Rio Norte Junior High School has fielded a Science Olympiad team since 2003 — over two decades of students competing, building, and pushing the boundaries of science in the Santa Clarita Valley. This page documents our verified competition record and the story of how the program has grown.
20+
Years of Competition
2nd
Best Regional Finish
2
State Tournament Appearances
3
Teams Fielded in 2025–26
AVC
Home Regional Tournament
Leadership
The Coaches Behind the Program
SP
Mr. St. Peter
Head Coach · 2022 – Present
Mr. St. Peter took over as head coach of the Rio Norte Science Olympiad program in the 2022–2023 season. Under his leadership the program has grown from one team to three, earned back-to-back State Tournament appearances in 2023 and 2024, and recorded the school's best-ever regional finish — a runner-up placement at the 2024 AVC Regional. The program continues to grow in size and competitive depth each year.
Previous Head Coaches — 2003 to 2022
MN
Mrs. Nicholas
Head Coach · Dates TBD
One of the founding generation of coaches who helped establish and grow the Rio Norte Science Olympiad program. Her contributions helped lay the groundwork for the competitive program that exists today.
MP
Mrs. Petrovich
Head Coach · Dates TBD
A key figure in the history of Rio Norte Science Olympiad, Mrs. Petrovich guided students through years of competition and helped shape the program's identity and culture during her tenure.
MR
Mrs. Robb
Head Coach · Dates TBD
Mrs. Robb served as head coach during the years immediately preceding the current era, helping maintain the program's presence in SoCal competition and keeping the Science Olympiad tradition alive at Rio Norte.
✦ If you know the exact years each coach served, please contact us so we can update this page accurately.
Verified Competition Record
Seasons Under Mr. St. Peter
2025 — 2026 Season
3 TeamsLargest Delegation
Tournament
Team
Place
Field
LA AVC Regional · Feb 14, 2026
Team 2
8th/ 23
Antelope Valley College
LA AVC Regional
Team 1
11th/ 23
Antelope Valley College
LA AVC Regional
Team 3
16th/ 23
Antelope Valley College
Rio Norte sent its largest delegation in program history — three teams competing simultaneously at the AVC Regional. With 23 teams in the field, this was also the most competitive regional the school has entered.
Both Rio Norte teams competed in a strong 18-team field. This season the teams adopted their own identities — Iron Minds and Scihawks — reflecting the growing team culture within the program.
The standout season in program history under Mr. St. Peter. Team 2's 2nd place finish at the AVC Regional was the highest placement the school has ever recorded at regionals, earning a coveted spot at the SoCal State Tournament — held at the California Institute of Technology. Competing at States against 32 of the best teams in Southern California was a milestone for the program.
Mr. St. Peter's first season as head coach produced immediate results — Team 2 placed 4th and earned a State Tournament qualification, while Team 1 finished just one spot behind in 5th. Both teams competing in the top 5 out of 17 schools was a strong foundation for the program's future growth.
Rio Norte Junior High School first fielded a Science Olympiad team in 2003, making this one of the longer-running programs in the Santa Clarita Valley. For nearly two decades, Mrs. Nicholas, Mrs. Petrovich, and Mrs. Robb coached generations of students, building the foundation that the current team stands on. Their years of dedication to science education at Rio Norte deserve to be fully documented and celebrated.
Unfortunately, detailed competition records from the 2003–2022 era were not preserved digitally and are not currently available in public archives. We believe the team may have competed at regional tournaments such as the Rio Hondo College Regional and the LA Regional during those years, but we have not been able to verify specific placements.
If you were a student, parent, or know details about the program during the 2003–2022 era — including which tournaments the team attended, any placements, or memorable moments — we'd love to hear from you so we can honor that history properly on this page.
Note: Online Science Olympiad results databases (such as Duosmium) only have comprehensive SoCal records from approximately 2022 onward. Pre-2022 results for this program have not been located.