Sager Middle School students excelled at the regional Destination Imagination competition in Richland, securing top honors in various categories. Guided by their dedicated teacher and coach, Ted Knauft, the Sager squad, made up of twenty-nine 7th and 8th grade students, demonstrated their mastery in STEM challenges among teams from across the region. The team of Highly Capable students’ rigorous preparation and commitment to creativity paid off as they dominated the competition, earning recognition for their exceptional talents.
Among their notable achievements, the Sager Team "Future Fixers," led by Addyson Svilich and Nahlani Young, triumphed in the Science competition with their innovative blend of art and science in "Blast from the Past." Additionally, in the Engineering competition, two separate Sager teams clinched first and second place, showcasing their ingenuity in designing modular devices for launching bean bags in "Going the Distance." Notably, "Thieves of Thebes,” led by Katelyn Alexander, claimed first place in the Fine Arts category, impressing judges with their captivating skit intertwining visual and performing arts, earning them the prestigious DaVinci Award.
A highlight of their success was the sweeping victory in the "Instant Challenge" competitions, where Sager students secured three first place and two second place finishes. Coach Knauft commended the team's exceptional performance, “Sager's teams represented extremely well at the regional tournament. It is very rare to have all five teams move on to the state tournament. In addition, for a team to receive special recognition for outstanding work is well above the norm; we had two teams achieve this honor.” With their sights set on the state competition at Southridge High School in Kennewick on March 23rd, the Sager Middle School teams are poised to continue their success, representing their school with pride and imagination.
A complete list of the team members and results is available HERE