Ward Melville, Gelinas Science Olympiad Earn Top 10 National Rankings

Ward Melville's Science Olympiad team finished the national tournament ranked No. 5 in the nation, while Gelinas's team finished at No. 8, the school district announced Tuesday.

Ward Melville students came home with two silver medals, one bronze medal, one fourth-place medal and three fifth-place medals. 

"It is truly a pleasure to be a part of the most talented Science Olympiad team in Ward Melville history," said WMHS Science Olympiad coach Steve Malusa.

Gelinas students came home with one gold medal, two bronze medals and one fifth-place medal.

"It was very exciting and gratifying to see all the hard work from this year culminate in the national tournament," said Gelinas Science Olympiad coach Gary Vorwald.

More than 60 teams were invited to compete at the national Science Olympiad tournament, which was held at Wright State University earlier this month. Entrance to the national competition is based on state competition performance: Ward Melville and Gelinas teams each placed first at the Long Island Regional and New York State levels.