Three students from 33 Central School in Fillmore are off to a national science fair after winning a regional competition for budding scientists hosted at their own school.

Grade 11 student Rob Shultz will take a trip to the Canada-Wide Science Fair for the fourth time, while Grade 7 newcomers Cody Beckstead and Blake Collins are hoping to make a good first impression at the event, set for May 14-21 in London, Ont.

Their first and second place travel money ($1,000 for Shultz, $500 for Beckstead and Collins) to go to the national competition was won at the Southeast Regional Science Fair, held at 33 Central School last Friday.

There were 235 students representing 10 schools at the regional fair, which is an annual event for the Fillmore school.

Shultz's project involved studying a group of 31 bird nests and the incredible impact predators had on the success of bird breeding in the area.

Even though this will be Shultz's fourth trip to the Canada-wide fair, he's still excited about displaying his hard work and studying the work of others.

"I'm excited, I'm really looking forward to it," he said.

Beckstead and Collins earned their trip with an ingenious project called "Sleep In Your Bed, Not In Your Car." The boys fashioned a spring-loaded device on a steering wheel that will cause a loud buzz to go off if the driver falls asleep and their hands relax. The device would also cause the vehicle's engine to turn off.

Fillmore science teacher and organizer for the southeast fair, Leo Carteri, says the boys' project has a lot of potential to turn heads at the national level.

"The top projects go beyond the textbook side to use creativity to expand on knowledge they already know," he said.

Carteri has seen a "tremendous improvement" in the quality of projects at the local fair over the years and credits teachers in the area for their work with students.

The following are the results from the various categories at the Southeast Regional Science Fair:

Junior Category

Life Science: Gold, Janine Johnson, Windthorst; Silver, Graeme Cross and Tyson Mickler, Fillmore; Sliver, Sandra Procyck and Reanne Ogden, Fillmore; Bronze, Riley Fornwald and Nathan Ludwig, Lampman.

Physical Science: Gold, Shannon Warken and Sherry Gadd, Avonlea; Silver, Kyla Carwell and Kristen Watson of Avonlea; Trina Buckert and Leanne Miller, Avonlea; Bronze, Emma Gutsche and Richard Laidlaw, Carlyle; Bronze, Dereck Bachert and Chris Hoffman, Winthorst.

Engineering: Gold, Cody Beckstead and Blake Collins, Fillmore; Silver, Noel Dube and Robin Ulrich, Lampman; Silver, Ben Miller and Chris Granger, Avonlea; Bronze, Connor Bell and Mathew Waldner, Carlyle; Bronze, Brianna Szegi and Kelly Brown, Carlyle.

Biotechnology: Gold, Brennan Pusch and Justin Pusch of Windthorst; Silver, Sarah Petruic, Avonlea.

Intermediate Category

Life Science: Gold, Tulsa Mowbray and Geordie Roy-Harptor, Windthorst; Gold, Megan Howse and Shannon Lozinsky, Pangman; Silver, Mandy Savage, Windthorst; Silver, Daniele Tessier and Marika Ehrhardt, Gladmar; Bronze, Alana Peterson, Gladmar; Bronze, Adele Sudom and Megan Sudom, Avonlea.

Physical Science: Gold, Matt Goud and Brant Safinuk, Carlyle; Silver, Magan Ridgeway and Stephanie Evans, Avonlea; Bronze, Kyle Melle and Joshawa Woitas, Gladmar; Bronze, Chad Caswell and Nathan Sudom, Avonlea.

Engineering: Gold, Jesse Twietmeyer and Candace Green, Carlyle; Silver, Jim Stamn and Tyson Bachert, Windthorst; Bronze, Scott Arnold and Nick Petruic, Avonlea.

Computer Science: Gold, Kahl Boll, Fillmore.

Biotechnology: Gold, Megan Nicholas and Amy Procyk, Fillmore; Silver, Laura Blaise and Alexis Coffey, Carlyle; Bronze, Afton Elliot and April Thomas, Carlyle.

Senior Category

Life Science: Gold, Rob Shultz, Fillmore; Silver, Larry Reynard and Jason Vipond, Glenavon; Bronze, Jenny Horner, Fillmore.

Physical Science: Gold, Wade Gange and Conrad Wilgenbusch, Midale; Silver, Jennifer Scheirer and Tracy Carlson, Midale; Bronze, Kristen Rasmuson, Midale.

Engineering: Gold, Jordan Anderson and Scott Hingtgen, Weyburn; Silver, Tyson Greig and Josh Mildenberger, Fillmore; Bronze, Adam Carlson and Nathan Piper, Midale.

Computer Science: Gold, Charles Truman, Midale; Silver, Chris Procyk and Jason Zyla, Fillmore.

Best Junior

Blake Collins and Cody Beckstead, Sleep in Your Bed, Not in Your Car, Fillmore.

Best Intermediate

Tulsa Mowbry, Geordie Roy-Harptor, Music and its Effects on People, Windthorst.

Best Senior

Rob Shultz, The Effect of Depredation on Brood Success, Fillmore.

Best Overall

Rob Shultz, Fillmore, $1000 Travel Award from Sask. Education.

Second Overall

Blake Collins and Cody Bedstead, Fillmore, $500 Travel Award, SaskEnergy.

Third Overall

Tulsa Mowbry and Geordie Roy-Harpter, Windhorst, $100, Wheatland Accounting.

Fourth Overall

Megan Howse and Shannon Lozinsky, Pangman, $50, Wheatland Accounting.

Fifth Overall

Larry Renard and Jason Vipond, Glenavon, $50, Wheatland Accounting.

Intel Awards

$100 Award, Chris Procyk and Jason Zyla, Fillmore; $50 Award, Charles Truman and Nolan Thompson, Midale.

South East Health District Awards

Junior: Gold, Graeme Cross and Tyson Mickler, Fillmore; Silver, Jared Tholl and Corey Beresh, Windthorst; Bronze, David Kyrylchuk, Fillmore.

Intermediate: Gold, Megan Howse and Shannon Lozinsky, Pangman; Gold, Megan Nicholas and Aimee Procyk, Fillmore; Silver, Tulsa Mowbry and Geordie Roy-Harpter, Windthorst; Bronze, Nevin Dube, Lampman.

Canada-Wide Science Fair

Rob Shultz, Cody Beckstead, and Blake Collins of Fillmore will participate in the fair being held from May 14 to 21 at London, Ont. Leo Carteri, principal of Fillmore School, will supervise.