Troy High Science Team Advances

A team from Troy High School in Fullerton advanced to the second day of competition Sunday in the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., joining 11 other finalists.

The Troy High team will face a team from North Hollywood High today.

Two other California teams to make the finals are from Sacramento and the Bay Area. Troy High had reached the finals by winning a regional competition in Pasadena in February, according to a school official.

In a game format, students answer questions about computer science, biology, physics, earth science, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics and technology.

Members of the Troy High team are Michael Chen, Tejas Patel, Ziyad Jabaji and Akash Kansagra, all seniors, and Christopher Wen, a sophomore. They are coached by Kurt Wahl, who teaches honors physics and honors chemistry.

Grace Wen, Christopher’s mother, said the students have been working hard all year. “They are excited, yet very cool about it,� she said. “They know today is the big competition, because it’s double-elimination.�