Seven projects created by 10 Lenoir County Public Schools students qualified for the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair later this month by earning top finishes in regional competition on Saturday.

More than 30 LCPS elementary and middle school students competed in the Region 1 Science and Engineering Fair at East Carolina University. All were school winners who advanced to the regionals through the district’s Science Showcase.

In the elementary division, the top eight projects qualify for state competition and in the middle school division, the first- and second-place winners in each category qualify.

Heading to the state competition in Raleigh on March 27-28 are: Nathan Schrader and Jamie Flores of Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School, first place, Biological B; Cayla Dunk of Rochelle Middle, first place, Chemistry; Sage Jones and Chloe Jones of Woodington Middle, second place, Biological A; and Hayden Tyndall of Woodington Middle, second place, Chemistry. Landon Oliver of E.B. Frink Middle finished third in the Biological A category.

State qualifiers in the elementary division were Eli Nguyen of Moss Hill Elementary, honorable mention; Evelyn Garcia of Pink Hill Elementary, third place; and Kinsleigh Sutton and Kamryn Harrison of Banks Elementary, second place.

“We are all so proud of our students and how they represented our county,” said CSS teacher Mary Riddick, who coordinates district Science Fair activities with Dr. Amelia McLeod, director of middle school education. “Congratulations to all of them.”