The 65th Annual St. Mary County Schools Category and Special Awards Winners 2025

 SENIOR DIVISION: GRAND AWARD WINNERS
Grand Award Place Winner Student’s Name School Category Project Title
1st Collin Haycraft Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center Robotics and Intelligent Machines Sky High Service (S.H.S)
1st Rishi Sheth/Stephen Krasznay (Team) Great Mills High School Biomedical Engineering MiniOpto

SENIOR DIVISION: CATEGORY AWARDS

 
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Place Name Project Title School
1st Rawlins Don-Simmons/Madison Wood (Team) Heart Warming Heart Beats St. Mary’s Ryken High School
2nd   Gianna Lopez/Alexa Yingling (Team) The Effect of Math on Heart Rate St. Mary’s Ryken High School

Biochemistry

1st

Mariam Ahmad

Catalase Ablaze

Great Mills High School

2nd

None

 

 

Biomedical Engineering

1st

Stephen Krasznay/Rishi Sheth (Team)

MiniOpto

Great Mills High School

2nd

Susanna Nilsson

Wheel-Ease

Great Mills High School

Embedded Systems

1st

Nathaniel May

Good Vibes

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

2nd

Arianna DePaola

The DTP Vest

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design

1st

Khadija Talha

Flying Sustainable: The Cleaner Way to Fly

Great Mills High School

2nd

None

 

 

Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics

1st

Audrey Gutekunst

Spike Saver

Great Mills High School

2nd

 

Anna Hair

Scissor-Jack in the Box

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

Environmental Engineering

1st

Lily Mitchell

Microplastic Open Water Filter Using Ferrofluid

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

2nd

Charlie Bates

Bay Observation Drone Interchangeable Payload Attachment

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

Material Science

1st

Paul Savvas

Optimizing 3D Printed Shock Absorption

Great Mills High School

2st

Connor Denihan

Ultrasound Evasion

Great Mills High School

Physics and Astronomy

1st

 

 

 

2nd

 

 

 

Plant Sciences

1st

Ryan Cory

How Does Acid Rain Affect Plant Growth?

Great Mills High School

2nd

None

 

 

Robotics and Intelligent Machines

1st

Collin Haycraft

Sky High Services (S.H.S)

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

2nd

Everett Moulds

The BayROV

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

Systems Software

1st

Amilia Hernandez-Toro

How RUFeeling? An AI Powered Journal

Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center

2nd

None

 

 

Technology Enhances The Arts

1st

Abril Esparza/Angela Hou (Team)

TouchBraille: A Tablet for the Blind

Great Mills High School

2nd

None

 

 

SENIOR DIVISION SPECIAL AWARDS

SENIOR DIVISION: SPECIAL AWARDS
Student’s Name Organization Award Name (if given) Category
Abril Esparza St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Mike Moses Award for Best Teaching Aid Technology Enhances the Arts
The Patuxent Partnership Awards in the Area of Government, Academia, and Industry
INCOSE 1st Place International Council on Systems Engineering Projects That Best Embody Systems
Society of Women Engineers Outstanding Engineer
Paul Savvas St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Best Correlation of Data Material Science
Angela Hou Society of Women Engineers Outstanding Engineer Technology Enhances the Arts
St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Mike Moses Award for Best Teaching Aid
INCOSE 1st Place International Council on Systems Engineering Projects That Best Embody Systems
The Patuxent Partnership Awards in the Area of Government, Academia, and Industry
Mariam Ahmad St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Biochemistry
St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Best Correlation of Data
Everett Moulds INCOSE 2nd Place – International Council on Systems Engineering Projects That Best Embody Systems Robotics and Intelligent Machines
Joseph Priestly Award The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Southern Maryland (UUFSM) award for those who pay special attention to improving the human condition
Susanna Nilsson St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Biomedical Engineering
INCOSE 3rd Place – International Council on Systems Engineering Projects That Best Embody Systems
Patuxent Partnership Awards in the Area of Government, Academia, and Industry
Dileinka Jimenez St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Embedded Systems
Lily Mitchell Metropolitan Commission Environmental Excellence Award Demonstrates Academic Excellence and Enhances Our Understanding of Water Resources or Wastewater Treatment as it Relates to the Environment Environmental Engineering
Water and Wastewater Operators Association Water Treatment Excellence Award
Colin Taylor St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
Gabriel Roberts St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Best Presentation Biomedical Engineering
Amilia Hernandez-Toro Patuxent Partnership Awards in the Area of Government, Academia, and Industry Systems Software
Collin Haycraft Southern Maryland Association of REALTORS College or Technical School Scholarship Robotics and Intelligent Machines
Connor Denihan St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Best Use of Inexpensive Materials Earth & Environmental Sciences

JUNIOR DIVISION

 JUNIOR DIVISION: GRAND AWARD WINNERS
Grand Award Place Winner Student’s Name School Category Project Title
1st Thomas Fucito Spring Ridge Middle School Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics Vortex Generator Effects on Critical AOA
1st Tea Combs Spring Ridge Middle School Behavioral and Social Sciences Fuzzy Companion

JUNIOR DIVISION: CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS

Animal Sciences

Place

Name

Project Title

School

1st

Anna Carillo

What Music Do Dogs Prefer? 

Father Andrew White

2nd

Logan Maday

How Do Mud Crabs React to Stress

Spring Ridge Middle School

Behavioral and Social Sciences

1st

Tea Combs

Fuzzy Companion

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Vivian Carey

Studying In Virtual Reality?

Spring Ridge Middle School

Biomedical and Health Sciences

1st

Alise Hamilton

Blood Clotting Simulation

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

None

 

 

Chemistry

1st

Ruhi Sheth

Testing Different Molarities with Sodium Hydroxide

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

None

 

 

Earth and Environmental Sciences

1st

Nathan Nilsson

Oyster Shells: Is Bigger Better?

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Jane Venendaal

Recycled or Trashed

Spring Ridge Middle School

Embedded Systems

1st

Ellis King

Auditory Bird Tracker

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Mikey Lisa

Rain, Rain Go Away

Spring Ridge Middle School

Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design

1st

Jacob Lovelace

A New Portable Battery

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Sullivan Allan

Farm to Plug

Father Andrew White

Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics

1st

Thomas Fucito

Vortex Generator Effects on Critical AOA

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Paxton Spatig

The Frog Problem

Spring Ridge Middle School

Environmental Engineering

1st

Diana Wyman

Solar Clear Water

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Andrew Ellerbe

Mole Marker

Spring Ridge Middle School

Material Sciences

 

1st

Scarlett Reid

The Best Odor Eliminator

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Joseph Gesser

More Visible Road Lines

Spring Ridge Middle School

Physics and Astronomy

1st

Kyler Cotugno

Planforms – Lift Examination

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Brian Shafer

Roll With It

Spring Ridge Middle School

Plant Sciences

1st

Adeline Ashby

Hydro-Helpers

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Mhi’a Rose Empederado

Homemade Fertilizers Vs. Store Bought Fertilizers

Spring Ridge Middle School

Robotics and Intelligent Machines

1st

Fritz Geineder

Electrical Hardware Delay Circuit

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

Julian Gaddy

The Maze Solving Drone

Spring Ridge Middle School

Technology Enhances the Arts

1st

Lester Melanson

Comparing Communication Aids

Spring Ridge Middle School

2nd

None

 

 

JUNIOR DIVISION SPECIAL AWARDS

JUNIOR DIVISION: SPECIAL AWARDS
Student’s Name Organization Award Name (if given) Category
Tea Combs St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Behavioral and Social Sciences
 
Andrew Ellerbe St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Environmental Engineering
Antonia Ruminski St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Earth and Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth Scull St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Biomedical and Health Sciences
INCOSE 3rd Place International Council on Systems Engineering Projects That Best Embody Systems
Thomas Fucito St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics
Diana Wyman Water and Wastewater Operators Association Water Treatment Excellence Award Environmental Engineering
INCOSE 1st Place International Council on Systems Engineering Projects That Best Embody Systems
The Patuxent Partnership Awards in the Area of Government, Academia, and Industry
Sophie Grable St. Mary’s County Science and Engineering Fair Board Karine Ingersoll Sparkle Award Earth and Environmental Sciences
Tyler Haney Patuxent Partnership 2nd Place International Council on Systems Engineering Projects That Best Embody Systems Environmental Engineering
Cynthia Noyes Patuxent Partnership Awards in the Area of Government, Academia, and Industry Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics
Joey Ross Joseph Priestly Award The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Southern Maryland (UUFSM) award for those who pay special attention to improving the human condition Environmental Engineering
Ruhi Sheth Society of Women Engineers Outstanding Engineer Chemistry
Vivian Carey Patuxent Partnership Awards in the Area of Government, Academia, and Industry Behavioral and Social Sciences
Nathan Nilsson Metropolitan Commission Environmental Excellence Award Demonstrates Academic Excellence and Enhances Our Understanding of Water Resources or Wastewater Treatment as it Relates to the Environment Earth and Environmental Sciences