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GREENSBORO – Hundreds of middle and high school students took part in the regional North Carolina Science Olympiad Competition Saturday. The event draws young scientists from the Greensboro region, including Chatham and Orange counties.

“The idea behind the Science Olympiad is to introduce the kids, both middle and high school, to science, technology and math. A lot of the events are science related like biology and chemistry,” volunteer David Mantraolla said.

This was the first time Hillsborough sixth graders Colette Cambey and Blair Gattis took part in the competition.

“We were supposed to shoot the rocket in the air and keep the egg from cracking, but also keep it in the air very long,” CW Stanford student Blair Gattis said.

The two say they learned a lot while getting ready for their launch but had a few setbacks; their egg parachute didn't open.

“Well it is our first time, and we're hoping to come back next year and the year after, so hopefully we will have more success next year,” Cambey said.

And officials say that's what it's all about. Teams from across the Greensboro region compete in events to challenge both their creativity and knowledge, applying what they're learning in the classroom and hopefully seeing they have a future in science.

“It's helping kids be interested in science and besides, it's a lot of fun. Science is a lot of fun,” Mantraolla said.

For Gattis, that's already happening. And she hopes other students will get involved, too.

“I think it helps you learn a lot about science and you get to do some of the activities while learning about it that you may not be able to do in the classroom,” she said.

This is the fifth straight year UNC Greensboro has hosted the regional competition. The top performers will compete in Raleigh during the state competition in April.