Science Fair Experiments Lauded, Winners Honored

The ingenuity, creativity and originality that went into the student science experiments in this year’s Ventura County Science Fair startled some of the adult judges.

“We were blown away,” exclaimed Bob Michels, a 3M production manager, after evaluating some of the more than 800 projects entered in the event. “With kids like this inventing the products of tomorrow, I’m certain this nation will stay No. 1 technologically.”

Michels was among 120 judges--astronomers, chemists, doctors, engineers, physicists and technicians--from across the county who helped pick the best of this year’s entries, in fields as diverse as botany, computer and earth sciences, microbiology and chemistry.

The following is a list of the winners:

SIXTH GRADE

Botany

1st place--Tara Barker

Chaparral Middle School

2nd place--Richard Liu

Mesa Verde Middle School

3rd place--Christopher Sayers

Mesa Verde Middle School

Chemistry/Biochemistry

1st place--Paulina Abaunza

Mesa Verde Middle School

2nd place--Paul Miller

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Julie Bristol

Mesa Verde Middle School

Earth/Space/Environmental

1st place--Meghan Kelley

Chaparral Middle School

2nd place--Rosie De Vera

Santa Clara Elementary

3rd place--Janine Oliver

Ocean View Junior High School

Mathematics/Computers

1st place--Aretha Samuel

Santa Clara Elementary School

2nd place--David Smith

Mesa Verde Middle School

3rd place--Robby Westerling

Westlake Elementary School

Microbiology/Medical Science

1st place--Carly Kerper

Mesa Union School

2nd place--J.R. Kennedy

Pinecrest School

3rd place--Amy Simpson

Briggs School

Physics

1st place--Joey Hurst

Westlake Elementary School

2nd place--Erin Murphy

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Brittain Gulden

Mesa Verde Middle School

Psychology/Sociology/Human Behavior

1st place--Bill Ralph

Ocean View Junior High School

2nd place--Adam Borelli

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Kelly Taaffe

Westlake Elementary School

Zoology/Animal Behavior

1st place--Sarah McCarthy

Santa Clara Elementary School

2nd place--Shannon Wilkins

Rose Avenue School

3rd place--Nicole Morrison

Mesa Verde Middle School

SEVENTH GRADE

Botany

1st place--Chris Saunders

Santa Clara Elementary School

2nd place--Alexandra Brandt

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Chris Rackoff

Colina Middle School

Chemistry/Biochemistry

1st place--Michelle Alvarez

Mesa Union School

2nd place--Kami Teal

Cabrillo Middle School

3rd place--Brian Decal

St. Paschal Baylon School

Earth/Space/Environmental

1st place--Vickie Malone

Colina Middle School

2nd place--Matthew Koppel

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Nathaniel Kunes

Colina Middle School

Mathematics/Computers

1st place--Breanne Henkelman

Mesa Union School

2nd place--Laurena Guizar

Fremont Intermediate School

3rd place--Justin Mui

Las Colinas Intermediate School

Microbiology/Medical Science

1st place--Sumeet Mitter

Mesa Verde Middle School

2nd place--Emily Webb

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Erik Hokom

Colina Middle School

Physics

1st place--Cristina Tangonan

E.O. Green School

2nd place--James Renger

Cabrillo Middle School

3rd place--Heather Crawford

Fremont Intermediate School

Psychology/Sociology/Human Behavior

1st place--Andrea Susman

Balboa Middle School

2nd place--Jeremy Shatzer

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Torrie Yered

St. Paschal Baylon School

Zoology/Animal Behavior

1st place--John Kim

Fremont Intermediate School

2nd place--Ashley Winans

Fremont Intermediate School

3rd place--Jenny Musser

Las Colinas Intermediate School

EIGHTH GRADE

Botany

1st place--Marcos Galaviz

Fillmore Jr. High School

2nd place--Daven Savla

Los Cerritos Intermediate School

3rd place--Adrienne Wilcox

Ocean View Junior High School

Chemistry/Biochemistry

1st place--Kristin Jackson

Rio del Valle School

2nd place--Chandra Jacobs

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Laura Brakensiek

Colina Middle School

Earth/Space/Environmental

1st place--Paul Meissner

St. Paschal Baylon School

2nd place--Nickolas Blevens

Ocean View Junior High School

3rd place--Kristian Lau

Los Cerritos Intermediate School

Mathematics/Computers

1st place--Gavin Hume

Mesa Verde Middle School

2nd place--Tony Ferro

Mesa Union School

3rd place--Ryan Hermansen

Mesa Verde Middle School

Microbiology/Medical Science

1st place--Sanda Vizireanu

Colina Middle School

2nd place--Argyle Nelson

Medea Creek Middle School

3rd place--Mike Horak

Colina Middle School

Physics

1st place--Blake Bryant

Mesa Verde Middle School

2nd place--Chris Gardner

Colina Middle School

3rd place--Julie Burris

Fremont Intermediate School

Psychology/Sociology/Human Behavior

1st place--Elisabeth Spagnolia

Sacred Heart School

2nd Place--Nasym Korloo

Mesa Verde Middle School

Zoology/Animal Behavior

1st place--Chris Veres

Fremont Intermediate School

2nd place--Amanda Hoffman

Mesa Union School

3rd place--Naomi Cordell

Sacred Heart School

NINTH GRADE

Botany

2nd place--Jamie Ellis-Simpson

Westlake High School

3rd place--Nick Patton

Westlake High School

Earth/Space/Environmental

1st place--Michael Bogle

Westlake High School

Mathematics/Computers

3rd place--Scott Rein

Westlake High School

Microbiology/Medical Science

1st place--Sandhya Ramadas

La Reina High School

2nd place--Sean Wells

Westlake High School

3rd place--Jordan Must

Westlake High School

Physics

1st place--Nick Lange

Moorpark High School

2nd place--Erin Phillips

Hueneme High School

3rd place--Matt Lauer

Moorpark High School

Zoology/Animal Behavior

1st place--Terri Lumsden

La Reina High School

10TH GRADE

Botany

1st place--Safina Grewal

La Reina High School

Chemistry/Biochemistry

1st place--Meridith McNeal

Westlake High School

2nd place--Shilpa Rajpara

Moorpark High School

3rd place--Emily Susman

Buena High School

Earth/Space/Environmental

2nd place--Amit Patel

Oxnard High School

Mathematics/Computers

1st place--Nancy Ann Gardner

Hueneme High School

2nd place--Valene Clark

Hueneme High School

Physics

2nd place--Beth Frystak

La Reina High School

3rd place--Christina Raymond

Hueneme High School

Psychology/Sociology/Human Behavior

1st place--Navroop Mitter

Moorpark High School

11TH GRADE

Botany

2nd place--Allison Rose

Calabasas High School

Chemistry/Biochemistry

1st place--Lauren Gulbrand

Moorpark High School

2nd place--Kyle Heinbechner

Moorpark High School

3rd place--Adam Levin

Calabasas High School

Earth/Space/Environmental

1st place--Charae Gibbs

Moorpark High School

2nd place--Melissa Zbriger

Calabasas High School

3rd place--Jennifer Guzzo

Oxnard High School

Psychology/Sociology/Human Behavior

1st place--Danielle Diamond

Calabasas High School

2nd place--C.J. Thompson

Calabasas High School

12TH GRADE

Botany

1st place--Nate Pidduck

Santa Paula High School

3rd place--Janel McReynolds

Santa Paula High School

Microbiology/Medical Science

1st place--Jessica Baumgarten

Santa Paula High School

Zoology/Animal Behavior

1st place--Chris Hartman

Westlake High School

GROUP PROJECTS

SIXTH GRADE

Earth/Space/Environmental

3rd place--Justin Blaine, Kevin Rex

Colina Middle School

Psychology/Sociology/Human Behavior

1st place--Alison Berglas, Ariana Milman

Colina Middle School

2nd place--Daisy Torres, Smeeta Mann

Mesa Verde Middle School

SEVENTH GRADE

Botany

3rd place--Amanda Topking, Lisa Berglas

Colina Middle School

Physics

1st grade--Katie McCurdy, Jenna Ainsworth

Colina Middle School

EIGHTH GRADE

Earth/Space/Environmental

1st place--Allison Silverman, Mia Silverman

Cabrillo Middle School

Microbiology/Medical Science

3rd place--Annalisa Liberman, Kelly Cochran

Colina Middle School

Physics

2nd place--Sumit Sood, Omar Abed

Chaparral Middle School

Psychology/Sociology/Human Behavior

1st place--Allison Silverman, Mia Silverman

Cabrillo Middle School

NINTH GRADE

Physics

3rd place--Thaovi To, Mina An

Oxnard High School

10TH GRADE

Botany

1st place--Jonathan Hakakha, Robert Snallenberger, Mason Bonberg, David Andoot

Calabasas High School

11TH GRADE

Chemistry/Biochemistry

2nd place--Jordana Gustafson, Keely Rasmussen

Ventura High School

Awards were distributed Thursday night by Charles Weis, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools