Students from DA delivered exceptional performances at the 2026 National Science Bowl Finals in Washington, D.C. this past weekend in one of the country’s most rigorous and prestigious academic competitions. Competing against 68 regional winners from across the United States, high school Science Bowl team—Alexander W., Lucas W., Yajur C., Julian K., and Filip R.—achieved a historic 2nd place finish, the highest in school history. They won $5,000 for the school, individual $250 gift cards, and a trophy presented by the U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. This places them in the top 350 students in the competition’s 36-year history.
DA’s high school team advanced through the tournament’s double-elimination format with an undefeated run into the semifinals. After a narrow loss, they beat Lakeside School, who won the MIT Science Bowl Invitational, in the one-loss bracket, securing a spot on the coveted Lisner Auditorium stage at George Washington University with Mission San Jose of Fremont, California.
In addition to the high school team’s success, DA’s middle school Science Bowl team—Justin G., Derek X., Riaan G., Alvin Z., and Lucas X.—also delivered an outstanding showing. Competing against the top 48 middle school teams in the country, they finished among the top 12, earning $1,000 for DA. They also excelled in the Cyber Challenge, hosted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, finishing 2nd, and earning an extra $500.
More than 10,000 students participate annually in the National Science Bowl, which was established in 1991. It is a buzzer-style, fast-paced competition on all topics from biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, and math.
Congratulations again to both HS and MS teams for their hard work, and to the U.S. Department of Energy for hosting this competition! Both teams would like to sincerely thank their coach, Mr. Guisti, for his constant encouragement, dedication, and the countless hours he spent practicing with them both at school and during the evenings. Thank you for being such an inspiring and amazing coach!
