Local students shine at county science fair

The Santa Cruz County Science and Engineering Fair was held at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 8.
More than 400 students from all over Santa Cruz County participated, including many from Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley schools.
San Lorenzo Valley High School students Natalie Gallagher and Connor Lydon took home the highest honors of the entries from the two communities, with their first place entry “Secrets of San Lorenzo Valley’s Atmosphere: Vertical Meteorological Measurements” being named Overall Senior Division Runner-up.
In addition to a $500 prize, the duo were invited to the International Science and Engineering Fair, which is scheduled for May 11 to 16 in Los Angeles.
Category: Environmental Management/Sciences
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Julia Georgi, Brook Knoll Elementary School
Project of Merit, “Ocean Health Computer Program”
IEEE Computer Society Special Award
Junior Division (Grades 6-8)
Emma Schaefer-Whittall, Scotts Valley Middle School
First Place (tied), “The Costs of Idling”
Plug In America Special Award
Broadcom Masters Special Award
Invited to California State Science Fair
Wyatt Atchley, Baymonte Christian School
Project of Merit, “Anchovy Apocalypse”
Savannah Thompson, Baymonte Christian School
Project of Merit, “Leaching Lives”
Senior Division (Grades 9-12)
Danielle Chabot and Madeleine Melcher, San Lorenzo Valley High School
Second Place, “Environmental Impacts on Biodiversity and Interspecies Relations in Tide Pools”
Invited to California State Science Fair
Category: Animal Sciences
Junior Division (Grades 6-8)
Cameron Brown, Scotts Valley Middle School
Second Place, “The Stimulation Effect of Music on Equines”
Invited to California State Science Fair
Isabella Negrete, Baymonte Christian School
Third Place, “Fingerprint Inheritance”
Invited to California State Science Fair
Hanna Svensson, Scotts Valley Middle School
Project of Merit, “Survey of Birds at the Baylands”
Senior Division (Grades 9-12)
Lauren Smith, San Lorenzo Valley High School
First Place, “Bird Biodiversity in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: Part III”
Invited to California State Science Fair
Jurgen Prambs and Mikaela Slade, San Lorenzo Valley High School
Second Place, “Terrestrial Salamanders of the San Lorenzo Valley”
Invited to California State Science Fair
Alicia Magliato and Caitlin Eggleston, San Lorenzo Valley High School
Third Place, “The Effect of Pisaster ochraceus on the Mytilus californianus and Surrounding
Species at Davenport Landing”
Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Kayla Brown and Kelly Zybura, Vine Hill Elementary School
Project of Merit, “A Speedy Profile”
Category: Chemistry/Biochemistry
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Jacqueline Lopez and Sofia Tjioe, Boulder Creek Elementary School
Project of Merit, “How Much Iron is in Cereal?”
Makers Factory Special Award
Junior Division (Grades 6-8)
Grace Brock and Gabriella Donato, Baymonte Christian School
First Place, “The Story of my (Aspirin’s) Life: Changes in the Composition of Aspirin over Time”
Broadcom Masters Special Award
Invited to California State Science Fair
Category: Earth & Planetary Science
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Joelle Andrews and Katelyn Branagan, Vine Hill Elementary School
First Place, “Early Bloomers”
Senior Division (Grades 9-12)
Natalie Gallagher and Connor Lydon, San Lorenzo Valley High School
First Place, “Secrets of San Lorenzo Valley’s Atmosphere: Vertical Meteorological Measurements”
Overall Senior Division Runner-up — $500 award
Invited to International Science and Engineering Fair
Invited to California State Science Fair
Category: Energy & Transportation
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Ena Maxson, Boulder Creek Elementary School
Second Place, “My Green Solar Heater”
Junior Division (Grades 6-8)
Adrian Schroeck, Scotts Valley Middle School
Second Place, “The Best Fire Wood”
Invited to California State Science Fair
Category: Electrical & Mechanical Engineering
Junior Division (Grades 6-8)
Gabriel Keith, Scotts Valley Middle School
First Place, “Eddy Current”
Invited to California State Science Fair
Ryan Beam, Scotts Valley Middle School
Project of Merit, “Solar Powered Hat”
Category: Mathematical Sciences
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Amory Gaylord, San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School
Second Place, “Slides”
Category: Medicine & Health Sciences
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Liat Weinstein, Brook Knoll Elementary School
Second Place, “Exercise to Memorize”
Nicole Christensen, Brook Knoll Elementary School
Third Place (tied), “Which Lip Balm Moisturizes Best?”
Junior Division (Grades 6-8)
Kaya Hegner, Scotts Valley Middle School
Project of Merit, “Energy In Nuts”
Category: Microbiology/Cellular & Molecular Biology
Senior Division (Grades 9-12)
Michaela Sanchez, San Lorenzo Valley High School
First Place, “Fecal Coliform: A Study of Water Contamination in the San Lorenzo River”
Category: Physics & Astronomy
Elementary Division (Grades 4-5)
Jacob Deutsch, Brook Knoll Elementary School
Third Place, “Understanding Resonance”
Category: Plant Sciences
Senior Division (Grades 9-12)
Anna Maxwell and Adela Weigel, San Lorenzo Valley High School
First Place, “Sudden Oak Death, Part II”
Plantronics Special Award
McKenna Maness and Sam Van Pykeren, San Lorenzo Valley High School
Second Place, “Native Sandhills Flora Recovery”