Results update:
This past weekend, 11 Maggie Walker physics students led by team captain Eric Hu went to NC State University to compete in the 17th annual United States Young Physicists Tournament against students from other schools around the world, including China, Kyrgyzstan, and a few other countries. Our students received the highest score ever for a first-year team and received the tournament director’s medal for being the highest-scoring team that just missed being in the finals. They ended up placing fifth in the world overall, and they placed third in the world for the poster presentation part of the tournament, which was presented by Arjun Azhagappan.
We’d like to offer huge congratulations for a job well done to this mostly senior squad with students Eric Hu (’24-Henrico), Arjun Azhagappan (’24-Chesterfield), Samuel Choi (’24-Haover), Yash Saxena (’24-Henrico), Nicholas Pham (’24-Chesterfield), Gabriel Harding (’24-Richmond), Yeeva Chunnanond (’24-Hanover), Aliya Ather (’24-Chesterfield), Devesh Kumar (’24-Henrico), Rowan Mueller (’24-Chesterfield), and Ash Duimstra (’25-Hanover)! Students were accompanied by their teacher, Mr. Drew Austen.
The USIYPT is an international physics research/debate tournament. In preparation, schools all prepare thorough investigations of the same four tournament problems. Tournament competition consists of “physics fights” in which presenters are questioned by an opposing team. The resulting conversation models the search for scientific truth as practiced at professional conferences.
Go, Dragons!
