Upper School Students Earn National Honors in Prestigious Chemistry Olympiad Competition

Two Upper School students have earned national recognition for their outstanding achievements in one of the nation's most rigorous chemistry competitions.

The results of the National Round of the United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) were released last week, and Upper School students Riley Bredall and Martin Kovachev both received Honors distinctions for their exceptional performance on the national examination.

The Honors designation is awarded only to students who place in the top 10 percent of all National Round participants nationwide, a highly competitive group that includes eligible American students attending schools both across the United States and internationally. 

According to Andrea Chou, Upper School chemistry teacher, the recognition reflects months of intensive preparation and a deep understanding of advanced chemistry concepts.

The students' accomplishments were celebrated during the annual High School Chemistry Banquet held in May at Orange Coast College, where top-performing chemistry students from across the region were recognized for their achievements.

In addition to Upper School students Riley and Martin, St. Margaret’s chemistry program was well represented at the event. St. Margaret’s first-place USNCO team, consisting of Jay Greaser and Amy Yao, were honored for their outstanding success in regional competition. Also recognized was the 6th place First Year Chemistry Team, made up of George Arzente, Maddux Labovitch, Blake Mashour, Dorothy Chen, Catherine Wang, and Teddy Heyming.