NORTH LOGAN – Green Canyon High School emerged victorious at Utah State University’s annual Physics Day held at Lagoon last week, clinching the top academic honors among 13 high school teams that competed at the amusement park on May 10th.
Led by AP Physics teacher and USU alum Mark Cowley, Green Canyon students Rawl Balling, Charlie Kippen, and Kade Wilson took first place, demonstrating understanding and application of physics concepts. Their victory not only highlights their academic prowess but also earned each team member a $4,000 scholarship to Utah State University, distributed over four years.
Another team from Green Canyon, also supervised by Cowley and comprising James Craner, Rachael May, and Dakota Slade, secured third place in the competitive field.
“As a physics teacher, I think it’s important to help students understand and see the growth they experience by being in an upper-level, advanced placement class,” Cowley said in a release shared by the Utah State College of Science. “Something like the Physics Bowl is an opportunity to realize they have learned a ton of material over the course of the year. The competition gives students the confidence to see they are ready to take the next step and chase their dreams.”
In addition to the team accolades, individual participants from Cache Valley were also recognized. Luke Latvakok from InTech Collegiate Academy won the amusement park ride design contest, while his schoolmates Alyson Killgorell and Amanda Rawson earned third place in the physics demonstration design competition.
Now in its 35th year, USU Physics Day drew over 9,000 attendees from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Arizona. The gathering was supported by the USU Department of Physics, Idaho National Laboratory, and various public and private sponsors, including Lagoon, underscoring a strong commitment to fostering STEM education in the region.