Celebrate Innovation: Meet the Top Achievers at the Marshall County Science Fair!

Photo by: Emma Delk

Tapanga Antill, a sixth grader from Sherrard Middle School, won first place overall for her project at the Marshall County Science Fair in the Physics and Astronomy category.

This year’s Marshall County Science Fair showcased the creativity and hard work of students from middle and high schools. Participants explored engaging topics, from analyzing how city lights affect our view of stars to figuring out how to reduce allergens at home.

Sixth to eighth graders from Cameron, Moundsville, Sherrard middle schools, and John Marshall High School displayed their projects at the John Marshall Field House. Out of 52 middle school projects, Tapanga Antill stood out as the overall winner.

Tapanga’s project investigated how light pollution impacts star visibility. She developed her idea from her passion for astronomy. “I found out there are lots of stars and different constellations, which was really fascinating,” she shared. Though nervous about moving on to the regional competition, Tapanga expressed excitement about her achievement and hopes to reach the state level.

Another impressive project came from Kamden Knapp, an eighth grader from Moundsville Middle School. He won first place in the Material Science category after studying how temperature influences various golf balls. As a golfer, Kamden wanted to learn if temperature affects ball performance. His findings revealed that colder weather impacts distance and spin, with the popular Titleist Pro V1 performing the worst across temperatures.

Other notable middle school winners included:

• Animal Science: Trinity Rose (1st), Saylor Covington (2nd)
• Behavioral and Social Science: Colsen McCutcheon (1st), Gracyn Murrin (2nd)
• Chemistry: Bubba Hamrick (1st), Kelsea Cain and Olivia Thomas (2nd)
• Earth and Environmental Science: Averi Highley (1st), Lennon Gamble (2nd)
• Energy: Addisyn Hill (1st), Caleb Wallace (2nd)
• Engineering: Gunner King and Ty Rickman (1st), Leo Nguyen (2nd)
• Material Science: Kamden Knapp (1st), Josh Richards (2nd)
• Medical Science: Skyelyn Dumich and Shiloh Weekly (1st), Maelie Pettit (2nd)
• Physics and Astronomy: Tapanga Antill (1st), Maya Loudermilk (2nd)
• Plant Science: Molly Willis (2nd)

The two highest finishers in each category will advance to the regional competition in February at West Liberty University. This year marked the first participation from John Marshall High School students, showcasing their projects in Behavioral Science, Microbiology, Plant Science, and Physics.

Jaime Pettit, the Science Fair Coordinator, explained that involving high school students allows them to aspire for the state level, where students could qualify for the International Science Fair and potential scholarships. “Students can choose topics that truly interest them, making their projects more engaging and relevant to their lives,” she said. This approach allows students like Kamden to explore science in a way that complements their hobbies.