Presbyterian College made history on Saturday, March 1st, by hosting the 2025 South Carolina Science Olympiad State Tournament for the first time ever. The event drew in an enormous number of students from across the state, who competed in various science, engineering, and technology events throughout the day.
The tournament, which ran from 7:15am to 3:20pm, featured events such as Air Trajectory, Anatomy & Physiology, Codebusters, and Wind Power, among others. Students competed in multiple buildings across the Presbyterian College campus, including Neville Hall, Lassiter Hall, and the Springs Student Center Gym. PC also was playing host to the season-finale men's basketball game (a win over Gardner-Webb) and baseball (a split with Eastern Michigan) on campus Saturday.
According to Patrick Nelson, Director of Science Olympiad, this was not only Presbyterian College's first year hosting the event, but also his first year as Director. "We've had a lot of very qualified people keeping this running very smoothly," Nelson said. "The Citadel tournaments were good, but PC has thrown their weight behind this from an institutional standpoint, in a way that Newberry or the Citadel never did."
Nelson praised the efforts of the volunteers from Presbyterian College, who helped to make the event run smoothly. "We had 52 PC students sign up to volunteer and help out, between setting up yesterday all the way through the end of the events today," Nelson said.
Dr. David O'Shields, Superintendent of District 56, also expressed his excitement about the event being held at Presbyterian College. "We are incredibly excited, the school is excited, because ideally you want your hometown team to win," O'Shields said. "Either way it's a win for the college, because they get to retain that reputation, whether it is done by another team, it's now at Presbyterian college, which is for us a win for the community."
The tournament provided an opportunity for middle and high school students to get a free college tour and experience what Presbyterian College has to offer. As Nelson noted, "We've been very lucky that it's here and that PC has been the host because they've made every part of this a million times better."
The awards ceremony was held in the Belk Auditorium from 5pm-6:30pm, where Clinton Middle School was announced as the Division B Champion and Clinton High School was announced as the Division C State Champion. The winners will go on to compete in the 41st Science Olympiad National Tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska, where they will face off against teams from across the country and world. Five outstanding winners will each be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship.
Overall, the 2025 South Carolina Science Olympiad State Tournament was a huge success, thanks to the hard work of the students, coaches, and volunteers, as well as the support of Presbyterian College. The event not only showcased the academic talents of students from across the state but also highlighted the college's commitment to STEM education and community engagement. Presbyterian College proved to be an ideal host for this prestigious event, and officials anticipate a lasting partnership with the SCSO.
