HAMMOND — Anna Theriot and Madeline Ward of Theriot Academy were the overall winners of the 2026 Region 8 Science Fair at Southeastern Louisiana University Feb. 6. The winning project, titled “Rusty Apples,” received first place honors in the biochemistry category.
All first and second place regional winners will advance to the state science fair later this spring at Louisiana State University.
Additional science fair winners, listed by school, were:
COURTNEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL – Conrad Case, second, chemistry; Lily Meidinger, biochemistry; Claire Neal, second, microbiology; Rayna Nelson, second, biomedical and health sciences; Alex Santangelo, second, physics and astronomy; Landon Mack, third, energy; Grayson Prescott, third, engineering mechanics; Jett Wilson, third, energy; Emmalean Cortez, honorable mention, microbiology; Beckett Krause and Jocelyn Zarganas, honorable mention, Earth and environmental science; and Annabelle Lamonte and Matthew Morrison, honorable mention, physics and astronomy.
SOUTHEASTERN LABORATORY SCHOOL – Grace Kemp, first, biomedical and health sciences; Isabella Albritton, third, animal sciences; Kennedi Austin, third, biochemistry; Liam Mondebello, third, biomedical and health sciences; Raelyn Ricks, third, computer science; Declynn Ahrend, third, Earth and environmental science; Macayla Sims, third, microbiology; Rishai Wells, honorable mention, behavioral and social sciences; Lena Dunn, honorable mention, chemistry; Ennis Barnes, honorable mention, computer science; Mila Yeates, honorable mention, microbiology; Lainey Taylor, honorable mention, physics and astronomy; John Van Wong, honorable mention, physics and astronomy; Logan Dickens, honorable mention, plant sciences.
ST. HELENA COLLEGE AND CAREER ACADEMY – Kamilla Holiday, third, biomedical and health sciences; Alani Gordon, honorable mention, engineering mechanics; Alise Hitchen, honorable mention, energy; and Janiah Jones, Will’laijia Martin and Micah Starks, honorable mention, biochemistry.
HOMESCHOOL – Adam Lorenzen, second, mathematical sciences; and Dylan Mankinen, third, mathematical sciences.
BOYET JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL – Koen Kipfinger and Emery Pierce, first, behavioral and social science; Logan Fortier and Hayden Pineault, second, computer science; Sela Doll and Aubrey Mason, third, chemistry; David Ferrera-Agurcia, third, engineering mechanics; Amelia Chin and Landon Hauck, honorable mention; biomedical and health sciences; and Thomas Miles, honorable mention, chemistry.
LITTLE OAK MIDDLE SCHOOL – Christian Pastoret, third, cellular and molecular biology.
NORTHLAKE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL – Cole Valenti, second, behavioral and social sciences; Kyla Smith, third, behavioral and social science; Payton Coulon, honorable mention, microbiology; and Cooper McGehee, honorable mention, physics and astronomy.
NORTHSHORE PREPARATORY ACADEMY – Blake Malkernecker, first, physics and astronomy; and Lydia Scruby, first, chemistry.
OUR LADY OF LOURDES – Bernadette (Betty) Biller, first, energy.
ST. PETER CATHOLIC SCHOOL – Alex Herzog, honorable mention, behavioral and social science.
THERIOT ACADEMY – Anna Theriot and Madeline Ward, first, biochemistry.
