Bismarck High Envirothon team brings home national honors

Team North Dakota from Bismarck High School earned third place overall at the 2026 National Envirothon Competition at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, marking North Dakota’s highest finish in the national competition to date. The team also earned first place in the Aquatics Trail Test with a score of 99%.

Team members included Sienna Huber, Seth Peterson, Emily Nicolai, Chase Schmidt and Anna Armstrong. The team was coached by Bismarck High School science teacher Randy Krogstad. Valerie Smallbeck, former Bismarck High School science teacher and Envirothon advisor, and Chris Nicolai accompanied the team to the national competition.

The national achievement capped a successful year for the Bismarck High School team. The students advanced after earning first place at the Lewis and Clark Regional Envirothon in Bismarck and the North Dakota State Envirothon at Crystal Springs Camp in May.

Held July 19–25, the national competition brought together 42 teams from across the United States and Canada. Students were tested on their knowledge of natural resources through five trail tests covering aquatics, soils, forestry, wildlife and this year’s current issue, nonpoint source pollution. Teams also developed and delivered a 20-minute presentation outlining their solution to a nonpoint source pollution challenge.

North Carolina earned first place overall, followed by New York in second and North Dakota in third.

The Envirothon is a hands-on natural resource competition that challenges high school students to apply their knowledge and problem-solving skills to real-world environmental issues. The North Dakota Envirothon works to encourage students to learn more about the state’s natural environment while developing the knowledge and skills needed to understand and practice responsible resource management.