2026 Press Release

For Immediate Release:

Timberline Middle School of Washington State Wins 2026 National Biology Bowl Championship

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The 2026 National Biology Bowl was held on Saturday, May 30, 2026, bringing together some of the nation’s most talented young biology students for a day of rigorous academic competition. The event opened with a virtual ceremony hosted by student organizers Joyce Zhang, Junyi Gao, and Nicolette Yang.

This year, 52 middle school teams representing states across the country—including California, Washington, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Indiana—competed in the National Biology Bowl. Modeled after the quiz bowl format, the competition is conducted online, with students using their keyboards as buzzers to answer challenging biology questions. Topics span a broad range of biological disciplines, including cell biology, genetics, physiology, botany, zoology and animal behavior, evolution, ecology, and microbiology.

Following three rounds of round-robin competition, teams advanced to a single-elimination playoff bracket. After four additional rounds of competition, only four teams remained: Timberline Middle School, Odle Middle School, and BASIS Bellevue, all from Washington State, and Quail Valley Middle School from Texas.

The championship match proved to be another thrilling finale, with fewer than two questions’ worth of points separating the finalists. In the end, Timberline emerged victorious over Quail Valley to claim the 2026 National Biology Bowl title. Timberline becomes the eighth National Biology Bowl champion, joining a distinguished group of past winners that includes Hopkins, Fort Settlement, Davidson, and Suzanne—schools with strong records of success in national science competitions.

The National Biology Bowl is organized entirely by high school volunteers who are passionate about biology education and community service. Volunteers devoted months of preparation to developing questions, coordinating logistics, moderating matches, and ensuring a successful competition experience for participants nationwide.

“It has been inspiring to watch these young students grow and strive for such a high level of biological knowledge,” said Chris Sun, one of the event’s volunteer moderators.

“It gives me tremendous optimism to see the brilliant minds of the next generation of scientists and to know that many of them will go on to make meaningful contributions to our world,” said moderator David Gui.

“Having served as a moderator for the National Biology Bowl over the past several years, it has been an honor to witness the dedication, teamwork, and perseverance demonstrated by every team,” said Iris Chiou, who also hosted the closing ceremony with fellow moderator David Wang, recognizing the tournament’s top 16 teams.

The National Biology Bowl was founded in 2019 as an in-person competition in Southern California. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event transitioned to an online format, allowing students from across the United States to participate. Over the past three years, the competition has consistently attracted more than 50 teams and over 200 competitors annually.

The mission of the National Biology Bowl is to foster a lifelong appreciation for biology and science among young students while encouraging them to pursue future careers in the biological sciences, medicine, biotechnology, and biomedical research. Through academic competition and collaboration, the National Biology Bowl seeks to inspire the next generation of scientific leaders and innovators.

###