Maria Regina High School to Host Lower Hudson Valley Science Olympiad on Feb 7

Maria Regina High School will host the first-ever Lower Hudson Valley South Division Science Olympiad on Saturday, February 7. Notably, this marks the first time in more than 30 years that a high school within the Archdiocese of New York has served as host for this prestigious regional competition. The Science Olympiad is the one of the preeminent STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) competitions in the U.S., known for its highly rigorous academic challenges.

The all-girls Catholic high school will be among 13 high schools in the region (high schools located south of I-287 in Westchester) that will vie for top honors in the 2026 tournament, recognizing the students’ outstanding performance in STEM events.  A total of 23 teams, including 2 from Maria Regina, will compete in collaborative events that showcase students’ critical thinking and creativity across a wide range of real-world applications in biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and mechanical engineering, among other disciplines.

As many as 300 young scientists will journey to the Hartsdale-based Maria Regina, which will be transformed into what will look like a major science convention. The classrooms, meeting spaces, and gymnasium will be used for the students to present their innovations, some of which will take the form of devices they built. In prior high school Science Olympiads, students created Wi-Fi Lab antennas, Hovercrafts, and Electric Vehicles—prototypes involving design, construction with wood and other materials, programming, and rigorous testing—demonstrating deep STEM proficiencies that will again be on display at this year’s session.

The Lower Hudson Valley Science Olympiad will not be the first time that Maria Regina has seen many of its students participating in a major science event.  For the past two years, the majority of the relatively small student body of about 480 students participated in the school’s annual Science Symposium, “underscoring the very high level of interest our students have in pursuing STEM and other sciences,” said Principal Maria Carozza-McCaffrey (Class of ‘99).

This past summer’s symposium featured a broad range of topics addressed by students including artificial intelligence, healthcare, environmental science, sports analytics, aerodynamics, botany, cosmetics, and consumer products.

Carozza-McCaffrey added: “We are incredibly honored that Maria Regina will be the host site for this historic gathering of young bright minds, a singular achievement in keeping with our school’s acclaimed science program comprising high-achieving students and a talented faculty committed to academic excellence,” added Carozza-McCaffrey.

Among the competitors will be 22 from Maria Regina, divided into 2 teams.  They are:

Team 1:

  • Leah Filippelli, Yonkers
  • Jillian Fox, Yonkers
  • Isabella Gonzalez, Bronx
  • Lillian Hinsliff, Scarsdale
  • Fiona Kelly, Dobbs Ferry
  • Gabriella Meyo, Bronx
  • Serafina Mistal, North Salem
  • Brooke Muto, Port Chester
  • Diamond-Flora Obegolu, Elmsford
  • Mia Theiss, Stormville
  • Kaitlyn Truong, Bronx
  • Kiersten Wilantowicz, Hartsdale

Team 2:

  • Adrianna Camacho, Yonkers
  • Summer Ford, Yonkers
  • Anqi Lu, Queens
  • Vida Magalhaes, Yonkers
  • Rovena Preldakaj, Bronx
  • Alia Rabadi, Yonkers
  • Vivian Salyer, Bronx
  • Fiona Shabaj, Bronx
  • Madalyn Vanbrakle, New Rochelle

The other 12 high schools represented are:

Archbishop Stepinac High School, Ardsley High School, Eastchester High School, Edgemont High School, Irvington High School, Pelham Memorial High School, Rye Country Day School, Rye Neck High School, Scarsdale High School, Tappan Zee High School, The Ursuline School, Yonkers High School

Based on the scores from the day’s events, the top three winning teams will then advance to the New York State Olympiad Tournament, to be held March 20-21 at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. The 2026 Science Olympiad will culminate with the National Tournament at the University of Southern California on May 22-23.

 

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