AHS team places third in nation in anatomy competition

Arlington High School’s Anatomage team placed third in the nation in a recent tournament that was finished on June 9.

In total 281 teams across 30 states competed online in the human anatomy competition.

Anatomage is a software which provides 3D digital human bodies that allow students to learn and study the body.

Teams in the contest answer anatomy-based questions and are given prompts of ligaments, tendons, muscles and other body parts, which they have to identify on the Anatomage software.

“We would have to work together to find the area where that body part was,” said Arlington High School student and team member Maria Ostap.

After the qualifying round 70 teams were left in the competition and the Arlington High School team competed through a series of rounds held each week.

“I thought the rounds were getting really hard too,” said Maria Ostap, as the Arlington team had to skip a lot of questions in the Round of 16. “I was getting a little discouraged actually,” she said, but they did advance.

“Then we made it to the top eight and competed and then to the top four which is where we finally ended up,” she said.

“The excitement after we made the top four was crazy,” said Arlington High School student and team member Elisha Ostap.

The team finished top three in the nation overall.

“I was really proud of all of us,” said Arlington High School student and team member Eva Mullin.

“I was really surprised. I didn’t think we were going to go that far,” said Arlington High School student and team member Kathy Kannathip.

Earlier in the year the team competed at the state competition and didn’t do as well.

“We finished top 16 in the state competition, which is still pretty good, but doesn’t compare to top three in the nation,” said Elisha Ostap.

Students said their biggest improvements since then came from working on their teamwork.

“In the beginning we weren’t too good at working through our communication,” said Maria Ostap. “After the state competition we practiced working together more."

Kannathip said she likes how much the team members support each other as well.

“When we were getting things right, everyone was hyping each other up,” she said. “We have our ups and downs but in the end we came together.”

Students said they enjoyed being a part of the team because of the friendships.

“I really like how close we’ve all gotten,” said Mullin. “I enjoyed the rides over to the state competition, just being able to talk with our advisor and get closer as a team."

Students also said their teacher, Nicole Roskelley, also helped them a lot.

Elisha Ostap was glad to be in Roskelley’s Sports Medicine class. “It’s really good to be able to learn from that class,” he said.

Roskelley has also supported the team, which she is the advisor of.

“I want to give a very big shoutout to our teacher,” said Maria Ostap. “She had to push back some appointments because we kept moving up in the tournament and we’re just really thankful that she put us first."