By Gargoyle news staff

Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2007, The OG, news & student awards

SENIOR ALEX CAHILL won two first-place medals today as Uni High's Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering team finished second in the Division 700 state finals of the WYSE Academic Challenge.

The finals were held at the Illini Union, and consisted of tests given in seven academic areas: English, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, mathematics, and physics.

Cahill won first place in chemistry and physics.

With 470.7 points, Uni finished just behind champion University of Chicago Laboratory High School, which earned 484.6 points. This is the seventh time in eight years that U-High Chicago has won the Division 700 state title.

Macomb Senior High School placed third with 401.8 points.

Until this year, Uni had won nine consecutive state titles in Division 300, which is for schools with enrollments of 300 or fewer students.

“Winning state is obviously fun also, but it was never a challenge in 300,” said team sponsor/physics teacher James Carrubba before today's contest.

So the 2007 team decided to step up and compete in Division 700, which is for schools with 301 to 700 students. (Excluding subfreshmen, Uni has roughly 240 students.)

Although the second-place finish ends Uni's streak of state titles, historically speaking the team has gotten off to a good start in the larger division.

When Uni began competing in WYSE in 1996, the school placed third in Division 300, then second in 1997. It wasn't until its third try, in 1998, that Uni won the small-school championship.

The top five schools in Division 700 this year were:

• University of Chicago Laboratory High School, 1st

• UNI HIGH, 2nd

• Macomb Senior High School, 3rd

• University High School - Normal, 4th

• Carlinville High School, 5th

The following Uni students (listed alphabetically) won individual medals in their events:

• Robert Boyce, senior, 4th place, computer science

• Alex Cahill, senior, 1st place, chemistry; 1st place, physics

• Ian Chen, senior, 6th place, engineering graphics

• Christine Cheng, senior, 6th place, English

• Aria Collopy, senior, 5th place, chemistry

• Daisy Hassani, senior, 5th place, physics

• Marquis Wang, senior, 3rd place, computer science

RELATED

— Background: Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering

— Background: WYSE Academic Challenge

— Gargoyle coverage (2007): WYSE team looking for 10th consecutive state title

— Gargoyle coverage (2007): WYSE team cruises through sectionals, ready for state

— Gargoyle coverage (2007): Uni begins road to 10th straight WYSE state title

— Gargoyle coverage (2006): Uni wins ninth consecutive WYSE state title

— Gargoyle coverage (2006): Uni seeks ninth consecutive WYSE state title