LARAMIE – Sixteen Pinedale Middle School students participated in the annual Wyoming State Science Fair hosted by the University of Wyoming on March 5-7. More than 150 students presented research projects after qualifying at regional fairs held throughout Wyoming in February.

Pinedale Middle School students returned from the event with a bag full of medals.

Ash Cooper’s invention of a portable coffee machine snagged first place in the engineering category. Judges selected Cooper’s project as one of the Top 5 at the fair, providing Cooper the opportunity to compete in the Fisher Junior Innovation Challenge against 300 other projects from across the United States.

Juniper Dale captured second place in the animal sciences category and earned a Bill Barlow Youth in Conservation Award.

Aylen Mills received the University of Wyoming Department of Math and Statistics Special Award.

Teagan Fildey and Naomi Gaffney achieved second place in the behavioral and social sciences category.

Samantha Prior garnered second place in the computer science category.