On March 7, 2026, five PV students traveled to Iowa State University to compete in the Iowa National Science Bowl competition.
The competition covers several subjects, including biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, energy and math. Team members divide the topics among themselves and prepare individually for the competition. PV student Nikhil Saini said, “I was in charge of math and physics”.
Science Bowl is a buzzer-based competition in which two teams face off against each other. In the preliminary rounds, teams are randomly matched against four opponents.
Each round begins with a toss-up question. Both teams get five seconds to answer, and the first team to buzz in with the correct answer earns four points. Teammates are not allowed to communicate during the toss-up questions. If a team answers correctly, it receives a bonus question worth 10 points and has 30 seconds to respond. The opposing team cannot answer bonus questions. This process repeats until the question set is completed or time expires. The team with the most points wins the round.
After the four preliminary rounds, teams receive records such as 3-1, 2-2 or 0-4. The top eight teams advance to a double-elimination tournament to determine the champion.
Pleasant Valley won the regional competition for the second consecutive year and will compete at the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., beginning April 30th. The five-day competition features some of the top high school teams in the country.
Team captain Harjeevan Singh said he is especially looking forward to the educational opportunities at nationals.
“My goals for the event are to take advantage of the learning seminars where experts share their research and findings, interact with students who are just as passionate about science as we are, and make more LinkedIn connections,” Singh said.
According to Singh, the U.S. Department of Energy will cover the cost of the trip.
Although the competition is expected to be challenging, Singh said the team is excited to showcase the work they have put in over the past several months and hopes to compete for a national title.
