Students from local schools were winners at the 51st Ventura County Science Fair at Seaside Park in Ventura. The theme was "The Joy of Science." It attracted 1,000 entries countywide.

La Reina High School, an all-girls’ Catholic school in T.O., had five students with first-place projects in the Senior Division (grades 9-12). Los Cerritos Middle School in T.O. had five winning entries in the Junior Division (6-8).

The La Reina students and their winning projects were:

Botany: Kristin Miller, "The Effects of Ozone Depletion"

Chemistry (Senior Division): Amanda Mundell, "Freezing Point Depression as a Function of Solute Ionization"

Chemistry (Junior Division): Elizabeth Hatakeyama, "Surface Tension of Water"

Earth, Space and Environmental Sciences: Rachel Yuengent, "The Low-Down on Landslides"

Human Biology: Tierney Burke, "Nail-Patella Syndrome"

Sponsoring science teachers for La Reina’s students were Jason Falkin, Marilyn Usher and Sadhana Neurgaonkar.

Students with first-place projects in the Senior Division included:

Mathematics, Computer Science and Electronics: Shao Philip (Westlake High School), "Practical Application of Sampling Theorem in Pattern Recognition"

Physics: Erik Aidukas (WHS), "Does Altering the Mass Distribution in a Drumstick Affect Its Rebound Off a Snare Drum?"

In the Junior Division, Los Cerritos Middle School students and their winning projects:

Botany: Denis Lin, "The Effect of Acid Rain on Plant Seed Germination"

Earth, Space and Environmental Sciences: Eric Eyre, "Untitled"

Human Biology: Natalie Sardonia, "How Increased Cataract Formation Affects Light Transmission"

Mathematics, Computer Science and Electronics: Kathryn Jones, "Faraday’s Law Creating Electric Current with a Magnet"

Physics: Nathan Pederson, "The Study of Induced Magnetic Force"

Rita Armstrong was the sponsoring science teacher for Los Cerritos Middle School.

Following Los Cerritos in the Junior Division was Colina Middle School, with two winning entries. Students from Trinity Pacific Christian School (Newbury Park) and Pinecrest School (Thousand Oaks) had one first-place project each.

Remaining Junior Division winners and their projects:

Engineering: Calvin Witt (Trinity Pacific Christian), "Developing an Economical Underwater ROP"

Human Behavioral and Social Sciences: Nicole Rothschild (Colina Middle), "Are Musicians in Their Right Mind?"

Microbiology: Amanda Tom (Pinecrest School), "The Toothbrush Danger"

Zoology: Kiel Lewis (Colina Middle), "Eggs to the Earth’s Geomagnetic Field"

The Science Fair is sponsored by the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools office. Local professionals in the sciences served as judges.

All first-place finishers, as well as those placing second in each division category, qualify to compete in the California State Science Fair on Mon. and Tues., May 23 and 24 at Exposition Park in Los Angeles.