Whiz Kids: Eastlake High School Twins Take First Place at Science Olympiad

Each week, Sammamish Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams who wow us with their accomplishments.

This week, we congratulate two Eastlake High School students for their science and academic achievements.

Names, ages: Alicia and Elizabeth McMurchie, twin sisters, are 17.

School and Neighborhood: Seniors at , Alicia and Elizabeth McMurchie live in Sammamish.

Accomplishment: Alicia and Elizabeth finished in first place in the ornithology category, which involves the study of birds, at the 2011 Science Olympiad regional tournament held on March 12 at Seattle Central Community College. 

As members of the Science National Honor Society, the McMurchies are required to take part in regular competitions and decided to enter the Science Olympiad together and compete in a category they know well.

The McMurchies' confidence was shaken early when they realized they had brought an inadequate field guide to the competition. The readiness of some of the other competitors also planted seeds of doubt.

“We were thinking that we were probably going to come in last,” Alicia said.

Instead of giving up, the McMurchies decided that the pressure was off and just tried their best.

“Since we thought we were going to lose we thought, why not?” she added.

The competition required the McMurchies to identify various bird species by call and appearance, tested their knowledge of bird anatomy and their understanding of how various birds fit into the ecosystem, as well as other facets of ornithological study.

Key to awesomeness: The McMurchies said that their family has long cultivated an interest in science within them. The sisters have also had a long fascination with animals.

“I liked animals a lot when I was younger,” Elizabeth said.

The two have a particular interest in birds and often try to identify different birds when out on hiking trips.

“Wherever I am, if I see a bird I’ll try to figure out what it is,” said Alicia.

The desire to learn and understand has paid off well for the sisters. They have received a Presidential Scholarship to Western Washington University, though they have not yet decided if they will attend Western.

Editor's note: The sisters opted to not have their picture taken. But in a nod to birds and flying away, have you seen when Lenny Kravitz joined youth musicians in New Orleans last year to sing his classic song? The video is a bit raw. The moment, though, is memorable. Also included is an embedded video from Cornell University about birds.

Sammamish Patch wants to hear about amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Whiz Kid. If you know of such a student, please contact Brad Wong, Sammamish Patch editor, at brad.wong@patch.com.