 7-9 team, it's almost the same as a 6-8: The oldest kids still have the same number of years of competition in Division B.
DISCLAIMER: I love everyone, and I'm not fighting. Just stating my opinion
Solon Middle School is different from your school. Solon Middle School borrows ninth graders from Solon High School.
silverheart7 wrote:I'd like to place an objection:
I don't know, but Gelinas is a 7-9 junior high. Our sixth graders have never even heard of SciO, unless they have older siblings or friends. Our ninth graders are not competitive advantages, but teammates and deserving members of our school. Plus, in a 7-9 team, it's almost the same as a 6-8: The oldest kids still have the same number of years of competition in Division B.
DISCLAIMER: I love everyone, and I'm not fighting. Just stating my opinion
Solon Middle School is different from your school. Solon Middle School borrows ninth graders from Solon High School.
Even if that's why they do so well, there's nothing unfair about it at all.
“Goodbye,” said the fox.
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the
eye.” Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry