Local students shine at Minnesota science fair

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Students from Cloquet and Hermantown middle and high schools recently attended the 89th annual Minnesota Academy of Science State Science & Engineering Fair in St. Paul, where they earned gold and silver medals, as well as other prestigious accolades, for their original research projects.

Why it matters

The strong performance of these local students at the state science fair highlights the quality of STEM education and research opportunities available in the Cloquet and Hermantown school districts. Their success also demonstrates the value of mentorship and support from STEM professionals in the community, which helps nurture the next generation of scientists and innovators.

The details

In total, 19 students from Cloquet and Hermantown, along with their research mentors Dr. Cynthia Welsh and William Bauer, attended the state science fair. The Cloquet students who won awards include sixth grader Morrison Randall, who earned a gold medal and the Science Innovator Award for his project "Blast opH! Antacid Rockets!"; sophomore Jeremiah Bents, who received the Earth Systems Science Award for his project "A Mars Mission: Testing Filtering Effectiveness of Mars Soil Simulants When Removing Ammonia from Water"; senior Ethan Lavan, who won the Outstanding Experimental Project in Chemistry for "Investigating the rate of hydrogen sulfide removal by Manganese GreensandPlus for use in large-scale wastewater treatment"; and seventh grader Kensley Alfaro, who earned the Minnesota Academy of Science Board of Directors Award for "Gasping for Air: Wildfire Smoke's Effect on Health and Activity Levels". Two Hermantown students also attended, including seventh grader Jonah Bradley, who was awarded a silver medal and the Science Innovator Award for his project "Friend or Foe: Macroinvertebrate colonization of native alder and exotic crack willow in Keene Creek".

• The 89th annual Minnesota Academy of Science State Science & Engineering Fair took place on March 27, 2026 in St. Paul.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The students who won awards at the state science fair will be recognized at upcoming school board meetings and community events in Cloquet and Hermantown. Several of the top projects may also advance to national science competitions.