Johnston wins state championship and qualifies for nationals at state technology conference

By Lynn Meadows, JCSD Director of Communications

JOHNSTON, Ia. (April 9, 2025) — Johnston Middle School won the middle school state championship this week at the Iowa TSA (Technology Student Association) spring state conference, while 14 Johnston High School students qualified for nationals.

In addition, JHS students Advik Bajpai and Ethan Huebbe and JMS student Ishaan Suyal were elected to the state officer team of Iowa TSA for the 2025-2026 term.

TSA is a national nonprofit career and technical student organization. Through the association, more than 300,000 students engage in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) competitions, intracurricular activities, leadership opportunities and community service. Johnston has a rich history with the Technology Student Association, with former student Esha Bolar serving as its national president in 2022-2023.

JHS students qualifying for nationals this year are: Syon Aggarwal, Advik Bajpai, Layla Chamberland, Saanvi Chintamanani, Manasvi Dhanekula, Luke Gragg, Grant Guiter, Ethan Huebbe, Alexis Johnson, Mary Jurado, Gus Kirwan, Jack Mills, Alan Qi and Coen Prevett.

The 2025 National TSA Conference, “Tune in to Technology,” will be held June 27 to July 1 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee

Fourteen JHS students qualify for nationals

In the high school competition, first and second place winners qualify for the National TSA Conference. JHS national qualifiers included:

Board Game Design: Luke Gragg, Grant Guiter and Jack Mills
Chapter Team: Layla Chamberland, Saanvi Chintamanani, Manasvi Dhanekula, Ethan Huebbe, Alexis Johnson and Mary Jurado
Coding: Syon Aggarwal and Alan Qi
Debating Technical Issues: Manasvi Dhanekula, Alan Qi, Syon Aggarwal and Advik Bajpa
Extemporaneous Speech: Advik Bajpai and Manasvi Dhanekula
Forensic Science: Layla Chamberland and Alexis Johnson
Photographic Technology: Grant Guiter
Prepared Presentation: Advik Bajpai and Alan Qi
Software Development: Syon Aggarwal
Technology Problem Solving: Ethan Huebbe, Coen Prevett and Syon Aggarwal, Gus Kirwan.

Johnston Middle School named state champs

Johnston Middle School was crowned middle school chapter champs for being the highest scoring middle school chapter at the Iowa TSA spring state conference, April 7 and 8 at the Holiday Inn in Urbandale. Results are as follows:

Chapter team 1st place – Ishaan Suyal, Adithya Asokan, Mayank Bhatt, Anmol Gonchigar, Arnav Kulkarni, and Thavanesh Yalla

Challenging Tech Issues 1st Place – Thavanesh Yalla & Mayank Bhatt & 2nd Dhanvin Chelumuri & Jesh Barli

Children’s Stories 1st Place– Tansi Bandaru, Shrena Dendi, and Laasya Ramolla

Coding 1st Place – Adithya Asokan & Jesh Barli

CAD Foundations 3rd Place – Atharv Tiwari

Dragster Design 3rd Place – Autumn Huebbe

Flight – 1st Place -Adithya Asokan & 2nd Place – Dhanvin Chelumuri 3rd Place – Arav Kulkarni

Forensic Technology – 1st Place – Tansi Bandaru & Shrena Dendi 2nd Place – Autumn Huebbe & Laasya Ramolla

Digital Photography – 1st Anmol Gonchigar & 3rd Arnav Kulkarni

Prepared Speech – 1st – Shrena Dendi 2nd – Laasya Ramolla 3rd – Tansi Bandaru

Promotional Marketing – 1st Arav Kulkarni & 2nd Autumn Huebbe

Structural Engineering – 1st Tansi Bandaru & Laasya Ramolla & 3rd Jesh Barli & Dhanvin Chelumuri

Problem Solving – 3rd Anmol Gonchigar & Atharv Tiwari

Website Design – 1st Yalla, Komakula, Bhatt, Nalam, Suyal, Asokan

Career Preparation 1st Tansi Bandaru 2nd Shrena Dendi 3rd Laasya Ramolla

April 2023: Johnston students successful at state technology conference

July 2022: Johnston senior named national president of Technology Student Association