Lab Olympics
Lab Olympics is a fun, team-building event in which we compete in various events that mirror real-world lab skills. Founded in 2021, we held our fifth Lab Olympics in April 2025. While there are real medals to compete for, the primary motivation is bragging rights.
Pipette Transfer Challenge
Using a standard 5.75" Pasteur pipette, transfer 5x10 mL of water from straight-walled culture tubes to a beaker, spilling as little as possible in the process. At least 49.5 mL of water must be transferred as determined by a balance. In 2025 we went to a head-to-head format.
2026
🥇 Alex Derian
🥈 Janelle Pridoehl
🥉 Dawn Bari
2025
🥇 Hazel McMillan
🥈 Em Diemer
🥉 Dawn Bari
2024
🥇 Julia McCuaig
🥈 Alex Derian
🥉 Janelle Pridoehl
2023
🥇 Julia McCuaig
🥈 Brooke Driscoll
🥉 Matt Teeter
2022
🥇 Paul Szpak
🥈 Julia McCuaig
🥉 Adrian Gonzalez
2021
🥇 Paul Szpak
🥈 Matt Teeter
🥉 Julia McCuaig
Reagent Weighing
With a single scoopula scoop transfer a predetermined amount of a reagent onto a weighing boat. The lab member with the closest weight to the target is the winner. The material and target weight have varied from one year to the next.
2026
🥇 Ash Buchanan
🥈 Hazel McMillan
🥉 Moses Akogun
2025
🥇 Rachel Dickenson
🥈 Janelle Pridoehl
🥉 Em Diemer
2024
🥇 Nuri Aydemir
🥈 Dashiell Ives
🥉 Ryan Pawlowski
2023
🥇 Alexis Rausch
🥈 Mariah Miller
🥉 Jen Routledge
2022
🥇 Adrian Gonzalez
🥈 Madison Curran
🥉 Matt Teeter
2021
🥇 Tess Wilson
🥈 Julia McCuaig
🥉 Matt Teeter
Bone Cutting
Using a dental drill, remove a single chunk of bone with a weight that is as close as possible to the target. We typically use cow and kangaroo bones for this event and usually target approximately the amount that we would use for real laboratory protocols.
2026
🥇 Alex Derian
🥈 Caroline Meyer
🥉 Moses Akogun
2025
🥇 Alex Derian
🥈 Ryan Pawlowski
🥉 Doroty Buatsi
2024
🥇 Rachel Dickenson
🥈 Julia McCuaig
🥉 Hazel McMillan
2023
🥇 Matt Teeter
🥈 Alex Derian
🥉 Jen Routledge
2022
🥇 Madison Curran
🥈 Brooke Driscoll
🥉 Olivia Hall
2021
🥇 Jen Routledge
🥈 Tessa Grogan
🥉 Tess Wilson
Microbalance Speed
Weigh five aliquots of a reference material and encapsulate them in tin capsules as quickly as possible. Capsules must have weights confirmed only after encapsulation is complete. Times in the table below are the average time in seconds taken to weigh one tin capsule.
2026
🥇 Hazel McMillan (101.7 s/capsule)
🥈 Enya Schroeder (106.3 s/capsule)
🥉 Ash Buchanan (126.7 s/capsule)
2025
🥇 Hazel McMillan (88.3 s/capsule)
🥈 Moses Akogun (99.0 s/capsule)
🥉 Alex Derian (100.7 s/capsule)
2024
🥇 Julia McCuaig (72.7 s/capsule)
🥈 Olivia Hall (106.3 s/capsule)
🥉 Jen Routledge (127.0 s/capsule)
2023
🥇 Julia McCuaig (74 s/capsule)
🥈 Olivia Hall (79 s/capsule)
🥉 Anahi Maturana (84 s/capsule)
2022
🥇 Julia McCuaig (69.8 s/capsule)
🥈 Adrian Gonzalez (78.5 s/capsule)
🥉 Mariah Miller (92.8 s/capsule)
2021
🥇 Julia McCuaig (95.0 s/capsule)
🥈 Paul Szpak (101.1 s/capsule)
🥉 Tess Wilson (121.9 s/capsule)
Microbalance Accuracy & Precision
Taking place concurrently with the microbalance speed event, we assess who is the most accurate and precise with their sample masses relative to the target. Speed is not a factor except in cases of a tie.
2026
🥇 Katherine Dolan
🥈 Em Diemer
🥉 Caroline Meyer
2025
🥇 Alex Derian
🥈 Moses Akogun
🥉 Em Diemer
2024
🥇 Julia McCuaig
🥈 Jen Routledge
🥉 Olivia Hall
2023
🥇 Anahi Maturana
🥈 Brooke Driscoll
🥉 Alexis Rausch
2022
🥇 Adrian Gonzalez
🥈 Mariah Miller
🥉 Anahi Maturana
2021
🥇 Matt Teeter
🥈 Tessa Grogan
🥉 Tess Wilson
Parafilm Shot Put
We have accumulated a 655 g (~1.5 pound) ball of used parafilm from the lab. The aim of the event is to launch the parafilm ball as far as possible using strict shot put form - no throws are tolerated.
2025
🥇 Moses Akogun
🥈 Nuri Aydemir
🥉 Ryan Pawlowski
2024
Competition not held
2023
🥇 Mariah Miller
🥈 Brooke Driscoll
🥉 Olivia Hall
2022
🥇 Paul Szpak
🥈 Adrian Gonzalez
🥉 Matt Teeter
2021
🥇 Matt Teeter
🥈 Paul Szpak
🥉 Jen Routledge
Spigot Control
Dispense just the roight amount of water from a carboy into a graduated cylinder. One shot, no top-ups. The target volume varies from year to year. This event was first held in 2023.
2026
🥇 Ash Buchanan
🥈 Hazel McMillan
🥉 Nuri Aydemir
2025
🥇 Janelle Pridoehl
🥈 Enya Schroeder
🥉 Moses Akogun
2024
🥇 Olivia Hall
🥈 Julia McCuaig
🥉 Moses Akogun
2023
🥇 Matt Teeter
🥈 Alexis Rausch
🥉 Olivia Hall
All Time Medal Leaders
Below are the top ten all time medalists in the Lab Olympics.
1. Julia McCuaig 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈
2. Alex Derian 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉
3. Olivia Hall 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉🥉🥉
4. Moses Akogun 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉🥉🥉
5. Hazel McMillan 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉
6. Adrian Gonzalez🥇🥇🥇🥈🥉
7. Jen Routledge 🥇🥈🥉🥉🥉
8. Mariah Miller 🥇🥈🥈🥉
9. Em Diemer 🥈🥈🥉🥉
10. Ash Buchanan 🥇🥇🥉