Churchville-Chili High School dominated the 7th annual Bay Scallop Bowl on February 9, 2008, walking away with a second straight victory. The team, led by veteran coach Karl Biedlingmaier, consisted of solely new recruits following the graduation of last year’s winning team. The team had a no-loss day, winning by a slim margin over Mt. Sinai High School in the late afternoon match-up. St. Ann’s high School from Brooklyn also played well, vying for a spot in the final round, but finishing in a hard-won third place. The Bay Scallop Bowl, hosted by the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, was one of 25 regional high school competitions that took place nationwide as part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), a program of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership based in Washington, D.C.
At the start of the Bay Scallop Bowl, all were greeted by Stony Brook University President Shirley Strum Kenny along with Congressman Timothy Bishop, State Senator John Flanagan, State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, and Suffolk County Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher. During closing ceremonies, Churchville-Chili was awarded a $1,000 prize for each team member, and players from the second and third place teams received $750 and $500 respectively. The team from Leon M. Goldstein High School was awarded the sportsmanship award and given copies of Carl Safina’s books: Song for the Blue Ocean, Voyage of the Turtle, and Eye of the Albatross.
The contribution of the 82 volunteers who helped the event run smoothly cannot be overstated. SoMAS faculty, staff, and students donated a full day, some helping with set-up on Friday night through the close of the competition on Saturday evening. Additionally, a large contingent of undergraduate and students involved in the Women in Sciences and Engineering program participated as volunteers. Also, personnel from the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Batelle were on hand to moderate many of the final rounds. Joe Dlhopolsky from The Riverhead Foundation, camera in hand, captured memorable moments of team competition through the eleven rounds. Event coordinators Bill Wise, Kim Knoll, and Tara Duffy did an outstanding job organizing the event and kept things running smoothly throughout the day.
The winning team flies to Seward, Alaska at the end of April to compete in the NOSB against the twenty-four other regional winners from across the country. The national competition will highlight International Polar Year, appropriate for the setting of the competition. The winner of the NOSB will be treated to an all-expense paid trip to Costa Rica. Good luck, Churchville-Chili!
Photos by Joseph Dlhopolsky on Google Photos
Photos by Paula Rose on Google Photos
Photos by Nuria Protopopescu on Google Photos