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.
​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.
​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.
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.
​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
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.
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.
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. Olivia Hall 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉🥉🥉
3. Adrian Gonzalez🥇🥇🥇🥈🥉
4. Alex Derian 🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉
5. Moses Akogun 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉
6. Jen Routledge 🥇🥈🥉🥉🥉
7. Mariah Miller 🥇🥈🥈🥉
8. Hazel McMillan 🥇🥇🥉
9. Brooke Driscoll 🥈🥈🥈
10. Ryan Pawlowski 🥈🥉🥉