Warwick places 7th in national science bowl Finals
Posted: May 21, 2025
Warwick High School's team placed 7th in the 2025 National Ocean Sciences Bowl Finals Competition on May 17 and 18 on Zoom.
Warwick qualified for nationals by winning Blue Crab Bowl 2025, which is Virginia's regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, on March 1 at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester.
In this academic competition, students answer multiple-choice, short-answer and long-answer analytical questions drawn from scientific and technical ocean science disciplines. Topics covered include biology, chemistry, physics and geology, as well as maritime history, marine policy and current events.
In the national competition, Warwick team captain Wayne Riddle and teammates Gwenyth Conaway, Darwin Roblero-DeLeon, and Elmer Sierra-Velasquez went head-to-head with teams from some of the best ocean and marine science high school programs in the country.
After a grueling day of round robin competition the first day, Warwick placed in the top eight to advance to the championship, single elimination rounds. The Raiders finished in 7th place overall, with school pride swelling over their accomplishments.
When team members were asked how they felt about their performance, junior Sierra-Velasquez was excited to try again stating, "we're coming back for it [the NOSB championship] next year".
Warwick Coach Tristan Rivera praised his team's growth over the course of the year, and he's looking for students to join next year.
"The team was absolutely spectacular this year, refining and specializing roles for the various types of questions," Rivera said. "Even though it is an ocean science knowledge competition, the fact that areas like marine policy and geography were integrated with marine biology and oceanography made having students with interests in social studies or environmental activism essential members of a well-rounded team.
"Most of our team is graduating this year, so we are definitely on the lookout for students with varied interests who want to showcase their talents."
