# North Carolina Science Olympiad

North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) is a nonprofit organization with the mission to attract and retain the pool of K–12 students entering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers in North Carolina. Every year NCSO hosts tournaments on university, community college, and public school campuses across the state. These tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of different hands-on, interactive, challenging and inquiry-based events that are well balanced between the various disciplines of biology, earth science, environmental science, chemistry, physics, engineering and technology. NCSO is housed at The Science House at NC State University.

## History

The first recorded Science Olympiad was held on Saturday, November 23, 1974, at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Dr. Donald Barnes and Dr. David Wetmore were the originators of this event. Fifteen schools from North and South Carolina participated in this event. This Olympiad was a day-long affair, with competitions and demonstrations for high school students in the areas of biology, chemistry, and physics. There were four event periods during this day, and each event period had one fun event (like beaker race or paper airplane), one demonstration (like glassblowing and holography), and one serious event (like periodic table quiz or Science Bowl). An article was published in the Journal of Chemical Education in January 1978 documenting the success of recruiting students through Science Olympiad. St. Andrews continues to host a Science Olympiad tournament to this day.
John C. "Jack" Cairns was a teacher at Dover High School in Delaware in the 1970s when he learned about Science Olympiad taking place in North Carolina. He shared this information with Dr. Douglas R. Macbeth, the Delaware State Science Supervisor. Cairns was appointed to a steering committee to organize the first Olympiad in Delaware which took place at Delaware State University in the Spring of 1977.
By 1982, word about Science Olympiad continued to spread, and caught the attention of Dr. Gerard Putz in Macomb County, Michigan. Putz invited Cairns to share the success of the Delaware Science Olympiad with Macomb County. As a result, Michigan hosted their first two tournaments in 1983 and 1984 while at the same time Delaware hosted eight similar tournaments. Putz and Cairns then decided to share the program with the rest of the nation.
| Year | Division B Champions | Division B Runner-Up | Division C Champions | Division C Runner-Up | Host |
| 1985 | — | — | Page | — | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1986 | — | — | NCSSM | Northeast Guilford | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1987 | Drexel | West Rowan | Chapel Hill | NCSSM | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1988 | Drexel | — | Chapel Hill | NCSSM | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1989 | Drexel | — | Chapel Hill | — | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1990 | Nash Central | — | Page | Chapel Hill | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1991 | Drexel | Liberty | NCSSM | — | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1992 | Liberty | Our Lady of Lourdes | NCSSM | Chapel Hill | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1993 | Hillcrest | Our Lady of Lourdes | NCSSM | Garner | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1994 | Our Lady of Lourdes | Greene | NCSSM | Garner | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1995 | Arendell Parrott | Our Lady of Lourdes | Chapel Hill | NCSSM | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1996 | Arendell Parrott | Our Lady of Lourdes | NCSSM | Chapel Hill | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1997 | Arendell Parrott | Mendenhall | Chapel Hill | John T. Hoggard | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1998 | Arendell Parrott | Our Lady of Lourdes | Chapel Hill | John T. Hoggard | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 1999 | Arendell Parrott | Toisnot | Enloe | John T. Hoggard | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2000 | Arendell Parrott | R. Max Abbott | Enloe | John T. Hoggard | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2001 | Arendell Parrott | Davidson IB | Grimsley | Southeast Raleigh | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2002 | Arendell Parrott | Seventy-First | Grimsley | Durham Academy | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2003 | Arendell Parrott | Seventy-First | Washington | Durham Academy | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2004 | Arendell Parrott | Davidson IB | Raleigh Charter | Durham Academy | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2005 | Davidson IB | Jay M. Robinson | Washington | Raleigh Charter | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2006 | Davidson IB | Arendell Parrott | Washington | East Chapel Hill | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2007 | Jay M. Robinson | Arendell Parrott | Raleigh Charter | Washington | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2008 | Jay M. Robinson | Davidson IB | NCSSM | Raleigh Charter | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2009 | Jay M. Robinson | Davidson IB | NCSSM | Raleigh Charter | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2010 | Jay M. Robinson | Arendell Parrott | Raleigh Charter | NCSSM | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2011 | Arendell Parrott | Piedmont IB | NCSSM | Raleigh Charter | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2012 | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | NCSSM | Enloe | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2013 | Fred J. Carnage | Piedmont IB | Raleigh Charter | Enloe | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2014 | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | Enloe | Raleigh Charter | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2015 | Piedmont IB | J. M. Alexander | Enloe | NCSSM | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2016 | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | Enloe | NCSSM | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2017 | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | NCSSM | Enloe | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2018 | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | Enloe | Raleigh Charter | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2019 | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | NCSSM | Enloe | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2021 | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | Enloe | NCSSM | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
| 2022 | Fred J. Carnage | Wilmington | NCSSM | Enloe | NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina |
* ↑ Competition was hosted by NC State University but held virtually.

## Competition

* Score is calculated by giving 1 point for a first-place finish, 2 points for a second-place finish, etc.
* In final events standings, (D) denotes defending champions.
NCSO competitions are run in a style similar to a track meet. Each competitor has individual events that they compete in, instead of shot put and javelin, a competitor would participate in Forensics and Tower Building. Competitors receive individual rankings in each individual event they compete in, and at the end of the day all the individual event rankings are added together to get the total Team Score. Competitors are able to earn medals in their individual events, and teams can also win an overall trophy for their school.
Science Olympiad tournaments have four different time periods (and walk-in time periods) when events are held. Due to the number of teams at the state tournament (118 division C teams at the 2015 tournament), the events are instead divided into six time periods of 70 minutes. Most events allow teams of two students to compete (some events allow three).
Regional Tournament host sites include Campbell University, Catawba Valley Community College, Cumberland County Schools, East Carolina University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Green Hope High School, Guilford County Schools, Lenoir Community College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, St. Andrews University, New Hanover County Schools, Raleigh Charter High School, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, and UNC-Wilmington. The North Carolina State Tournament is hosted at NC State University each April. The top scoring teams at the state level advance to the national competition, held every May. State tournament results are seen below.

### 2021 Competition

Division B – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Piedmont IB | Hope | Jay M. Robinson | Mills Park |
| Circuit Lab | Davis Drive | Jay M. Robinson | Fred J. Carnage | Smith |
| Codebusters | Piedmont IB | Davis Drive | Jay M. Robinson | Guy B. Phillips |
| Crime Busters | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | Hope | Triangle Day |
| Density Lab | Jay M. Robinson | Davis Drive | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage |
| Digital Structures | Fred J. Carnage | Alston Ridge | Piedmont IB | Central Wilkes |
| Disease Detectives | Mills Park | Metrolina Regional | Fred J. Carnage | Piedmont IB |
| Dynamic Planet | Mills Park | Piedmont IB | Alston Ridge | Thales Academy |
| Experimental Design | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | Jay M. Robinson | Mills Park |
| Food Science | Davis Drive | Mills Park | Fred J. Carnage | Triangle Day |
| Fossils | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | Jay M. Robinson | Mills Park |
| Game On | Wilmington | Jay M. Robinson | Piedmont IB | Hope |
| Heredity | Fred J. Carnage | Piedmont IB | Oberlin Magnet | Lake Norman Charter |
| Machines | Davis Drive | Fred J. Carnage | Mills Park | Jay M. Robinson |
| Meteorology | Wilmington | Davis Drive | Wakefield | Piedmont IB |
| Mousetrap Vehicle | Mills Park | Thales Academy | Lake Norman Charter | Wakefield |
| Ornithology | Wilmington | Voyager Academy | Piedmont IB | Metrolina Regional |
| Picture This | Fred J. Carnage | Jay M. Robinson | Voyager Academy | Smith |
| Reach for the Stars | Piedmont IB | David Drive | Wilmington | The Academy at Lincoln |
| Road Scholar | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | Jay M. Robinson | Alston Ridge |
| Water Quality | Piedmont IB | Alston Ridge | Cornerstone Charter | Guy B. Phillips |
| Write It, Do It | The Academy at Lincoln | Wakefield | Providence Day | Voyager Academy |
| Winning team |||||
Division B – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | Piedmont IB (D) | 85 |
| 2 | Fred J. Carnage | 125 |
| 3 | Jay M. Robinson | 158 |
| 4 | Mills Park | 160 |
| 5 | Davis Drive | 182 |
| 6 | Wilmington | 184 |
| 7 | Smith | 260 |
| 8 | Metrolina Regional | 265 |
| 9 | Guy B. Phillips | 283 |
| 10 | The Academy at Lincoln | 296 |
| 11 | Triangle Day | 308 |
| 12 | Lake Norman Charter | 310 |
| 13 | Alston Ridge | 314 |
| 14 | Cornerstone Charter | 343 |
| 15 | Thales Academy | 350 |
| 16 | Hope | 384 |
| 17 | Oberlin Magnet | 388 |
| 18 | Voyager Academy | 404 |
| 19 | Wakefield | 406 |
| 20 | Community House | 429 |
| 21 | Central Wilkes | 477 |
| 22 | Woods Charter | 487 |
| 23 | Providence Day | 493 |
| 24 | Charles P. Murray | 500 |
| 25 | Seventy-First | 511 |
| 26 | Team JOCO | 517 |
| 27 | Roland Grise | 528 |
| 28 | Ayden | 545 |
| 29 | Foothills Community | 564 |
| 30 | Cannon School | 573 |
| 31 | French Broad River | 579 |
| 32 | Cleveland | 620 |
| 33 | Contentnea-Savannah | 652 |
| 34 | Woodington | 661 |
| 35 | Flat Rock | 673 |
Division C – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Enloe | NCSSM | Panther Creek | Isaac Bear |
| Astronomy | NCSSM | D.H. Conley | Chapel Hill | Enloe |
| Chem Lab | Raleigh Charter | Enloe | Green Hope | NCSSM |
| Circuit Lab | NCSSM | Enloe | Chapel Hill | Raleigh Charter |
| Codebusters | Enloe | Apex Friendship | Weddington | Triangle Academy |
| Designer Genes | Enloe | NCSSM | D.H. Conley | Green Hope |
| Digital Structures | Enloe | Raleigh Charter | Northside - Onslow | Panther Creek |
| Disease Detectives | Panther Creek | Green Level | Cary Academy | John T. Hoggard |
| Dynamic Planet | NCSSM | Enloe | John T. Hoggard | Raleigh Charter |
| Experimental Design | Green Level | Enloe | Panther Creek | Raleigh Charter |
| Fermi Questions | Triangle Academy | East Chapel Hill | Panther Creek | Isaac Bear |
| Forensics | Enloe | Pather Creek | Chapel Hill | Isaac Bear |
| Fossils | NCSSM | Enloe | Northern Guilford | Middle Creek |
| GeoLogic Mapping | NCSSM | Research Triangle | Cardinal Gibbons | Enloe |
| Gravity Vehicle | John T. Hoggard | E.A. Laney | Research Triangle | Enloe |
| Machines | Enloe | NCSSM | Green Hope | Chapel Hill |
| Ornithology | Middle Creek | Northern Guilford | Enloe | Ardrey Kell |
| Picture This | Enloe | East Chapel Hill | NCSSM | E.A. Laney |
| Protein Modeling | Green Hope | Enloe | Panther Creek | Raleigh Charter |
| Sounds of Music | NCSSM | Green Hope | East Chapel Hill | Raleigh Charter |
| Water Quality | Triangle Academy | D.H. Conley | NCSSM | Enloe |
| Write It Do It | East Chapel Hill | Providence | Marvin Ridge | Durham Academy |
| Winning team |||||
Division C – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | Enloe | 62 |
| 2 | NCSSM (D) | 119 |
| 3 | Green Hope | 205 |
| 4 | Raleigh Charter | 257 |
| 5 | Panther Creek | 265 |
| 6 | Chapel Hill | 286 |
| 7 | John T. Hoggard | 328 |
| 8 | Isaac Bear | 349 |
| 9 | East Chapel Hill | 378 |
| 10 | Triangle Academy | 381 |
| 11 | Green Level | 396 |
| 12 | The Early College | 421 |
| 13 | Cary Academy | 440 |
| 14 | Marvin Ridge | 476 |
| 15 | Northern Guilford | 481 |
| 16 | Mallard Creek | 495 |
| 17 | Atkins | 497 |
| 18 | Ardrey Kell | 499 |
| 19 | E.A. Laney | 523 |
| 20 | Apex Friendship | 526 |
| 21 | Providence | 563 |
| 22 | Durham Academy | 565 |
| 23 | Woods Charter | 582 |
| 24 | Apex | 598 |
| 25 | Middle Creek | 607 |
| 26 | Henderson County | 622 |
| 27 | Greensboro Day | 631 |
| 28 | Weddington | 634 |
| 29 | Research Triangle | 643 |
| 30 | Thomas Jefferson | 645 |
| 31 | Cardinal Gibbons | 655 |
| 32 | Cedar Ridge | 664 |
| 33 | Thales Academy | 680 |
| 34 | Martin L. Nesbitt | 689 |
| 35 | Providence Day | 693 |
| 36 | Charlotte Catholic | 743 |
| 37 | The O'Neal School | 743 |
| 38 | Cross Creek | 745 |
| 39 | D.H. Conley | 755 |
| 40 | Holly Springs | 757 |
| 41 | Heritage | 780 |
| 42 | Topsail | 782 |
| 43 | Early College of Forsyth | 792 |
| 44 | Cary | 798 |
| 45 | Northside - Onslow | 816 |
| 46 | Eugene Ashley | 818 |
| 47 | Pinecrest | 820 |
| 48 | Franklin Academy | 820 |
| 49 | West Henderson | 852 |
| 50 | Roanoke Rapids | 920 |
| 51 | St. John Paul II | 942 |
| 52 | McDowell | 944 |
| 53 | Coastal Christian | 965 |

### 2019 Competition

Division B – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Amazing Mechatronics | Bull City Homeschoolers | Jay M. Robinson | Martin | Academicians |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | Fred J. Carnage | Davis Drive |
| Battery Buggy | Wilmington | Academicians | St. Michael | Davis Drive |
| Boomilever | Bull City Homeschoolers | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | Jay M. Robinson |
| Circuit Lab | West Cary | DaVinci's Dragons | Fred J. Carnage | Davis Drive |
| Crime Busters | Arendell Parrott | Piedmont IB | Daniels Magnet | Jay M. Robinson |
| Density Lab | Jay M. Robinson | Piedmont IB | Davis Drive | Fred J. Carnage |
| Disease Detectives | West Cary | Jay M. Robinson | Mills Park | Piedmont IB |
| Duct Tape Challenge | Bull City Homeschoolers | Topsail | Academicians | Pine Lake Preparatory |
| Dynamic Planet | Wilmington | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | The Academy at Lincoln |
| Elastic Launch Glider | Polk County | DaVinci's Dragons | Infant of Prague | Central Wilkes |
| Experimental Design | Davis Drive | West Cary | Mills Park | Smith |
| Fossils | Piedmont IB | Surf City | Guy B. Phillips | Jay M. Robinson |
| Heredity | Thales Academy | Randolph | West Cary | Piedmont IB |
| Herpetology | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | The Academy at Lincoln | Moyock |
| Meteorology | West Cary | Wilmington | Jay M. Robinson | Piedmont IB |
| Ping Pong Parachute | Wilmington | Piedmont IB | Fairview | Fred J. Carnage |
| Potions and Poisons | Davis Drive | St. Michael | Randolph | Fred J. Carnage |
| Road Scholar | Daniels Magnet | Davis Drive | Academicians | Mills Park |
| Roller Coaster | Fred J. Carnage | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | Bull City Homeschoolers |
| Solar System | Hope | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | Smith |
| Thermodynamics | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | Martin | Randolph |
| Water Quality | Jay M. Robinson | Hope | Wilmington | The Academy at Lincoln |
| Write It Do It | Piedmont IB | West Lincoln | Topsail | Jay M. Robinson |
| Winning team |||||
Division B – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | Piedmont IB (D) | 102 |
| 2 | Wilmington | 168 |
| 3 | Jay M. Robinson | 194 |
| 4 | Fred J. Carnage | 249 |
| 5 | Davis Drive | 273 |
| 6 | Smith | 303 |
| 7 | The Academy at Lincoln | 372 |
| 8 | Mills Park | 398 |
| 9 | West Cary | 427 |
| 10 | Randolph | 467 |
| 11 | Fairview | 473 |
| 12 | St. Mary | 487 |
| 13 | Daniels Magnet | 495 |
| 14 | Community House | 531 |
| 15 | Bull City Homeschoolers | 540 |
| 16 | Academicians | 540 |
| 17 | St. Mark | 544 |
| 18 | Hope | 550 |
| 19 | Guy B. Phillips | 569 |
| 20 | Roland Grise | 575 |
| 21 | Arendell Parrott | 591 |
| 22 | Saint Mary Magdalene | 610 |
| 23 | Topsail | 614 |
| 24 | MCS Noble | 616 |
| 25 | Seventy-First | 626 |
| 26 | Martin | 631 |
| 27 | DaVinci's Dragons | 639 |
| 28 | First Impressions | 650 |
| 29 | Woods Charter | 653 |
| 30 | Cathedral School | 664 |
| 31 | St. Michael | 668 |
| 32 | The Epiphany School | 677 |
| 33 | St. John Paul II | 695 |
| 34 | Thales Academy | 735 |
| 35 | Triangle Day | 743 |
| 36 | Surf City | 773 |
| 37 | Polk County | 789 |
| 38 | The Oakwood School | 791 |
| 39 | Western Harnett | 814 |
| 40 | Infant of Prague | 828 |
| 41 | Holly Grove | 858 |
| 42 | Moyock | 863 |
| 43 | Pine Lake Preparatory | 874 |
| 44 | West Lincoln | 882 |
| 45 | Bath | 884 |
| 46 | Belmont | 908 |
| 47 | Central Wilkes | 929 |
| 48 | Morganton | 943 |
| 49 | Mill Creek | 945 |
| 50 | St. Peter | 946 |
| 51 | Millennium Charter | 994 |
| 52 | Ranger | 1006 |
Division C – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Enloe | East Chapel Hill | Raleigh Charter | Jack Britt |
| Astronomy | Enloe | Ardrey Kell | Durham Academy | NCSSM |
| Boomilever | NCSSM | Raleigh Charter | North Mecklenburg | Henderson County |
| Chemistry Lab | Enloe | Atkins | Cary Academy | Isaac Bear |
| Circuit Lab | NCSSM | Enloe | Chapel Hill | Green Hope |
| Codebusters | NCSSM | Durham School | Enloe | Apex |
| Designer Genes | Enloe | North Lincoln | East Chapel Hill | NCSSM |
| Disease Detectives | North Mecklenburg | Providence | Panther Creek | Triangle Academy |
| Dynamic Planet | Durham Academy | NCSSM | Triangle Academy | Myers Park |
| Experimental Design | North Mecklenburg | Raleigh Charter | NCSSM | Enloe |
| Fermi Questions | Ardrey Kell | West Henderson | John T. Hoggard | NCSSM |
| Forensics | NCSSM | Atkins | Smoky Mountain | Enloe |
| Fossils | Green Hope | Science Sleuths | NCSSM | Enloe |
| GeoLogic Mapping | NCSSM | East Chapel Hill | North Mecklenburg | Apex |
| Herpetology | NCSSM | Enloe | DaVinci's Dragons | Green Hope |
| Mission Possible | Raleigh Charter | Enloe | Jack Britt | Cardinal Gibbons |
| Mousetrap Vehicle | Chapel Hill | Science Sleuths | Isaac Bear | NCSSM |
| Ping Pong Parachute | Northern Guilford | Wood Charter | East Chapel Hill | Science Sleuths |
| Protein Modeling | Enloe | Cardinal Gibbons | North Mecklenburg | Caldwell |
| Sounds of Music | Woods Charter | Panther Creek | Marvin Ridge | East Chapel Hill |
| Thermodynamics | Enloe | NCSSM | Raleigh Charter | John T. Hoggard |
| Water Quality | Triangle Academy | Enloe | NCSSM | Chapel Hill |
| Wright Stuff | NCSSM | North Mecklenburg | Middle Creek | Atkins |
| Write It Do It | Cardinal Gibbons | North Mecklenburg | John T. Hoggard | Enloe |
| Winning team |||||
Division C – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | NCSSM | 143 |
| 2 | Enloe (D) | 144 |
| 3 | Raleigh Charter | 221 |
| 4 | North Mecklenburg | 287 |
| 5 | East Chapel Hill | 311 |
| 6 | John T. Hoggard | 389 |
| 7 | Ardrey Kell | 422 |
| 8 | Chapel Hill | 431 |
| 9 | Panther Creek | 456 |
| 10 | Isaac Bear | 470 |
| 11 | Triangle Academy | 475 |
| 12 | Green Hope | 488 |
| 13 | Durham Academy | 514 |
| 14 | Caldwell | 546 |
| 15 | Woods Charter | 550 |
| 16 | Cardinal Gibbons | 561 |
| 17 | Apex | 572 |
| 18 | Atkins | 576 |
| 19 | Jack Britt | 582 |
| 20 | West Henderson | 583 |
| 21 | Cary Academy | 584 |
| 22 | Mallard Creek | 588 |
| 23 | Myers Park | 593 |
| 24 | Northern Guilford | 599 |
| 25 | Smoky Mountain | 604 |
| 26 | Marvin Ridge | 606 |
| 27 | The Epiphany School | 620 |
| 28 | The Early College | 627 |
| 29 | Science Sleuths | 629 |
| 30 | Durham School | 633 |
| 31 | DaVinci's Dragons | 646 |
| 32 | Junius H. Rose | 651 |
| 33 | E.A. Laney | 674 |
| 34 | D.H. Conley | 688 |
| 35 | Middle Creek | 689 |
| 36 | C.E. Jordan | 726 |
| 37 | Research Triangle | 756 |
| 38 | South Point | 777 |
| 39 | Henderson County | 778 |
| 40 | Cedar Ridge | 781 |
| 41 | North Lincoln | 793 |
| 42 | Providence | 810 |
| 43 | Terry Sanford | 821 |
| 44 | Northside - Onslow | 829 |
| 45 | The Oakwood School | 830 |
| 46 | Cross Creek | 885 |
| 47 | Onslow | 887 |
| 48 | Southern Nash | 893 |
| 49 | Northside - Beaufort | 917 |
| 50 | Massey Hill | 1022 |

### 2018 Competition

Division B – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Jay M. Robinson | Metrolinia Regional | Fred J. Carnage | Piedmont IB |
| Battery Buggy | Bath | Wilmington | Smith | Woods Charter |
| Crime Busters | Roland Grise | Smith | St. Mary | Wilmington |
| Disease Detectives | Mills Park | Randolph | Smith | Davis Drive |
| Duct Tape Challenge | Seventy-First | Fred J. Carnage | Topsail | Parkwood |
| Dynamic Planet | Piedmont IB | Woodlawn | Mills Park | Jay M. Robinson |
| Ecology | Hope | Piedmont IB | Davis Drive | Sun Valley |
| Experimental Design | Smith | Fred J. Carnage | Piedmont IB | Mills Park |
| Fast Facts | Mills Park | Fred J. Carnage | Piedmont IB | Davis Drive |
| Herpetology | Mills Park | St. Mary | MCS Noble | Guy B. Phillips |
| Hovercraft | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | Thomas Jefferson | St. Mary |
| Meteorology | Wilmington | Fred J. Carnage | Roland Grise | Woodlawn |
| Microbe Mission | Daniels Magnet | Davis Drive | Jay M. Robinson | Wilmington |
| Optics | Jay M. Robinson | Piedmont IB | DaVinci's Dragons | Parkwood |
| Ping Pong Parachute | Piedmont IB | Guy B. Phillips | Randolph | Science Hounds |
| Potions and Poisons | Davis Drive | Mills Park | Woodlawn | Wilmington |
| Road Scholar | Fred J. Carnage | Woodlawn | Science Hounds | Smith |
| Rocks and Minerals | Piedmont IB | St. Mary | Davis Drive | Fairview |
| Roller Coaster | Wilmington | The Exploris School | Mills Park | Jay M. Robinson |
| Solar System | Wilmington | Davis Drive | Mills Park | Smith |
| Thermodynamics | Davis Drive | Randolph | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson |
| Towers | Piedmont IB | Bull City Homeschoolers | Wilmington | Science Hounds |
| Wright Stuff | Piedmont IB | Thomas Jefferson | Murray | Polk County |
| Write It Do It | Mills Park | St. Michael | Triangle Academy | Smith |
| Winning team |||||
Division B – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | Piedmont IB (D) | 146 |
| 2 | Fred J. Carnage | 194 |
| 3 | Wilmington | 245 |
| 4 | Mills Park | 272 |
| 5 | Smith | 273 |
| 6 | Davis Drive | 285 |
| 7 | Jay M. Robinson | 335 |
| 8 | Metrolinia Regional | 421 |
| 9 | Woodlawn | 424 |
| 10 | Guy B. Phillips | 484 |
| 11 | St. Mary | 500 |
| 12 | Thomas Jefferson | 527 |
| 13 | Randolph | 541 |
| 14 | Daniels Magnet | 557 |
| 15 | MCS Noble | 558 |
| 16 | Triangle Academy | 560 |
| 17 | The Epiphany School | 565 |
| 18 | Hope | 587 |
| 19 | Holly Grove | 598 |
| 20 | Charlotte Country Day | 602 |
| 21 | St. Michael | 607 |
| 22 | Roland Grise | 619 |
| 23 | Bull City Homeschoolers | 627 |
| 24 | St. John Paul II | 655 |
| 25 | Durham Academy | 661 |
| 26 | Parkwood | 663 |
| 27 | Wakefield | 667 |
| 28 | Science Hounds | 683 |
| 29 | Fairview | 686 |
| 30 | Topsail | 699 |
| 31 | Seventy-First | 710 |
| 32 | Thales Academy | 724 |
| 33 | The Exploris School | 729 |
| 34 | Cathedral School | 741 |
| 35 | The Oakwood School | 743 |
| 36 | DaVinci's Dragons | 758 |
| 37 | Woods Charter | 759 |
| 38 | Murray | 762 |
| 39 | The O'Neal School | 772 |
| 40 | Arendell Parrott | 796 |
| 41 | Polk County | 800 |
| 42 | Voyager Academy | 803 |
| 43 | Cornerstone Charter | 812 |
| 44 | Bath | 819 |
| 45 | Pine Forest | 830 |
| 46 | Sun Valley | 852 |
| 47 | Mill Creek | 868 |
| 48 | St. Peter | 914 |
| 49 | North Davie | 919 |
| 50 | STORM | 936 |
| 51 | Martins Creek | 936 |
| 52 | NCLA | 1006 |
Division C – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Amazing Mechatronics | The Early College | West Henderson | Carrboro | Raleigh Charter |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Enloe | Green Hope | Athens Drive | NCSSM |
| Astronomy | Enloe | Raleigh Charter | East Chapel Hill | Durham Academy |
| Chemistry Lab | Enloe | Green Hope | NCSSM | Ardrey Kell |
| Codebusters | NCSSM | Enloe | Durham School | Cardinal Gibbons |
| Disease Detectives | Raleigh Charter | North Mecklenburg | Enloe | Ardrey Kell |
| Dynamic Planet | Enloe | Isaac Bear | John T. Hoggard | E.A. Laney |
| Ecology | East Chapel Hill | Durham School | Ardrey Kell | Green Hope |
| Experimental Design | North Mecklenburg | NCSSM | Enloe | Apex |
| Forensics | Enloe | Ardrey Kell | Providence | Cardinal Gibbons |
| Helicopters | Enloe | North Mecklenburg | Smoky Mountain | Raleigh Charter |
| Herpetology | Enloe | Green Hope | Caldwell | DaVinci's Dragons |
| Hovercraft | NCSSM | DaVinci's Dragons | North Mecklenburg | John T. Hoggard |
| Materials Science | Enloe | Ardrey Kell | North Mecklenburg | NCSSM |
| Microbe Mission | Raleigh Charter | Enloe | NCSSM | Ardrey Kell |
| Mission Possible | Enloe | Jack Britt | Raleigh Charter | North Mecklenburg |
| Mousetrap Vehicle | E.A. Laney | Isaac Bear | Enloe | NCSSM |
| Optics | NCSSM | Enloe | East Chapel Hill | Providence |
| Ping Pong Parachute | Raleigh Charter | North Mecklenburg | Chapel Hill | Ardrey Kell |
| Remote Sensing | Enloe | Raleigh Charter | Ardrey Kell | North Mecklenburg |
| Rocks and Minerals | NCSSM | Enloe | North Mecklenburg | E.A. Laney |
| Thermodynamics | Enloe | West Henderson | Green Hope | NCSSM |
| Towers | Myers Park | North Mecklenburg | Chapel Hill | Ardrey Kell |
| Write It Do It | Northern Guilford | Raleigh Charter | Apex | Athens Drive |
| Winning team |||||
Division C – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | Enloe | 86 |
| 2 | Raleigh Charter | 222 |
| 3 | NCSSM (D) | 247 |
| 4 | North Mecklenburg | 248 |
| 5 | Ardrey Kell | 303 |
| 6 | John T. Hoggard | 318 |
| 7 | Cardinal Gibbons | 390 |
| 8 | Green Hope | 419 |
| 9 | East Chapel Hill | 443 |
| 10 | Atkins | 459 |
| 11 | Apex | 461 |
| 12 | Myers Park | 465 |
| 13 | Jack Britt | 496 |
| 14 | Isaac Bear | 510 |
| 15 | E.A. Laney | 514 |
| 16 | Marvin Ridge | 521 |
| 17 | Chapel Hill | 539 |
| 18 | Smokey Mountain | 542 |
| 19 | Northern Guilford | 554 |
| 20 | Durham Academy | 570 |
| 21 | West Henderson | 573 |
| 22 | Providence | 580 |
| 23 | Wake | 586 |
| 24 | The Early College | 597 |
| 25 | Woods Charter | 610 |
| 26 | Panther Creek | 615 |
| 27 | Athens Drive | 654 |
| 28 | DaVinci's Dragons | 665 |
| 29 | St. Stephens | 666 |
| 30 | Durham School | 683 |
| 31 | The Epiphany School | 684 |
| 32 | Northwood | 685 |
| 33 | Eugene Ashley | 688 |
| 34 | North Lincoln | 693 |
| 35 | Polk County | 718 |
| 36 | Carrboro | 727 |
| 37 | Henderson County | 736 |
| 38 | Cedar Ridge | 749 |
| 39 | Caldwell | 772 |
| 40 | Pine Lake Preparatory | 795 |
| 41 | Northside | 797 |
| 42 | Terry Sanford | 802 |
| 43 | Junius H. Rose | 818 |
| 44 | Currituck County | 859 |
| 45 | Cross Creek | 878 |
| 46 | Cape Hatteras | 898 |
| 47 | Cape Fear | 981 |
| 48 | Harrells Christian | 1018 |
| 49 | Clinton | 1032 |
| 50 | Discovery | 1057 |
| 51 | Roanoke Rapids | 1099 |

### 2017 Competition

Division B – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Seventy-First | Jay M. Robinson | Piedmont IB | Davis Drive |
| Bottle Rocket | Wilmington | Piedmont IB | Belmont | Jay M. Robinson |
| Crime Busters | Piedmont IB | Fairview | Davis Drive | Fred J. Carnage |
| Disease Detectives | Piedmont IB | J.M. Alexander | Woods Charter | St. Mary |
| Duct Tape Challenge | Myrtle Grove | Murray | Woodlawn | Arendell Parrott |
| Dynamic Planet | Randolph | Piedmont IB | Woodlawn | Guy B. Phillips |
| Ecology | Fred J. Carnage | St. Mary | Piedmont IB | Fairview |
| Experimental Design | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | J.M. Alexander | Community House |
| Fast Facts | Piedmont IB | Fred J. Carnage | Jay M. Robinson | Community House |
| Food Science | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | Smith | Thales Academy |
| Hovercraft | Piedmont IB | Cathedral School | R. Max Abbott | Fairview |
| Invasive Species | Fred J. Carnage | Jay M. Robinson | Piedmont IB | J.M. Alexander |
| Meteorology | MCS Noble | Apex | Woodlawn | Jay M. Robinson |
| Microbe Mission | Fred J. Carnage | Randolph | The Oakwood School | Seventy-First |
| Mission Possible | Piedmont IB | Wilmington | Fred J. Carnage | Jay M. Robinson |
| Optics | Jay M. Robinson | Mills Park | Piedmont IB | Fairview |
| Reach for the Stars | Randolph | Jay M. Robinson | Mount Mourne | Piedmont IB |
| Road Scholar | Guy B. Phillips | Piedmont IB | Smith | Fred J. Carnage |
| Rocks and Minerals | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | St. Mary | Parkwood |
| Scrambler | Wilmington | Eno River | Fairview | Woodlawn |
| Towers | Piedmont IB | Jay M. Robinson | Wilmington | Smith |
| Wind Power | Piedmont IB | Randolph | Jay M. Robinson | Fairview |
| Wright Stuff | Piedmont IB | Mount Mourne | Mill Creek | Murray |
| Write It Do It | Wilmington | Piedmont IB | Mills Park | MCS Noble |
| Winning team |||||
Division B – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | Piedmont IB (D) | 106 |
| 2 | Fred J. Carnage | 195 |
| 3 | Jay M. Robinson | 223 |
| 4 | Wilmington | 231 |
| 5 | Fairview | 333 |
| 6 | Mills Park | 353 |
| 7 | Guy B. Phillips | 407 |
| 8 | Smith | 447 |
| 9 | Jay M. Alexander | 450 |
| 10 | MCS Noble | 456 |
| 11 | Woodlawn | 482 |
| 12 | St. Mary | 525 |
| 13 | Randolph | 535 |
| 14 | Daniels Magnet | 540 |
| 15 | Triangle Academy | 548 |
| 16 | Woods Charter | 558 |
| 17 | Community House | 559 |
| 18 | Seventy-First | 567 |
| 19 | Arendell Parrott | 572 |
| 20 | Davis Drive | 573 |
| 21 | Thales Academy | 575 |
| 22 | Myrtle Grove | 587 |
| 23 | Apex | 601 |
| 24 | The Oakwood School | 611 |
| 25 | Mount Mourne | 613 |
| 26 | Cathedral School | 627 |
| 27 | Parkwood | 638 |
| 28 | Murray | 644 |
| 29 | Heritage | 663 |
| 30 | Cardinal Charter | 680 |
| 31 | Bull City Homeschoolers | 681 |
| 32 | The Epiphany School | 692 |
| 33 | Eno River | 696 |
| 34 | Voyager Academy | 701 |
| 35 | Polk County | 706 |
| 36 | Hope | 713 |
| 37 | Harry M. Arndt | 723 |
| 38 | Roland Grise | 729 |
| 39 | Thomas Jefferson | 732 |
| 40 | Sun Valley | 768 |
| 41 | Belmont | 775 |
| 42 | Cornerstone Charter | 781 |
| 43 | The O'Neal School | 796 |
| 44 | Holly Ridge | 836 |
| 45 | Avery | 839 |
| 46 | Mill Creek | 843 |
| 47 | R. Max Abbott | 848 |
| 48 | Central Wilkes | 926 |
| 49 | Cape Hatteras | 961 |
| 50 | Martins Creek | 974 |
Division C – event placement :
| Event | First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Fourth Place |
| Amazing Mechatronics | Smokey Mountain | Enloe | Raleigh Charter | Discovery |
| Anatomy and Physiology | Enloe | Ardrey Kell | Durham Academy | Raleigh Charter |
| Astronomy | Enloe | NCSSM | Apex | East Chapel Hill |
| Bottle Rocket | Mallard Creek | Ardrey Kell | Northern Guilford | North Mecklenburg |
| Chemistry Lab | Ardrey Kell | E.A. Laney | Enloe | Jack Britt |
| Codebusters | NCSSM | Pinecrest | Northwood | Jack Britt |
| Disease Detectives | NCSSM | Panther Creek | Apex | Durham Academy |
| Duct Tape Challenge | Enloe | E.A. Laney | NCSSM | North Mecklenburg |
| Dynamic Planet | NCSSM | Cape Fear | Cardinal Gibbons | Enloe |
| Ecology | NCSSM | North Mecklenburg | Atkins | West Johnston |
| Electric Vehicle | Discovery | Ardrey Kell | Northern Guilford | Wake Early College |
| Experimental Design | NCSSM | Enloe | Apex | North Mecklenburg |
| Forensics | Enloe | Ardrey Kell | Cardinal Gibbons | Raleigh Charter |
| Helicopters | North Mecklenburg | Enloe | Pinecrest | Raleigh Charter |
| Hovercraft | Chapel Hill | NCSSM | Isaac Bear | John T. Hoggard |
| Invasive Species | North Mecklenburg | Ardrey Kell | Northern Guilford | Enloe |
| Materials Science | NCSSM | Croatan | Smokey Mountain | Enloe |
| Microbe Mission | Enloe | Raleigh Charter | Marvin Ridge | NCSSM |
| Optics | NCSSM | Enloe | Voyager Academy | Panther Creek |
| Remote Sensing | Enloe | North Mecklenburg | NCSSM | Raleigh Charter |
| Rocks and Minerals | Enloe | Ardrey Kell | E.A. Laney | NCSSM |
| Towers | North Mecklenburg | NCSSM | Myers Park | Wake Early College |
| Wind Power | North Mecklenburg | Raleigh Charter | Smokey Mountain | Mallard Creek |
| Write It Do It | Panther Creek | Cape Fear | North Mecklenburg | D.H. Conley |
| Winning team |||||
Division C – final standings :
| Position | Team | Score |
| 1 | NCSSM | 187 |
| 2 | Enloe (D) | 196 |
| 3 | North Mecklenburg | 237 |
| 4 | Ardrey Kell | 297 |
| 5 | Raleigh Charter | 348 |
| 6 | Cardinal Gibbons | 379 |
| 7 | John T. Hoggard | 395 |
| 8 | Northern Guilford | 409 |
| 9 | East Chapel Hill | 418 |
| 10 | Smokey Mountain | 443 |
| 11 | Durham Academy | 451 |
| 12 | Isaac Bear | 461 |
| 13 | Panther Creek | 472 |
| 14 | Pinecrest | 489 |
| 15 | Jack Britt | 495 |
| 16 | Northwood | 504 |
| 17 | Mallard Creek | 515 |
| 18 | Chapel Hill | 515 |
| 19 | Marvin Ridge | 515 |
| 20 | Apex | 518 |
| 21 | Wake Early College | 567 |
| 22 | E.A. Laney | 593 |
| 23 | Croatan | 601 |
| 24 | Cape Fear | 623 |
| 25 | Myers Park | 644 |
| 26 | Northern Guilford | 645 |
| 27 | The Early College | 645 |
| 28 | Atkins | 657 |
| 29 | McDowell | 662 |
| 30 | Voyager Academy | 664 |
| 31 | Polk County | 671 |
| 32 | Terry Sanford | 683 |
| 33 | Durham School | 701 |
| 34 | West Henderson | 702 |
| 35 | Discovery | 715 |
| 36 | West Johnston | 728 |
| 37 | Eugene Ashley | 728 |
| 38 | Junius H. Rose | 739 |
| 39 | Middle Creek | 741 |
| 40 | Northside (C16) | 798 |
| 41 | Pine Lake Preparatory | 804 |
| 42 | Millennium Charter | 817 |
| 43 | D.H. Conley | 821 |
| 44 | Harrells Christian | 826 |
| 45 | Northside (C46) | 845 |
| 46 | Fred T. Foard | 848 |
| 47 | The Oakwood School | 868 |
| 48 | Cape Hatteras | 870 |
| 49 | West Craven | 999 |

## Events

The competitive events of NCSO align with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study as well as the National Science Education Standards. The events are designed to enhance and strengthen both science content and process skills. Every year NCSO replaces some of the events issued by the National Science Olympiad organization with events that are of local interest to North Carolina. The 18 elementary, 23 middle, and 23 high school events for each competitive year are announced in early Fall. This is followed by a series of workshops as competitors prepare for their events. Tournaments take place in the Spring, starting with school wide and Regional tournaments, advancing through State and National Tournaments. In the Summer camps are offered across North Carolina.
The 64 events of NCSO range from engineering events like Mystery Architecture, Towers and Helicopters to content events such as Microbe Mission, Forensics, and Ecology. The events change each year as new topics are rotated in and old topics rotate out, to ensure every part of curriculum is covered.

## Participation

In 2011, more than 600 K–12 schools representing over 10,000 students and 65 counties in North Carolina participated in North Carolina Science Olympiad activities.
Teams may be organized by any charter school, home school group, private or public school. Schools may have as many teams as they wish, the first team from a school is considered the Varsity team and all other teams are Junior Varsity teams. Teams are overseen by a coach.

## Divisions

Division A2 encompasses grades 3–6, Division B involves grades 6–9, and Division C involves grades 9–12. Teams at all three levels consist of eighteen competitors each in North Carolina.
The National tournament team consists of up to fifteen competitors.