Ben Davis from St. Joeseph's Collegiate Institute, Ms. Eileen B. Monahan - teacher

Adam Courtney from Hutchinson Technical H.S., Mr. Peter Hurley - teacher

Mark Meras and Cameron Freer from Williamsville North H.S., Ms. Marilyn Matz - teacher

Ben Siracusa from Nichols H.S., Mr. George Mayer - teacher

Heather Lorentz from Villa Maria H.S., Ms. Georgianna C. Kowalczyk - teacher

The students were chosen through a local competition among the top 55 chemistry students nominated by twenty area high schools. The competition took place at Canisius College on March 21 and was organized by Dr. Mariusz Kozik, associate professor of chemistry at Canisius College.

The Olympiad involves a series of exams, laboratory tests, and other activities aimed at identifying the best chemistry students from many participating nations from around the world. This is the fourteenth year of U.S. participation. Last year, the U.S. team earn one gold medal, two silver medals, and one bronze medal. The team competed against more than 184 other students from 47 countries represented in the event. (Four years ago in Norway, a student from Western New York, Justin McCarthy from Amherst Central High School, won a gold medal at the international finals.)

The local nominees are among more than 900 nationwide that took a national qualifying exam April 24-26 to select finalists. The 22 students with highest scores on this exam will undergo intensive training in June at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Four will then become the U.S. team and compete in the International Olympiad. The 22 finalists will be announced May 8.

Within the last eleven years, ten local students qualified for the study camp in Colorado, and four local students were chosen as the members of U.S. team for the International Olympiad. Only two (out of 145 participating) other sections in the U.S. have a better record, and the higher ranked sections include regions of the U.S. with much larger populations.

The local nominees and their teachers were honored by the Western New York section of the American Chemical Society at the Education Night dinner on April 21 at D'Youville College. The students were awarded with $200, $100, and $50 checks issued by Allied Signal Inc. The money is meant to be used by students for their college-related expenses.

The Western New York Section's participation in the International Chemistry Olympiad was sponsored by Allied Signal Inc., E.I. du Pont De Nemours & Co., Praxair, Wilson Greatbatch Ltd., Occidental Chemical Co., Starks Associates, Ecology and Environment, CRA Services, and the Chemistry Department of Canisius College.