Plainfield North High School made its first appearance at the Science Olympiad Team State Tournament at the University of Illinois.

Science Olympiad teams begin their season at a regional competition where performance across 23 events determines advancement. The top four teams from each regional tournament earn a bid to the state tournament, Plainfield School District 202 said in a news release.

Plainfield North finished fourth at regionals.

The team went on to compete against 54 schools at the state tournament on April 18.

Plainfield North students earned multiple top finishes at the state level, including:

• First place - Disease Detectives: juniors Devanshi Chauhan and Umair Khan
• Third place - Helicopter: senior Varshid Chidambara, and sophomore Vamshid Chidambara
• Third place - Rocks and Minerals: seniors Patricia Botnari and Kaitlyn Gaszak
• Fourth place - Dynamic Planet: seniors Nyla Rizvi, and Akshith Vasa
• Fifth place – Electric Vehicle: junior Daniel Chavez

The state-qualifying team included:

• Seniors: Patricia Botnari, Varshid Chidambara, Kaitlyn Gaszak, Carson Payne, Nyla Rizvi, Akshith Vasa and Kyle Zumstein
• Juniors: Nicolas Barrios, Devanshi Chauhan, Daniel Chavez, Gavin Gunderson, Umair Khan and Dylan O’Connor
• Sophomores: Vamshid Chidambara and Sahil Sabzaali

“This achievement highlights the strength and growth of the Science Olympiad program at PNHS, as well as the commitment of its students and coaches,” Rachel Cecil, PNHS head Science Olympiad coach and science teacher, said in a release from the district.