65th Annual Southeast Regional Science Fair has 67 participants with 9 projects advancing to state competition

The 65^th Annual Southeast Regional Science Fair was held at the Community Building in Lamar on February 20^, 2025.  I recently spoke with Fair President Terri Lira and Robin Staker (both retired teachers with the Lamar School District) about the fair and this year’s results. Ms. Lira has served as Co-Director or Director of the fair for the past 26 years. She, along with Ms. Staker, wanted to recognize Dr. Robert Morrow for his continued support of the fair, having served as a judge for the past 36 years.  Dr. Morrow is a retired dentist from Walsh, but continues to serve as the Baca County Coroner, teaches at Lamar Community College and has worked as an EMT, firefighter and deputy sheriff.  He continues to share his passion and love for science with students at this fair.

Dr. Bob Morrow presents an award to Gunner Duffy (Alta Vista Charter School)

This year’s fair celebrated its milestone year with 56 projects, involving 67 participants.  Students from Plainview, Vilas, Wiley, Holly, Alta Vista, Parkview Elementary, Lamar Middle School and Lamar High School participated, with 9 projects being selected for competition at the Colorado State Science and Engineering Fair in Fort Collins at the CSU campus April 3-5.  Ms. Lira will accompany qualifying students to the state competition.

To begin the awards ceremony, two Lamar teachers were honored with receiving the CAST award.  CAST is the Colorado Association of Science Teachers.  The award comes with a one-year membership which enables the teachers access to resources, classroom activities and grant opportunities.  This year’s CAST awards went to Carla Ward from Parkview Elementary and Ashley Roseberry from Lamar Middle School.

The second award presented was the Inez Hickey Crill award.  Mrs. Crill, born in 1916, grew up in a farming family in Plains, Kansas, who developed a custom wheat threshing company.  The family later moved to a horse and cattle ranch on Butte Creek, south of Two Buttes Mountain.  Inez worked on the ranch learning how to care for livestock, grow crops, raise a garden and feed, clothe and care for her family.  When the time came for high school, she moved to Two Buttes, where she fed and milked cows before and after school for room and board until she graduated in 1934.  Because of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, she was financially unable to attend college.  Soon after high school, she married and raised 3 sons, always convinced that education was essential to achieving a better life.  She was particularly interested in biology and science fairs and rarely missed attending the fairs.  She passed away in 1982.  The Inez Hickey Crill Research Award was established to honor her and to encourage Southeast Colorado high school students to pursue their interest in biology.  This year is the final year the award will be given out, as the family is no longer in the area to carry on the tradition.  The student receiving this award for its final year is Sage Ketels from Lamar High School.

Elementary School Winners

Animal Science: Quinn Forney, Alta Vista (1st), Berkley Randle, Alta Vista (2nd), and Emma Morales, Alta Vista (3rd).  Behavioral and Medicine: Imarie Rankin, Alta Vista (1st), Adelaide Gersick, Alta Vista (2nd), and Kila Nieschburg, Alta Vista (3rd).  Chemistry:  Cheyenne Wurst, Parkview (1st), and Ali Mooney, Alta Vista (2nd).  Earth and Environmental: Analeigh Crespin, Parkview (1st), and Lynnin Alba, Alta Vista (2nd). Engineering winner was Josiah McDowell, Alta Vista (1st).  Physics: Bryden Penaflor, Alta Vista (1st), Barrett McCoy, Parkview (2nd), and Dex Davis, Wiley (3rd).  Plant Science:  Grant Horning, Alta Vista (1st), Hudson Kane, Alta Vista (2nd), and Kyler Mack, Alta Vista (3rd).  Elementary Reserve Champion was Gunner Duffy, Alta Vista.  Elementary Grand Champion was Peyton Palacious, Alta Vista.

Parkview Elementary winners Cheyenne Wurst, Barrett McCoy, and Analeigh Crespin

Junior High Winners

Animal Science: Camden Shelton, Alta Vista (1^st), Stormie Lubbers, Alta Vista (2nd), and Natalie Piker, Lamar Middle School (3rd).  Behavioral and Medicine: Jullianna Licano and Zoey Wilson, Lamar Middle School (1st), and Nelia Yanes, Brielle Bond, and Maddey Forgey, Vilas (2nd). Earth and Space: Azucena Perez, Lamar Middle school (1st) and Riley Morris, Alta Vista (2nd).  Engineering: Lynley Pettinger and Brooklynn Coon, Vilas (1st) and Jesse Vallejos and Elizabeth Sullivan, Vilas (2nd).  Microbiology winner was Sadie Devoter, Alta Vista.  Physical Science: Devin Thompson, Vilas (1st), Brock Whittler, Kailub Bear and Robert Mason, Vilas (2nd), and Braelyn Mauch, Alta Vista (3rd).  Plant Science: Chase Ketels, Alta Vista (1st), Gael Enriquez, Plainview (2nd), and Trae Frans, Alta Vista (3rd).  Reserve Champion was Finnley Reitz, Lamar Middle School.  Grand Champions were Anmol Gill, Lamar Middle School, and Anabelle Pettinger, Vilas.

Lamar Middle School winners Azucena Perez, Finnley Reitz, and Anmol Gill

Junior High Grand Champion Anabelle Pettinger

High School Winners

First Place:  Destiny Cornelius and Ky Harkness, Plainview.  Second Place:  Alexis Schneider and Hailey Cornelius, Plainview.  Third Place: Hailey Mason, Vilas.  Reserve Champion was Sage Ketels from Lamar High School. Grand Champion was Priya Mayjoy, Lamar High School.

 

Grand Champion Priya Mayjoy of Lamar High School

Reserve Grand Champion Sage Ketels of Lamar High School

Representing Southeast Colorado at the State Science Fair and their projects:

Priya Mayjoy – “Monitoring Apis Mellifera Linnaeus for Winter Survival (Year Two)”

Sage Ketels – “Microplastics Quantification of Waterfowl in SE Colorado/SW Kansas”

Destiny Cornelius and Ky Harkness – “Biochar: An Organic Approach to Urban Heat Management”

Alexis Schneider and Hailey Cornelius – “The Scent of Memory: Investigating The Relationship Between Oil Smells and Memory Retention”

Finnley Reitz – “The Great Quail Query”

Anmol Gill – “Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia Coli”

Anabelle Pettinger – “Technology With the Youth”

Azucena Perez – “Radiation Safety First: The Life Saving Power of Radiation Shielding”

Chase Ketels – “Need Some Fertilizer?”

Congratulations to all the students who participated and put in such hard work towards their projects!  We wish the best of luck to students advancing to the state competition.

Editor’s Note:  We apologize for not having photos of all the winners but would be happy to publish them if families or schools would kindly submit them to us!  We can be reached at: theprowersjournal@gmail.com

By: Barbara Crimond