Local students spend spring break focusing on science

Spring break didn’t stop several Flathead Valley student scientists from demonstrating their know-how at the Montana Science Fair.

There were about 519 students who competed in the 62nd annual science fair held Monday and Tuesday at the University of Montana.

Glacier High School freshman Lucas Ritzdorf swept up several special awards for his project, “A computational simulation of dreissenid mussel invasion in Montana.” His exhibit won the grand award for “best exhibit by a freshman.”

Ritzdorf also brought home the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award for “best project emphasizing science, service, and stewardship;” a Stockholm Junior Water Prize for “outstanding water-related research;” and the Montana Geographic Alliance’s Geographic Excellence Award Division I (grades ninth-12) for an exhibit that “best exemplifies geographic excellence of complex ideas communicated with clarity, precision, and efficiency.”

“It’s a predictive computer model,” Ritzdorf said about his project. “If you can predict what’s going to happen then you can stop it from happening.”

Ritzdorf researched the risk levels for the mussels to invade Ashley, Flathead and Whitefish lakes. Aiding his research was data from Whitefish Lake Institute and Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“I was able to make some very useful predictions,” Ritzdorf said. “One thing I found is that the lakes, most of them, were a lot more at-risk of being infected by mussels than I thought they would be.”

One of the areas he looked at was distance between the lakes and ones already infested.

“As distance decreases risk increases,” Ritzdorf said. “And then I also looked at yearly visitation. The more boats the more likely one of boats will be contaminated by mussels.”

His brother, Jakob Ritzdorf, a seventh-grader at Kalispell Middle School, won a special award for his project “Testing an eDNA Marker for Common Snapping Turtles.” He earned Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Division II (grades sixth-eighth) Award for “best project relating to fish, wildlife, or water quality.”

Flathead High School senior Sophia Skwarchuk’s project, “The Effect of Mutant Tau Protein on Neurodegenerative Disease Related Loss of Brain and Body Mass in a Transgenic Mouse Model,” was given the University of Montana College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences Division I first place award for “best exhibit pertaining to pharmaceutical sciences, medicine, or health-related issues.”

Smith Valley School’s Madisyn Hall earned the Montana Energy Education Council and NorthWestern Energy first-place award for sixth-grade for her project “Simple Electric Motor.”

Two grand awards were given to students from West Valley School. Mckenzie Mitchell and Morgan Nicholson achieved the first-place grand award for best seventh-grade biological team exhibit titled “Oh Shucks!” Montana Coletti and Selah Cantrell earned the third place grand award for sixth-grade biological team exhibit for their project, “Dog Smarts.”

Following are individual ribbon results:

Cayuse Prairie

Gold: Cale Fox, physical, “Dust vs. Filter Gold.”

Silver: Emmary Faerber, biological, “Tactile Tiles;” Nikki Thatcher, physical, “Firewood Calorie Lab.”

Columbia Falls

Gold: Gwen Jarvis, biological, “Gray Matters II.”

Evergreen

Silver: Kaelin Holt, physical, “The Magical Wonders of Baking in Science;” Natalie Wright, physical, “Wow look at those colors.”

Flathead

Gold: Sophia Skwarchuk, MEDH, “The Effect of Mutant Tau Protein on Neurodegenerative Disease Related Loss of Brain and Body Mass in a Transgenic Mouse Model.”

Glacier

Gold: Lucas Ritzdorf, ENMG, “A computational simulation of dreissenid mussel invasion in Montana.”

Helena Flats

Gold: Cordelia Furlong, biological, “Dinner Time;” Taliana Miller, biological, “Diffusion Confusion;” Danner Rourke Kelly, biological, “More Than Just A Meal!”

Silver: Jasmine Cartwright, physical, “Up and Over.”

Kalispell Middle School

Gold: Alexandra Houseworth, biological, “Acid Rain Buffers;” Jakob Ritzdorf, biological, “Testing an eDNA Marker for Common Snapping Turtles;” Calvin Schmidt, physical, “Comparative Study of Cream and Spray Sunscreen.”

Smith Valley

Silver: Madisyn Hall, physical, “Simple Electric Motor.”

St. Matthew’s

Gold: Cobe Lewin, physical, “Let It Roll;” Alexa Miller, physical, “When It Comes To Vitamin C, How do Different Orange Juices Compare;” Lukas Timm Trebuchet, physical, “Goes The Distance.”

Silver: Emma Hawkins and Tessa Smith, physical, “Oops! I Forgot to Close the Door;” Kennedy Postovit, physical, “Can You Take the Heat;” Alexis Reiner, physical, “How much does Battery Life Mean to You.”

West Valley

Gold: Violet Ashby, biological, “Dirt Buggies;” Kayla Davison, biological, “Lett-Us See;” Riley Grace, biological, “Pretty Bacteria;” Kostya Hoffman, physical, “Crazy Chaos;” Erik Kalvig, physical, “Smooth-n-Movin’ Marbles;” Mckenzie Mitchell and Morgan Nicholson, biological, “Oh Shucks;” Logan Nadasi, biological, “E. Coli Extermination;” Grace Stolfus, physical, “Geese Formation Gold.”

Silver: Cody Carson, physical, “Oh Horse Poop;” Carisa Cesarone, biological, “Particular Predator Pellet Perusal;” Montana Coletti and Selah Cantrell, biological, “Dog Smarts;” Strait Gislason, physical, “Star Light Star Bright;” Jozie Rich, biological, “Egg-Cellent.”

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.