RESULTS OF THE 2016 WISCONSIN CRYSTAL GROWING CONTEST
Middle schools (ages 11-13)
Best overall crystal
1st prize: Brittany Kaatz, Brielle Behnke, Enrique Botello, Berlin MS, Berlin
2nd prize: Nikki Messick, Shattuck MS, Neenah
3rd prize: Abbi Jacobson, Reese Gilbertson, Sami Huff, Whitehall Memorial Schools, Whitehall
Best quality crystal
Kameron Hughes, John Long MS, Grafton
Best teacher’s crystal
Lisa Bowler, John Long MS, Grafton
Contest-inspired art
1st prize: Mia Egan-Alvarado, Central MS, Hartford
2nd prize: Nikki Messick, Shattuck MS, Neenah
3rd prize: Miranda Schneider, St. Joseph Catholic School, Stratford
High school (ages 14-18)
Best overall crystal
1st prize: Kevin Kollmann, Fond du Lac HS, Fond du Lac
2nd prize: Brandon Rakestraw, Matthew Amundson, Blair-Taylor HS, Blair
3rd prize: Youhe Gao, Barbara Hanna, Yunyao Zhu, Edgewood HS of the Sacred Heart, Madison
Best quality crystal
Allison Kaelin, Oshkosh HS, Oshkosh
Highest aesthetic value crystal:
Olivia Burkholz, Andrea O’Bryon, Kylee Anderson, Hartford Union HS, Hartford
Best teacher’s crystal
Jim Prosser, Fond du Lac HS, Fond du Lac
Contest-inspired art
1st prize: Aliyah John, Homeschooled, Kenosha
2nd prize: Skylar Rodenbeck, Trenton Miller, Matthew Jones, Shawano HS, Shawano
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View Winning crystals 2016
Middle school
1st place – Best overall
Brittany Kaatz, Brielle Behnke, Enrique Botello, Berlin MS, Berlin
Middle school
2nd place – Best overall
Nikki Messick, Shattuck MS, Neenah
Middle school
3rd place – Best overall
Abbi Jacobson, Reese Gilbertson, Sami Huff, Whitehall Memorial Schools, Whitehall
Middle school
Best quality – top prize
Kameron Hughes, John Long MS, Grafton
Middle school
Teacher’s crystal – best oveall
Lisa Bowler, John Long MS, Grafton
High school
1st place – Best overall
Kevin Kollmann, Fond du Lac HS, Fond du Lac
High school
2nd place – Best overall
Brandon Rakestraw, Matthew Amundson, Blair-Taylor HS, Blair
High school
3rd place – Best overall
Youhe Gao, Barbara Hanna, Yunyao Zhu, Edgewood HS of the Sacred Heart, Madison
High school
1st place – Best quality
Allison Kaelin, Oshkosh HS, Oshkosh
High school
1st place – Highest aesthetic value
Olivia Burkholz, Andrea O’Bryon, Kylee Anderson, Hartford Union HS, Hartford
High school
1st place – Teacher’s crystal – Best overall
Jim Prosser, Fond du Lac HS, Fond du Lac
View Crystal-inspired art 2016
The best crystal-inspired artwork from 2016.
Aliyah John, age 15. Homeschooled in Kenosha.
“Sunken treasure”. 3-Dimensional Art showing how crystals can be grown as art.
Meet the judges
A panel of 11 judges, chemists, crystallographers, and museum curators selects the winners in all categories.
Dr. Galina Bikzhanova (Covance, Madison)
Dr. Matt Bowman (American Chemical Society, WI section, Madison)
Ms. Sue Byram (Bruker AXS, Madison)
Dr. Lee Daniels (Rigaku Oxford Diffraction, Woodlands, TX)
Mr. Tim Dreyer (Madison Children’s Museum, Madison)
Dr. Jim Fettinger (UC-Davis, Davis, CA)
Dr. Dan Frankel (Bruker AXS, Madison)
Dr. Ilia Guzei (American Crystallographic Association, Madison, not shown)
Dr. Paula Piccoli (Pharmaceutical Product Development, Madison)
Dr. Nathan Reynolds (MilliporeSigma, Madison)
Ms. Anastasiya Vinokur (UW-Madison, Madison)