Hundreds of Iowa high school students will compete in the Regional Science Bowl on Saturday, hoping for a chance to represent the state by winning for the first time since 1998.

Teams from all around the state will come to the Memorial Union to participate in the 15th annual competition sponsored by the U.S Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State, said Deb Samuelson clerk of the Ames Lab.

Kerry Gibson, communication specialist for the Ames Lab, said the science bowl is conducted in quiz bowl format. The questions asked include the fields of various sciences such as math, chemistry and computer science.

The 48 teams will consist of four students, one alternate and a coach. The teams usually depend on one particular student in each topic to lead the different sections because of their specific knowledge. The questions asked are high-level questions proposed by scientists and are not easy to answer, Gibson said.

Students who compete in the bowl during high school succeed highly in academics, and 25 percent of the bowl participants have enrolled at Iowa State following high school graduation. Some of those same students help out with the bowl during college, he said.

Douglas Fuller, graduate student and assistant in computer science, participated in the science bowl when he attended Ankeny High School from 1997 until 1999. His team won the competition his senior year. While participating in his last bowl, Fuller was approached by a member of the Ames Lab who requested he continue to be involved in the event and work at the Lab. Fuller said he agreed and has been working there throughout his college career.

“The bowl is great for students; it gives them exposure to Iowa State,” he said.

Kathryn Bergman, senior in materials engineering, participated in the bowl in 2002 for Boone High School, and this year will mark her third year helping out at the event.

“The science bowl is a well-organized and professional competition. It’s a good reflection of Iowa State and it is a good way to get the faculty and community involved,” she said. Besides student volunteers, faculty members from the Ames Lab and Iowa State help. Around 90 volunteers are needed to have the bowl run smoothly, Gibson said. According to the science bowl Web site, the winning team from this regional competition receives an all-expense paid trip to the national competition in Washington.